Lot 59: MICKEY BUNGKUNI CIRCA 1900-1978

WANJINA 1964

MEASUREMENTS

122 by 63.5 cm

Natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

PROVENANCE
Commissioned by John McCaffrey at Mowanjum in 1964 Private collection, Queensland Cf. For related examples see Berndt, R. M. and C. H. Berndt with J. Stanton, Aboriginal Australian Art, A Visual Perspective, Methuen, Australia, 1982; Stanton, J., Painting the Country: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley Region, Western Australia, The University of Western Australia Press, Perth, 1989 Mickey Bungkuni was the paternal uncle, and hence classificatory father, to the noted Kimberley artist Wattie Karruwara. They belonged to the same estate and shared a number of similar totemic affiliations including the Spotted Nightjar and the Brolga. Their country lay across the Hunter River (Mariawala) basin an area known as Elalemerri - the holding of the Lantarr Clan - which was named after a shrub with clustered yellow flowers. Bungkuni was the acknowledgeded senior Wunambal lawman resident at Mowanjum in the 1960s, a position he retained until his death Bungkuni, like Karruwara first appears as an artist late in life. In 1963 he painted Wanjina and other mythical figures including Argula (Evil spirits) on sheets of bark for anthropologist Peter Lucich (see R. M. and C.H Berndt with John Stanton, 1982, pp. 66-67, 155; and Stanton 1989, pp. 14-16) Between 1964 and 1966 Bungkuni, along with Wattie Karruwara, worked extensively with anthropologist John McCaffrey. McCaffrey's notes provide great detail of the dialogues the two artists held as they painted - topics included the nature of Wanjina Beings and their anatomy. McCaffrey also detailed how the Wanjina paintings were constructed. At this time McCaffrey appears to be asking questions that other researchers in the area had not considered and it is clear that he enjoyed a close relationship with the two men. McCaffrey records the notion of Wanjina being the huge solitary storm clouds, topped with thunderheads connected to the earth by streaming rain as they march across the country during the wet season. The wind is the sound of Wanjina humming, thunder the roar of their voices. The details of Wanjina anatomy are carefully noted by McCaffrey, those elements - eyes, nose, fingers etc that are shared with humans being differentiated from others - symbols of rain, clouds and lightning that reflected the Wanjinas cosmological powers. As McCaffrey notes in his journal, although the Wunambal Wanjinas are saltwater beings they are associated always with freshwater animals - hence, as in this instance, the additional figures of watersnakes and short and long-necked tortoises and freshwater crocodiles McCaffrey noted the different techniques used by Mickey and Wattie when they applied ochre to bark. Wattie would infill his figures in one manner, while Bungkuni, would sub-divide the space being stippled in a regular manner and then fill in each compartment in turn. The time it took to complete a picture is alluded to, with Wattie taking three hours to delineate and infill just the hair rays of his Wanjina In a unique piece of movie footage Bungkuni can be seen painting this Wanjina figure. Shot in the mid-1960s, at the same time that McCaffrey was working at Mowanjum, several scenes show the Wanjina at different stages of development. Other footage shows an exhibition of Mowanjum art and craftwork, possibly the first of its kind to be held in Derby. Clearly visible are a number of the Karruwara watercolours that were sold through Sotheby's in 2002 and 2003 Unlike the work of many more recent Wanjina artists, Bungkuni's paintings reflect a direct connectedness with the art of the Kimberley caves and his personal cosmology. Wanjina were perceived to be present as the artists painted and each change of weather experienced as they worked was considered proof of their proximity This painting is sold with an accompanying DVD transcribed from the original 8mm film in which the artist is seen in the process of executing the work Sotheby's wish to thank Kim Akerman for this catalogue entry