"When I was a little girl my grandmother's mob, all the old women, showed me and taught me the ceremonies—the whole lot—they taught me singing, dancing, body painting… the old ladies got me to dance from when I was a little one—they thought one day I would be leader." Kathleen Petyarre

What Kathleen learnt as a little girl from her paternal grandmother is today recognized as Petyarre’s greatest artistic subject, the Dreaming narrative of Arnkerrth, the Old Women Mountain Devil or Thorny Devil Lizard. Today, the majority of Kathleen’s canvases portray the epic journeying of Arnkerrth through Atnangker country.In Kathleen’s art, as is the case with other Western Desert artistic production, Arnkerrth is not represented figuratively, but conceptualized spatially.

Kathleen in a formal setting

Arnkerrth, the Thorny Devil Lizard, her totem

As Kathleen describes it: "In my paintings, Arnkerrth is walking, walking, through her country, getting ready for ceremony, for girls and young boys too. A long walk! On her back, [she is] carrying everything — special red ochre for ceremony, hair, hairstring for ceremony, seeds, everything. She’s crossing over other Dreaming[s], all on Atnangker country, Green Bean Dreaming, Dingo Dreaming, Emu Dreaming, Seed Dreaming -—all on that country. This Old Lady Arnkerrth Dreaming — my Dreaming — shows us about the initiation of all the young Anmatyerr girls."

Within the framework of this narrative, it is clear that Kathleen’s identification with the Old Woman Arnkerrth, her Dreaming Ancestor, is absolute. Kathleen and her Ancestor are one and the same being.

All paintings indicated with green dots are currently for sale. Prices and photos can be obtained by contacting us via e-mail, please be specific and mention the name and inventory code of the paintings. We particularly welcome phone calls in the U.S. at (415-871-5901). -- David Betz, Curator