Ricky Emmerton

Kalkutungu Warrma Marantja  (Kalkadoon Corroboree Costume)

2022, Acrylic on cardboard, bamboo and paper string, 97.5 (h) x 41cm (w)

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Kalkutungu Warrma Marantja (Kalkadoon Corroboree Costume), depicts the typical body art design for Kalkadoon men during a warrma (corroboree). The design is applied with a method known as blood-feathering where ochre-coloured balls of feather down are adhered to the body with blood. The design covers the face, shown at the top of the painting with the white dots. The red is applied down the neck, chest and thighs before being outlined in white. The background is infilled with  mintja thuuthuu or ‘shiny lines.’ The mintja thuuthuu line pattern was used for boomerang decoration where lines were incised into the wood using a possum tooth or sharp flint knife. The mintja thuuthuu line pattern, the colours and dots all signify the spiritual power of Ritjinguthinha (Dreaming) by enhancing the painting with a flash of brilliance. As the old people would say when teaching Ricky to paint, “Make it look flash!” This basic design is used for many different warrma and variations exist, for example, the design could extend down the arms to the elbows. In the old days a warrma could last for many days. During the day people would hunt, eat and socialise, while others would be aside, hidden from view by branches placed to make a shelter. These people would be preparing themselves for the nights dancing as it took many hours to get everyone ready.

Ricky Emmerton is a Kalkutungu man from northwest Queensland. Emmerton's work is held in the Artbank Collection in Sydney and was showcased in the exhibition From Where We Stand, a selection of landscape paintings from the Artbank collection, curated by Tony Stephens in 2018.

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