This painting depicts designs associated with the swamp and rockhole site of Palipalintja, just west of Jupiter Well. In ancestral times a large group of Tingari men travelled to this site from the west. After camping at this site the men continued their travels east, passing through Wala Wala, Kiwirrkura and then north-east to Tarkul and Lake Mackay. The lines in this painting depict the sandhills in the area in which the Tingari men travelled. Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature no further detail was given. Generally, the Tingari are a group of ancestral beings of the Dreaming who travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals and creating and shaping particular sites. The Tingari men were usually followed by Tingari women and were accompanied by novices, and their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles. These ancestral stories form part of the teachings of the post initiatory youths today as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.

© Papunya Tula Arts