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Binna Swindley - Janbal Gallery
Q: What is the story or meaning behind this piece?
A: This painting represents one of the oldest birds living in the rainforest, called Kurranji (meaning cassowary). As you can see the cassowary footprints are walking along the the soft mud. You'll also see a little white dot, that is the hill where the cassowary travels all over the place eating rainforest bush food all day.
You'll only find these cassowary foots prints at just the right time, a little bit of rain and sun at same time. If there's been a heavy rain you'll never find these footprints.
Other details are bush foods and the dot which represents our Kuku Yalanji people and means raindrop.
Q: The gallery is named after your mother, Shirley “Janbal” Swindley. Tell us about her.
A: She was artist and she start painting somewhere in the 80s. She painted on boomerangs, shields and didgeridoos, and one day she asked me if I painted on paper. I said yes and when I came home I brought some with me for her to test on. That’s where she started painting on paper, and she has now sold her work all over the place. She painted more about birds and other animals. I’ve still got lots of her original paintings.
Q: How long have you been creating art for and what inspires your art?
A: I started at Cairns Tafe college in 1989. Now I’ve been a full time artist for over 31 years and I am inspired by one of my uncles who was an artist. He and his brother did more rock cave painting, Laura Rock Art from Quinkan Country. But my artwork is more contemporary paintings from the rainforest and sea. That’s where I get all my ideas from.
What are your favourite things to paint, and why?
Cassowary footprints, rainforest bush foods and rain drops. I love to paint these, it’s all about how you get out hunting and gathering food. The cassowary is my totem. It is a big, lovely bird and is the oldest bird in the rainforest.
Q: What is so special about the land around you in Tropical North Queensland?
A: Daintree National Park is the oldest rainforest of all, and we have such ancient wildlife like the cassowary walking around in the area.
Q: Do you have a favourite Indigenous ingredient to eat or cook with?
A: My favourite foods are mud crab, stingray, and coral trout. If you cook the crab on the fire it has my favourite taste. And stringray has a very nice taste as well. There is so much good food in the rainforest and out in the sea for hunting.
Featured on our interactive maps of Queensland is the work of Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal artist Brian "Binna" Swindley.