{"product_id":"simon-namunjdja-mimih-spirit-24-26","title":"Simon Namunjdja | Mimih Spirit 23-26","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"page\" title=\"Page 15\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003espirit exists in a realm that runs parallel to and mirrors many facets of human life, demonstrating the deep sense of time and place understood by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Such spirits feature importantly in relation to Aboriginal spirituality, cosmology, social and moral tales as well as ritual. As is true with the multiple mediums employed by artists of West Arnhem Land, the development of artistic style and form is in line with an awareness by the artist that the work produced is predominantly made for a broader audience. Whether shown in a national or international context these works communicate and exist in a particular space that is cross-cultural and simultaneously particular to the Arnhem region. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esits within a complex pedagogical and religious body of knowledge which links Kuninjku people to their distinctive escarpment homelands. Young Kuninjku artists, or apprentices, employ the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eas an important exercise for the practice of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003erarrk \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003etechnique, as it could be achieved on a smaller surface area before being attempted in larger scale on pieces of bark. The \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eserves a purpose for those young artists first learning to carve in a social space of sharing and innovating. The initial \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emanifestation was a large form that almost mirrored the anatomy of a human and at this stage the sculptures have been likened to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emokuy \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecarvings visible in eastern Arnhem Land. Contemporaneously, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eare depicted in a refined, slender, even emaciated form with a broad range of facial expressions giving both individual character to, and denoting the potential volatility and humour that \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003espirits are notable for in their interaction with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebininj \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(humans). The sculptures are frequently carved from the thin trunks of softwoods such as kapok (bombax ceiba or cottonwood) kurrajong, beach hibiscus or leichardt and are painted with earth pigments for their colouring and design. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA leading figure engaging the spirit in visual storytelling was Crusoe Kuningbal, a Kuninjku man, who while traveling was familiarised with carving styles from the east of Arnhem at the mission in Milingimbi pre-dating World War II. The\u003cbr\u003econnection and development of art forms informed by cross cultural dialogues within northern Aboriginal language groups is notable. The \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebecame a valued inclusion in performance and public ceremony by Kuninjku people like Kuningbal. At times these ceremonies were performed for extended language groups in the local region. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNow a familiar and broadly depicted figure of iconography, it is important to acknowledge the development of this quite recent sculptural tradition. The depiction of this particular spirit being, once used as an addition to the sharing of song cycles and ceremony, has since been elevated to a prominent form and subject of contemporary sculpture. Variation in the creation of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eacts as an indication of the individualism of each artist and their stylistic markers. Additionally significant to note is that in the space of the past thirty years the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emimih \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehas begun being produced by multiple language groups residing in the Maningrida area including the traditional owners of Maningrida, the Ndjébbana, speaking Kunibidji as well as Gurrgoni people who have strong ties to Kuninjku. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Brunswick Street Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52049071767850,"sku":null,"price":1250.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/0374\/2506\/files\/SimonNamunjdjda23-26.jpg?v=1783673640","url":"https:\/\/brunswickstreetgallery.com.au\/products\/simon-namunjdja-mimih-spirit-24-26","provider":"Brunswick Street Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}