Painting: Man’s Love Story- Tjapaltjarri, Clifford Possum

Painting: Man’s Love Story, 1978 (synthetic polymer paint on canvas). Tjapaltjarri, Clifford Possum (c. 1932-2002) Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia/ Bridgeman Berlin.

This iconic painting, ‘Man’s Love Story’ 1978, was purchased by the Art Gallery of South Australia in 1980. It became the first ‘dot’ painting to enter a major public art collection. This is a pure example of how Clifford Possum has prepared a path for future generations of Indigenous artists whilst connecting the gap between Aboriginal art and contemporary Australian art.


As stated from the Art Gallery of South Australia, 2004, ‘The main story, mythology belonging to this picture is of a man and a woman who came from Yuelamu in the west to Yinalyingi. Here the man found the white sugary substance called ‘Lurrka’ on leaves at the foot of a mulga tree. Lurrka showed him that there were Tjala or honey ants nearby. This action is shown by the strong shapes on the left of the painting’.


‘The second mythology tells of a Tjungarrayi man who came to the site represented by the pictograms on the right of the painting. He sat down to spin a hair string on a simple cross-spindle. The spindle is the oval shape connected to the camp fire. The artist has stated that the man sent a telegram-like message to a Napangati woman whom he was attracted to but who was from the wrong kinship subsection for marriage. The woman was drawn to his campsite by the singing. The man was so distracted by her approach that he lost concentration on the spinning and his hair string was blown away by the wind. The concentric circles represent the campsite and the U-shape is the seated man. There are footprints in front of him. The scattered’.


‘The third mythology tells of both present and mythical times. During the night four Nungarryi women came near and sat in darkness around the camps of two men. The camps are represented by the concentric circles. The men and their digging sticks are represented by dotted U-shapes to the left and right. The area of black represents ‘Kanala’, the area in which post-initiate young men are taught (through ceremonies) this mythology and associated laws. The footprints at the bottom left of the painting are those of the goanna man who, in mythological times, chased a woman whom he eventually caught and decapitated. The path of another goanna ancestor is shown in the top right. The coloured background dots symbolise mulga and witchetty seeds, which were collected, ground and used in the preparation of damper. The long bars at the top and bottom of the paining are said to me mirages. The artist has not described the part the play in this mythology. The meaning of the wiggly shapes of an edible green caterpillar is not known’.

After researching one of the most collected and famous Australian Aboriginal artists, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. I have seen the deeper meaning to Indigenous paintings. They are beautiful, time consuming, detailed pieces to make. The different mythological stories behind a single painting are extraordinary. I can now say I have a better understanding of Aboriginal art and the Dreaming, by how he includes his environment and everyday life. I’ve developed an appreciation and respect for Aboriginal cultural values and beliefs through researching Clifford Possums artwork.


Reference:
- Man’s Love Story, 1978 (synthetic polymer paint on canvas). Tjapaltjarri, Clifford Possum (c. 1932-2002) Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia/ Bridgeman Berlin.