artist – Kathleen Kngale
Artist’s profile »

community – Utopia

title: Bush Plum Country

year: 2010

dimensions: 120 x 90cm
medium: Acrylic on linen
code: 1594

stretched:  yes

This beautiful painting comes with an image of Kathleen with this artwork.

This artwork can be viewed at our Sydney gallery.

View all artworks by Kathleen Kngale.

about this painting:  Kathleen paints Bush Plum Country in Arlperre, Utopia.  She is custodian of the bush plum which grows throughout her country.  Kathleen’s treatment of bush plums derives from her long memory of survival, particularly those times of drought, the anticipation of rain, and the belief that ceremony would help being the rain and the flush of bush food.

The knowledge of gathering and storing “Bush Plums” and scattering its seeds is referred to as Bush Plum Dreaming.  The patterns in Kathleen’s painting celebrates all aspects of the bush plum.  She represents the fruit of the plant and its leaves and flowers.

Bush plums are very popular bush tucker, and can only be found at certain times of the year.  It grows throughout the vast Utopia region, however its abundance has declined due to grazing and introduced animals (rabbits and cattle).  Bush plums fruit in the summer.  They can be collected when ripe and eaten immediately, or dried and eaten later.

The fruit resembles an olive in appearance and size.  It turns from green to purple-black when ripe.  The plant can grow up to 3 metres high.