51 AM 7464/10
Leigh Oates Preminghana to Temma 2010
Acrylic on cotton 610 x 910mm $920
This painting represents an area on the west coast of Tasmania between Preminghana down to Temma. The white rocks represent an
area where the old fellas would go and hunt seal. They would make depressions in the rocky area and hide in these and wait for the seals
to come up onto the rocks to sunbake. The seal hides themselves are represented by the nine shaded areas in the centre (red oxide and
yellow oxide), these nine shapes also represent the nine Aboriginal Nations. When they fell asleep they would sneek out of their seal hides
and club the seals for food. The aqua shapes represent the sea from where the seals would come. The circular symbols are petroglyphs
(rock carvings) which can be found in this area, it is unknown what the petroglyphs represent but they are a significant cultural link to our
past.