Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming 2010

Editor: Here we have Kathleen Petyarre’s "Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming," created in 2010 using acrylic paint. At first glance, it's a mesmerizing field of red, pulsing with energy, like looking into the heart of a desert sunset. What’s your take? Curator: It is mesmerizing, isn’t it? To me, it feels less like a literal landscape and more like a sensory experience – the heat rising from the sand, the shimmer of light on scales, perhaps. Those thousands of tiny dots create not just form, but a living, breathing texture. What does the Mountain Devil Lizard, a Thorny Devil, mean to you? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about the lizard itself, to be honest. It was more the abstract quality that grabbed me. It is like a complex, interwoven web. Curator: Absolutely. And that’s where the “Dreaming” aspect comes in. In Aboriginal cultures, Dreamtime stories aren't just tales, they're the very foundation of existence, maps of the land, moral codes. Each dot, each line could be a journey, a songline of the Mountain Devil Lizard ancestor. And look how the painting almost vibrates! Can you feel it? Editor: Yes, definitely. It's not static at all. So, this seemingly abstract pattern is actually filled with narrative, mapping out a whole cultural understanding? Curator: Precisely. It challenges our Western idea of landscape, doesn’t it? The land isn't just seen; it’s *felt*, *lived*, *dreamed*. Petyarre isn’t just painting an image; she's sharing a profound connection. She opens a window. And you have the choice to step through that window and wander a bit. Editor: I will do that, thank you. Thinking about it now, the title changes everything. It makes you consider the depth behind each brushstroke. Curator: Art changes as we change. So come back to this in a month! You are the mountain devil lizard now, aren’t you?