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[ paintings
]
Edward Blitner Taiita
(Biography courtesy of Aboriginal
Desert Art Gallery.)
| Born: |
1961 |
| Tribe: |
Marra/Alawa |
| Clan: |
Barbil |
| Moiety: |
Mambali |
| Totem: |
Bandiyan |
| Area: |
Ngukkur |
Edward Blitner is from the Ngukkurr Community
(now called Yugul Mangl) in Naijarlindji country on
the Roper River, approx. 270km south-east off Katherine in the Northern
Territory.
Edward started painting when he was seven years
old.
"My grandfather would be painting on bark and
we kids would sit around him and watch him grind the ochre's and
mix the colours, after a while he would tell us the story for that
particular painting and also teach us the songs and dance for that
story. When he was in a very good mood, he let us paint the sides
of the bark painting, that was my start."
It has taken Eddy many years to learn to paint
the stories and the Dreamings past on to him by his grandfather.
Edward is also a accomplished woodcarver. Some of Eddy's bird carvings
stand 2 meters high and are fully decorated and cross hatched (wrarrk).
The detailed cross hatching shown in Edward's paintings and carvings,
is the artist's family body design and is sacred to his clan.
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