Paint Up

Shovel-nose sharks, dingoes, the morning star and rainbows feature in 'paint-up'; the age-old practice of decorating the bodies of dancers for the corroboree. Amanda Ahern became fascinated with the distinctive body-art designs while working on Mornington Island. With a background in anthropology and visual arts, she approached the local Elders to involve the community in documenting for posterity the dancers' body-paint designs and their meaning. The result is this first-ever publication to describe in drawings, photographs and stories the unique geography of the Top End and the rich traditions and legends of the Muyinda ancestors. The practice of 'paint-up' is an expression of culture rather than art. Each body-paint design is of profound cultural significance, identifying the wearer with country, sacred sites and ancestral groups.

About the Author :
Amanda Ahern was born in Cairns in North Queensland, 1953 and grew up in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane. On leaving school, she worked as a law clerk but soon decided that she wanted to see the world. After travelling in Europe, North Africa, India, Indonesia and the United States for 8 years she returned home to Australia in 1982. On her return she studied massage, meditation and healing practices, developing her keen interest in the Human Potential Movement. In 1993 she turned to Anthropology, a lifelong passion. Amanda completed her Arts Degree in Anthropology and Spanish Language at the University of Queensland in 1998, culminating 6 years of study with 2 and a half years of fieldwork on Mornington Island Aboriginal community. As the Muyinda Aboriginal Corporation's artefact coordinator she developed lifelong friendships with her employers. Her first book evolved from these relationships with the Muyinda elders. Paint-Up is a collaborative effort, generating cultural awareness through promotion of Muyinda art, stories and history. Amanda applied her coordination skills over three years to create the collection of designs and stories, exhibit them with the support of Arts Queensland and produce a book that is a cultural resource document for the community. She is now living in Brisbane, working on another book on the stories of the stockmen of Mornington Island, and their contribution to the history of Queensland.