Marrnyula Munuŋgurr
In the early days- lino
Image Size: 76.5 x 56.3cm; Paper Size: 76.5 x 56.3cm; Paper: Magnani

ID: 4681-23

In the early days

This screenprint is about the history of Buku Larrnggay Mulka print space in the early days. We started printing in 1995- 1996 when Basil Hall came to help set up the space. We didn’t have much in the room then just the big green press, paper, ink and rollers.

We started doing lino cut first. I was the first Yolngu printmaker for Buku Larrnggay Mulka. We learnt how to cut the lino. We used razor blades at first because some of the artists already knew how to use them because they would cut designs in to wood to make small carvings like wayin ( bird), guya ( fish) and Mokuy ( spirit people).

A lot of ladies came along to the first workshop. We sat outside in the courtyard and cut out our designs in to the lino. Later men came and did lino cut too.
My first memory I made a lino cut design of mana( shark) in black on white paper.
Later on we learnt reduction lino cut printing.

Basil taught me how to set the press to get it right, how to ink the lino using a roller and how to make sure each print was good, so I could edition the print for the other artists. We didn’t have any drying racks back then so we had to dry the prints on paper on the floor.
Some of the early artist I remember who came along to do Lino cut were Rerrkirrwanga Mununggurr, Dhuwarrwarr Marika,( the one with the white hair ) in the screenprint.  Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, Gaymala Yunupingu, Boliny Wanambi, Gundimulk Wanambi, Yananymul Mununggurr, Wolpa Wanambi, Dundiwuy #2 Mununggurr, Yirryinyina Yunupingu and me.
Dundiwuy #2 Mununggurr later became another print maker with me at Buku

Story told by Marrnyula Mununggurr. Nov 2022.