Seasons
Christopher Pease
2006 | grass tree resin and ochre on hessian | accession number 737
purchased by the Art Board 2006 – Murdoch University Art Collection
© the artist

Christopher PEASE

born 1969, South Coast, Western Australia
lives and works in Perth, Western Australia
Nyoongar language group
Minyang skin group

Artist Statement:

The ochre in this painting was collect from an ochre pit at Wilsons Inlet, Denmark. This ochre pit has been used by my family for generations and was formed by both tidal and meterological influences that moved sediment within water.

I collected resin from the Balga (grass tree) growing within the Darling Ranges. This resin is a traditional material used by the Nyoongar people for both decoration and tool making. The growth of the Balga is controlled by the seasons and resin is often produced after the plant is burnt during the hot months of the year.

Modern Western culture divides the seasons into four (vertical dots). Nyoongar seasons are described as six, they are; Birak (Dec-Jan), Bunuru (Feb-March), Djeran (April-May), Makurua (June-July), Djilba (Aug-Sept), Kambarang (Oct-Nov) (horizontal dots).

Together these make 24 dots representing the 24 hours it takes for the Earth to revolve around our sun. All things mineral and organic (including ourselves) are controlled by the movement of our planet. In this way we are insignificant.

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