Shorty Jangala Robertson, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) - Puyurru, 30x30cm
Original Work of Art (1/1) — they all are!
Certified by Community Art Centre
Fast & Free Delivery
120 Day Returns
Authenticity Guarantee
Colour Correct Images
1520+ Reviews
- Details
- Artwork
- Artist
- Returns + Shipping
- Artist - Shorty Jangala Robertson
- Community - Yuendumu
- Art Centre/Community organisation - Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
- Catalogue number - 3884-13
- Materials - Acrylic on pre-stretched canvas
- Size(cm) - H30 W30 D3.5
- Postage variants - Artwork posted stretched and ready to hang
The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu. In the usually dry creek beds are water soakages or naturally occurring wells. Two Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. It travelled across the country, with the lightning striking the land. This storm met up with another storm from Wapurtali, to the west, was picked up by a ‘kirrkarlan’ (brown falcon [Falco berigora]) and carried further west until it dropped the storm at Purlungyanu, where it created a giant soakage. At Puyurru the bird dug up a giant snake, ‘warnayarra’ (the ‘rainbow serpent’) and the snake carried water to create the large lake, Jillyiumpa, close to an outstation in this country. This story belongs to Jangala men and Nangala women. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. In many paintings of this Jukurrpa curved and straight lines represent the ‘ngawarra’ (flood waters) running through the landscape. Motifs frequently used to depict this story include small circles representing ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and short bars depicting ‘mangkurdu’ (cumulus & stratocumulus clouds).
Shorty Jangala Robertson was born at Jila (Chilla Well), a large soakage and claypan north west of Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community located 290 kms north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. He lived a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle with his parents, older brother and extended Warlpiri family. They travelled vast distances across desert country, passing through Warlukurlangu, south west of Jila and Ngarlikurlangu, north of Yuendumu, visiting Jangala’s, his skin brothers. His childhood memories consist of stories associated with the Coniston massacre of Aboriginal people. Families were also shot at Wantaparri, close to Jila. Shorty Jangala Robertson had virtually no contact with white fellas during his youth but remembered leaving Jila for Mt Theo ‘to hide’ from being shot. His father died at Mt Theo. He moved with his mother to Mt Doreen Station, and subsequently the new settlement of Yuendumu. During World War II, the army took people from Yuendumu to the other Warlpiri settlement at Lajamanu. Shorty was taken and separated from his mother; however, she came to get him on foot and together they travelled hundreds of miles back to Chilla Well. Drought food and medical supplies forced Shorty and his family back to Yuendumu from time to time. His working life was full of adventure and hard work for different enterprises in the Alice Springs and Yuendumu areas. He finally settled at Yuendumu in 1967 after the Australian Citizen Referendum. It is extraordinary in all his travels and jobs over his whole working life, that he escaped the burgeoning and flourishing Central Desert art movement of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Thus Shorty’s paintings are fresh, vigorous and new. His use of colour to paint and interpret his dreamings of Ngapa (Water), Watiyawarnu (Acacia), Yankirri (Emu) and Pamapardu (Flying Ant) is vital, yet upholding the Warlpiri tradition. Shorty was well in his 70’s when he started painting. He was an active member of the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu. His first solo exhibition at Alcaston Gallery in 2003 was met with great artistic acclaim. Since then he exhibited in Aboriginal Art Exhibitions in Australia and overseas.
He passed away 28-09-2014 on a sunny Sunday morning.
We realise that it's not always easy buying artworks sight unseen but we are so confident that you're going to absolutely love them when they turn up that if for any reason you change your mind or you're not feeling the feng shui you can return them within 14 days for a full refund.
We happily provide free registered post on all of our paintings within Australia and $30 for international postage. A $15 premium is applicable for the safe packing and registered postage of our 3-D items.
Unique and Original Aboriginal Art in the United States
Life is better with art, and this beautiful, original piece will be a conversation starter for years to come. Delivered to the USA in around a week, your new artwork will arrive exactly as you see it online—lovingly packed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the community-based, not-for-profit art centre. With colour-accurate images and seamless service, we guarantee that your artwork will arrive promptly and as expected. Enjoy fast, free delivery and 120-day returns, and rest easy knowing you've made an ethical purchase.
*For international orders under $500 AUD, a $30 AUD postage fee applies; otherwise, shipping is free
United States Deliveries and Customs
Fortunately, unlike in most parts of the world, original artworks delivered to the USA are exempt from import duties. This means no additional fees and no lengthy customs delays.
Authenticity Documents
While certificates of authenticity are common, only those from community-based Aboriginal art centres provide assurance of ethical sourcing and documentation. Certificates issued by non-community galleries do not reflect ethical practices, so it's essential to check the origin.
At ART ARK®, every artwork includes a certificate of authenticity issued by the community-run art centre where it was created. Learn more about Aboriginal Art Authenticity.
Framing Aboriginal Art
We deliver artworks exactly as they arrive from the art centres, ensuring transparent pricing with no additional costs. Prices are based on what each centre sets, and we include free postage.
Our canvas and linen paintings are sent rolled for easy re-stretching at your local framer. Bark paintings and smaller works in our Stretched Desert Paintings collection arrive ready to hang. Watercolours should be framed behind glass, whether in a custom or pre-made frame. Learn more about Framing Aboriginal Art.
Customer Testimonials
Our customers consistently praise our fast deliveries, the accuracy of our images, and our ethical business model.
Please read our Customer Reviews to learn more.