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Apu Kaz – [Mère et bébé dugong] 2006 Bronze, éd.7, 2m x 1m « Le nom de cette sculpture, Apu Kaz, signifie ‘mère et bébé’. Les motifs sculptés sur le dos du dugong s’appellent Minaral. Celui dont j’ai orné ce gros dugong en bronze est une histoire de constellation associée aux dugongs et aux deux courants. Dans ma langue, cette constellation porte le nom de Kaigas aw usalal. C’est la Voie lactée, et ce terme désigne aussi le requin-pelle. Quand on dérange ou qu’on pourchasse le requin, il laisse derrière lui une poussière ; quand il attaque sa proie sur le sable, la vase noire qu’il soulève s’appelle Usalal. Cette expression désigne donc le requin-pelle qui s’est envolé et qui a laissé derrière lui la Voie lactée. Selon l’histoire, ce requin a presque la forme d’un calamar. Quand la constellation (vue de Badu) se tourne vers la pointe de l’Australie pendant la nuit, le courant est faible, on l’appelle Guathath. C’est le bon moment pour débusquer les dugongs, même s’ils sont séparés, mais seulement par temps calme lorsqu’on peut voir cette constellation. Quand le dugong sort de la mer pour enfanter, nous nous approchons en dinghy (barques) et il est facile de l’attraper. Quand la constellation entre en rotation, elle se dispose en travers du détroit, entre le cap York et la Nouvelle Guinée, puis elle change de position, entre l’océan Indien et le Pacifique. C’est alors que le courant devient fort (Yamaral Kulis). Dans la journée, les dugongs sont faciles à chasser à Yamaral Kulis mais, la nuit, c’est beaucoup plus difficile à cause des vagues ; on entend les dugongs respirer, mais on les entend mieux quand le courant est faible. La chasse de nuit s’appelle aussi Zagul : on n’a pas de torche, il faut se guider au bruit. On distingue une lumière fluorescente (Bupurr) sur le nez du dugong, on vise dans le noir complet, à l’endroit où on pense que l’animal se trouve. C’est très dangereux et beaucoup de chasseurs sont morts parce que la corde s’était enroulée autour de leur cou. Les chasseurs attendent le bon moment. Quand la constellation est en rotation, ils sautent dans leurs bateaux ; tout dépend du courant dont on veut profiter mais il vaut mieux choisir le courant de Guathath. Quand la Voie lactée est en travers, quand ses pointes montrent les deux grands océans, on reste à la maison. Si l’on se fie à la constellation, on part et le dugong est là qui vous attend, on n’a plus qu’à le harponner. Toutes ces histoires de chasse sont secrètes, elles n’ont jamais été transcrites. Je ne les ai jamais lues dans un livre. Elles viennent d’ailleurs, de l’intérieur de nous-mêmes. » (Dennis Nona)
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Apu Kaz – [Mother & Baby Dugong] 2006 Bronze, éd.7, 2m x 1m This sculpture is called Apu Kaz. Translated it is mother and baby. The carvings onto the back of the dugong -in language we call it Minaral. The one I put on this dugong, the bronze, the big one, is a traditional constellation story that is associated with the dugong and the two currents again. In my language that constellation is called Kaigas aw usalal. It is the Milky Way constellation, and again Kaigas aw usalal is again in my language also refers to the shovel nose shark. When the shark is disturbed or we chase it – the dust it leaves behind or, when the shark is attacking something on the sand – the dark silt that it makes on the shallow part, is what is called Usalal. So in my language it’s refers to the shovel nose shark who took off and it left that Milky Way behind. Now the story goes, and this is real, the shovel nose shark – the Milky Way – is almost like a squid shape. When it points to the tip of Australia (from Badu Island), to Cape York and New Guinea during the night (this is to do with hunting) – the current is weak which is called Guathath from my other work. It’s a good time to find the dugong at night, even though they’re separated, but only in calm weather during that time of looking at that constellation. When the dugong comes up out of the sea to breed, and we paddle in the dingy it’s easy to catch them. When the constellation rotates about, maybe about like seven, eight, nine, 10 o’clock before 12, (as if you are looking at a clock face) it lies across to Cape York and New Guinea, then about 12 or 1 o’clock you can see it’s rotating and then it lies across the two oceans – Indian and the Pacific Ocean. That’s the time the current has arrived strong - Yamaral Kulis. The dugongs at night, during the day they’re good to hunt at Yamaral Kulis but at night it’s a little bit hard because it’s disturbed, so it gets wavy and you can hear dugongs when the waves come up and yes, you can hear them breathing, but during the weak current you can hear them. That’s where you paddle. Hunting is also called Zagul. It’s night hunting, you’ve got no torch – you just have to listen to the noise. That’s also on my next artwork. It’s about the fluorescent light, when you see the dugong you’ll just see that light on its nose – it’s called Bupurr and you have to shoot in the dark to estimate that the dugong is there, and it’s pitch dark, like you’re that close I can’t see you, that’s the hunting. It’s very dangerous and a lot of hunters have died because the rope went round their neck. The light is called Zagul, that’s what this Kaigas is – the Milky Way associated with the current – the hunters are sitting in the house waiting for the right time. The constellation is rotating. That’s when you go out and jump in your dinghy or boat or when it’s almost the right time – it depends on which current you want to go in but you have to go in the current of Guathath when the Milky Way lies across – when its point, sometimes from seven o’clock to 12, it points towards the two main oceans. You just stay home. About 12, 11 o’clock you can see that it’s rotating. That’s when you make your way out to the hunting ground. By the time you get there you spear the dugong. At that time, it’s right there ready there for you, according to that constellation. I just want to say this has never been recorded. All the others are secret hunting stories. These stories haven’t been recorded by anyone – I’ve never seen it in a book, even in a lot of books that have been recorded. These stories are coming from somewhere else, like inside us. |
Prix de vente : Epuisée / Sold out |
Price: Epuisée / Sold out |