Big Yam Dreaming - Abbey M

Big Yam Dreaming- Emily Kame Kngwarreye

 

Emily Kame Kngwarreye is a contemporary artist that has many wonderfully unique artworks. One of her most famous artworks is ‘Big Yam Dreaming.’ This painting is 291.1 x 801.9cm and is paint on canvas. Big Yam Dreaming was painted in Utopia, Central Australia.

The artwork could be described as looking like wool or yarn has been threaded through and put all over the canvas. The magnificent black and white painting has a noticeable resemblance to a spider web. The form of the artwork is synthetic polymer and paint on canvas. The piece is mostly abstract as there is not much actual drawing, just abstract painting. The general shape of the artwork could be described as the shape of a spider web, however the actual painting is based on the cracks in the ground that occur when the ground is dry, or when a drought is occurring. The full canvas painting his black and white, the background is mostly black and the white paint is painted on top. Like work is used throughout the painting however there is no symmetry, balance or repetition.

The colours used in the artwork is based on yam tracking lines, cracks in the ground. The painting has quite a resemblance to a spider web however there is no particular picture that the artist has painted, for example Emily has not based her painting on a garden, or cattle in a paddock.

The painting has a strong connection to Emily’s ancestral background, and it has a connection to her country of Alhalkere. The wonderful painting is very important due to the history behind the painting and the tracking lines and Emily’s inspiration to create the wonderful artwork. Emily went through many challenges that inspired her to paint such as racial discrimination because of her ancestral and traditional background.

I believe that Big Yam Dreaming is a beautiful artwork as it is not like other Aboriginal paintings and/or artworks. Emily is very inspirational as she has inspired many other Aboriginal artists to paint and to display their talents. It is such a unique painting and Emily should be commended on how well she can create such beautiful abstract artworks.