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Lot description
As one of the last of the dwindling generation of old men who possessed complete knowledge of the rituals, law, and culture of his people, Jack Dale was a vital link to the past. His most compelling and mysterious works focus on the Wandjina and other important spirit beings that created the land and instituted the laws that govern human behaviour. Wandjinas are powerful fertility spirits, responsible for the life-giving monsoon rains. Dale depicted these spirits in a distinctive style: ghost-like, with halos, and large, dark, pool-like eyes, without mouths, as he believed that giving them a mouth would mean the heavens would open and the rain would never cease. These Wandjina sites, located throughout the Kimberley, are over 60,000 years old and are painted on rock overhangs, often marked by striking geological features like the Djalala or ‘marking stones’ that indicate their presence. “Whites have the bible. We have our Wandjinas. We have to go to these places else we are empty,” said Dale. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Grand Old Man of the Kimberley', he came to painting late in life, after many hard-working years as a stockman. Even then, he was revered for his extensive knowledge and admired for his physical strength and determined attitude.