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

ID: 4683-23

Screen print

When I was working at Buku Larrnggay Mulka print space, I learnt lino cut technique first,  from Basil Hall in 1995-1996. After this we worked again with Basil Hall to set up screen printing. Originally we went to Charles Darwin University to Northern Editions to work with Basil. Myself and Dundiwuy #2 Mununggurr went to see how this was done so we could start screen printing at Buku. Then later Simon White from Northern Editions came over and we had a workshop at Buku. Lots of ladies came first, then later the men came to try screenprinting.
It is similar technique to bark painting, as we have a ground colour then we build colours up, one on top of the other, on the acetate sheets.
I was the first artist to learn from Basil Hall how to be a printmaker.
Screen printing was good because we could choose bright colours for our designs.
Also we could print our own designs. I did my own Djapu story about the Ganngal (catfish) and djärrwiṯ (fresh water mussel). My role with the other artists was to teach them  and sit down and talk with them about what colour they would choose to print.
I would work with them to show them how to build up colour by adding extra acetate.
First colour then next and then next colour.
I taught other people to learn printmaking and still today Yolngu are the printmakers at Buku Larrnggay Mulka. There has been a long line of learning printmaking here. I was a printmaker for a long time.
This print is about the history of the early days of printmaking in the print space.
The print in this design I chose to demonstrate screen printing  was Gaymala Yunupingu because she really liked bright colours and she always loved to come and do printmaking.

As told by Marrnyula Mununggurr Nov.2022.