Crocs Country - Collection 2

This piece is a Collaboration with Joanne Nasir: This is what happens when old knowledge meets new creation. When hands shaped by time meet hands reaching forward. Together, they paint many stories…but one songline. Story: This is the story of a narrow strip of land wedged between the open sea and a winding saltwater creek where the old ones said the crocodiles ruled. In the 70s and 80s, I would travel to Tri Point across Shoal Bay, where my Granddad and his Tiwi wife lived. Those weekends were filled with fishing, camping, hunting, and long yarns under the shade of coconut trees. The land there was alive sea on one side, creek on the other and the crocs knew every shortcut between the two. You could hear them sometimes, the slow drag of their heavy bodies through the grass, slipping from salt to fresh. My Granddad and uncles always stood watch, shotguns close, guarding us kids from those ancient hunters that watched the fish nets and waited. Many a chook or dog vanished in those days taken by the true owners of that country. Today, I remember Crocs Country not with fear, but with deep respect for the land, the stories, and the mighty saltwater crocodiles that still call it home. Painted nn the timber crocodile itself, the painting tells the story of Aunty Joanne’s Uncles and Granddad watching over them as kids. The pearl white detailing surrounding the central symbols represents the Men’s line of sight, guiding and protecting their loved ones. The footprints woven throughout the piece trace the family’s journey and connection, symbolising their strength, unity, and the paths that link generations together. The Crocodile hide, shown in pieces, represents what I believe lies beneath the surface of our animals which is art, love and storytelling.