Bark Painting

Painted in 1951 by Daignnanan, of the Gobaboino people (c. 45 years age) who described the meaning of the bark painting as "a drawing of warning to the unknowing and unthinking lest he stray into a big enemy country. But no one takes notice these days."

Dr. Leonhard Adam of the University of Melbourne states: "The painting is in the style of Milingimbi which is the same as the style of Yirrkalla. It is an example of, at first sight, purely ornamental, mostly geometrical forms with an esoteric meaning known only to the artist himself and people initiated by him. Although this is a modern piece, it is nevertheless perfectly original, and we have to remember that -- as our experience shows -- the various styles of Arnhemland seem to live only a relatively short time, at best a few decades, mostly much less, before they disappear. Either the tribe dies out, or the artists change their style."

Roughly rectangular. Painted in yellow, white, and red in two registers of wide stripes of fine cross-hatched diagonal stripes; at top and bottom, a solid yellow band with white line.