27 September, 2010

Is this very early abstract art, or illustrations of an early encounter with extraterrestrials? The images are, apparently, “Wandjinas.” These are “supreme spirit beings with large mouthless faces and black eyes.”

The location of these recently discovered paintings is being kept secret, because the folks studying them want to avoid interference from the outside.

From an article at Perthnow.com.au:

They made the discovery while walking a rugged stretch of their vast Wunambal Gaambera country in the far north Kimberley. The art – close to the Drysdale River, where tourists visit by helicopter for picnics – includes depictions of Wandjinas, the supreme spirit beings with large mouthless faces and black eyes. The exact location of the art is being kept secret but the rangers recorded each site on tracking devices and have handed photographs to the Kimberley Land Council in the hope that the art can be fenced to prevent damage from cattle rubbing against the rock walls. “Now that we know it’s here, we need to look after it,” said Neil Waina, who led the group that made the discoveries earlier this year. Mr Waina and colleagues Heather Unghangom, Jason Adams and Desmond Williams live in a tiny community on the northernmost point of Western Australia. Kalumburu, on the King Edward River, is 550km from the town of Derby but the road is inaccessible in the wet season.

According to an article at Wikipedia: