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Grass Seed
In the Utopia region, there are many varieties of grasses to be found. One such type is found in the spinifex, sand plains, and sandhills that produce a seed that is collected, crushed and made into a paste to produce a bread that people eat. This grass can grow up to 15 cm high and is reddish in colour. It is found throughout the year, but is particularly abundant after a fall of rain. Due to the grazing of cattle and rabbits the grass is not as plentiful and the seeds are harder to collect.
In years gone, the Aboriginal people collected these seeds in a most unusual way. Due to the seeds ripening at different stages, many would fall to the ground and be covered by sand and lost from view. The Aboriginal people would look for the nesting site of a particular ant. This ant, collected the seeds, and ate a certain portion and then discarded the rest. The discarded seeds would be found in a pile just outside the nest, where it was collected, cleaned and then ground into a thick paste.
These seeds were an important source of food for the Aboriginal people and were collected by the women of the community. The practice of making this bread is not in much use today, due to the introduction of ready made
Aknangkere Growth "Aknangkere Growth" by Gloria Petyarre depicts a type of flora to be found in Gloria's country of Aknangkere- located in the Utopia region. This style created in 1998 by Gloria at the DACOU studio in Adelaide, is actually an artistic extension of Gloria's well known Bush Medicine Dreaming, which depicts the leaves of a particular shrub which has strong medicinal qualities. Instead of portraying the leaves of this one bush, Aknangkere Growth depicts the branches of a shrub that covers much of the Utopia region. This shrub is found in the sandy areas of Utopia and has dense brown/green leaves and yellow flowers. The branches often cris cross over on another and can be so dense that when out hunting, the aboriginal people cannot pass through unless they burn a path through the bush.
Gloria depicts the dense intertwining foliage using uneven linear designs that wave in and along each canvas. A few layers of different coloured paint is used to illustrate the density of the shrub, and often dispersed between these lines there are small 'splatterings' of colour that depict the flowers of the bush. Gloria also depicts the burnt blackened areas of the bush by using a dark base colour with overlaying layers of bright colour that signals new regrowth and regeneration after the fire. This burning is commonplace outbush and is essential to the survival of the bush tucker. Gloria also depicts only the flowers of the shrub by smattering paint drops across the canvas in rather haphazardness style rather in the same way that the flowers haphazardly bloom on the bush. Once again a few layers of different coloured paint are used to depict the profusion of fauna and give that raw and wild appearance
My Mother’s Country Barbara Weir was born in the region of Utopia at a place formally known as Bundy river Station.
Barbara's mother is the late artist Minnie Pwerle, who came from a region called Atnwengerrp, and it is this country that is depicted in her paintings. The "Dreaming" that is the basis for Barbara's paintings come from the various ceremonies that are held by the women from Atnwengerrp . In the background of the paintings, Barbara often depicts the abandoned campsites that people made as they trekked across the country in search of food or the coolamans used by the women to collect the fruit and berries. It may also show the form of a woman’s body that is adorned with paint for the women’s ceremonies. Small or large semi-circular shapes depict the hills and valleys of the land and winding trails are the rivers or streams dotted across the countryside. There may also be an outline of a person or slightly unusual shapes that convey the spirits the dwell in the variety of plant and animal life. Overlaying these representations is a complex array of dotwork that depict the type of bush tucker found across the land. These include the Bush Yam, Potato, The following artists paint in this style:
Mountain Devil Dreaming The "Mountain Devil Dreaming" Aboriginal art style is referring to the Thorny Devil Lizard that is found throughout central The Aboriginal people believe that during the Dreamtime, this small lizard used to collect and carry the ochre colours in a pouch located at the back of its neck. As it walked the land it used to deposit these ochre colours in various areas throughout the country. The people would then use these colours in their body painting ceremonies.
In Mountain Devil Dreaming, the artist is depicting the pattern of the lizards skin that is used as a camouflage when danger is near. Not only does the pattern of the skin change, but also the colour as it blends into the environment making it virtually invisible. The following artists paint in this style:
Bush Medicine Dreaming Bush Medicine Dreaming depicts the leaves of a special plant that is used to aid in the healing process.
The leaves are collected and then boiled to extract the resin from the leaves. After this the resin is mixed with kangaroo fat collected from the kangaroo’s stomach. This creates a paste that can be stored for up to six months in bush conditions.
This medicine is used to heal cuts, wounds, bites , rashes and as an insect repellant.
Painting “Bush Medicine Dreaming” the artist is paying homage to the spirit of the medicine plant in the hope that it will regenerate enabling the people to use its healing powers.
Women’s Ceremony – “Awelye” In Aboriginal culture, ceremonies are focal points in the life of the community. They are held for different purposes, but are integral to the happiness and well being of the people. The people dance and celebrate to acknowledge the fertility of the land, the health of the people, the initiation of young men or to mourn the passing of a loved one.
They would smear their bodies with animal fat and would then trace certain ceremonial designs on the top half of their body using a variety of powders, ground from charcoal and yellow and red ochre. They would gather together and sing and dance led by the most senior women of the clan group. The women’s ceremony is kept separate to the man’s ceremony, though each one is equally as important. The main point is that the people are demonstrating their respect and love for the land. The body paint designs would vary from ceremony to ceremony and would depend on the subject and the time of year the cermony is held. Different symbols are painted on the body and may vary from person to person depending on the seniority of each member. Scorpion Dreaming One of Freddie Purla's vivid memories as a child was of the strange looking creature, the Scorpion. The Scorpion Dreaming has been passed down to Freddie by his grandmother’s family. As it’s sting is often very painful, the scorpion is left undisturbed and respected at all times. It is rarely seen during the day and only the desert sands display the signs of the scorpion’s track. Purla’s paintings represent the courtship dance between the male and female scorpion. Each scorpion interlock their pincers together while traveling back and forth in what can only be described as a dance. After several hours and as much as 24 hours, the tracks that are left behind create an artwork in itself on the ground. The tracks which are criss-crossed over and over again are rare to find in the desert. Freddie’s paintings powerfully represent the energy and vigour of the many movements made by the scorpions in their ritual desert dance. The following artists paint in this style: Emu Feathers 
