Description

This painting depicts the travelling Ngapa Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at Kurpulungu, located close to Mt Liebig. Joseph inherited this Tjukurrpa from his father, Phillip Lane. This is the travelling Dreaming of ‘Kulpununtu’, a water snake that travelled through Phillip Creek, Warumungu country (50km north of Tennant Creek). While in Phillip creek the snake met an emu. The snake then travelled west of Yuendumu to Intukumanu. In Intukumanu, it dug a big hole, forming a waterhole. The waterhole is named Kulpununtu, after the snake. After creating the waterhole, the snake changed form into a Walra, a flying animal that is unlike anything that exists today. The Walra then flew east back past Phillip Creek. It continued to fly back to where it originally came from, its origins are unknown. There is a song associated with this Tjukurrpa. Phillip Lane, Joseph’s father says that when the song is sung it brings big rains, sometimes lasting for months.