Ad Wer: Story of the Stars from Eastern Torres Strait exhibition catalogue

Ad Wer: Story of the Stars from Eastern Torres Strait Tommy Pau

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Ad Wer: Story of the Stars from Eastern Torres Strait Tommy Pau

Only a very fragmentary account of the astronomy of the people was obtained. It is not easy in a short time to map out the sky completely according to native ideas, and in both parts of Torres Straits the difficulties were increased by the fact that the natives were forgetting their star-lore and were uncertain about the identity of stars which we know to have been of the greatest importance in the old life of the people.

(Haddon, 1935, vol. 4, p. 218) Ad Wer: Story of the Stars from the Eastern Torres Strait is a new body of linocut print works by Tommy Pau examining constellations used by the Eastern Islanders of the Torres Strait and their science of astronomy.

The methodology of the Torres Strait Islanders has been careful observation over thousands of years. Each observation recorded and etched into their memories, life experiences passed down orally to the next generation. The Islanders compare these natural seasonal timestamp changes so they are able to predict future planning for agriculture and hunting.

Torres Strait Islanders observed the stars to govern their cosmos; to navigate, to plan, to plant, to study symbiotic relationships of space and time. This tells them when to hunt, plant seasonal foods and perform timely annual ceremonies.

Tommy Pau sourced his information from casual conversations with elders present, elders past and ethnography works on the Torres Strait. The intent of this exhibition is to preserve, educate and provoke future studies on the science of stars Torres Strait Islanders used in their cosmology.

This knowledge is fast disappearing as the contemporary generations become more reliant on modern technology and methods.

Alfred Cort Haddon (1855-1940), anthropologist and academic from England, travelled to the Torres Strait in August 1888 to carry out ethnographic1 work.

Haddon wrote about the Torres Stait Islander’s use of astronomy, noting a decline in knowledge, stating “...I considered it my duty to record as much as was possible” (Haddon, 1935. vol. 1, p.vi). Pau found Haddon’s research invaluable while producing the artworks for this exhibition.

This body of work also attempts to accurately match western constellations with the Torres Stait Islander constellations for comparative study. There is an interesting connection of how cultures looks at the same objects and give their own explanations.

Pau tells his own account when he was a child of oberserving the sky: We were awakened early to observe the rest of the day's events by looking at the sky for signs and begin our chores before going to school or meet with cousins and friends to play. As in, before days, old men woke early to observe the sky and stars to tell what kind of day it will be. They also did this in the evening to predict what tomorrow will be like.

1 Ethnography: systematic study of people and cultures. It is designed to explore cultural phenomena where the researcher observes society from the point of view of the subject of the study.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY Tommy Pau is a descendent of the Eastern Torres Strait Islands, his heritage is Australian Aboriginal, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islander and Asian. He was born in Townsville, North Queensland and lived there as an infant before relocating to Brisbane, Thursday Island, Waiben and Cairns. Pau considers himself an artist who is Indigenous, not as an Indigenous artist. His wide ranging professional practice includes sculpture, carving, printmaking, installation work, digital and multimedia, and anything that grabs his interest. He also writes poetry.

Pau’s visual artwork explores concepts that underpin his culture and revaluates the impact of the past on present lives and preserved knowledge. By developing a contemporary visual concept and language, Pau encourages the viewer to contemplate how persistent narratives of memory, time and location are used to represent the identity of Indigenous people. His aim is not to desecrate what is sacred, but to better understand the people, their stories, relationship to place and the skills of those who are connected to his Torres Strait Island home. Tommy Pau is a current member of the Board of the Cultural Centre-Townsville, Umi Arts in Cairns and a previous Board member of Umbrella Studio contemporary arts. Some of his significant life achievements include completing a Bachelor of Education and becoming a semi-finalist in the Telstra Art Award. Currently he is completing a degree in New Media Arts at James Cook University. His work is in national collections in Australia. His works on paper were included in national and international exhibitions including Freshwater Saltwater: Existence and Country & Western: landscape re-imagined 1988-2013.

Seg (Orion) 2015 Linocut on Paper 81.5 x 76.5cm The story of the Tagai constellation is rooted in the mythology of Tagai, Kareg and his crew of twelve out spearing fish. It is said that Tagai and his crew came from the Australian mainland and some suggest he came from Western Torres Strait. While Tagai was out spearing fish away from the canoe, his crew got hot and dehydrated and needed to drink water, but they were told by Tagai not to, but to save it for the right time to drink. Swimming in the sea did not cool the crew’s thirst, so they drank the water. When Tagai returned he saw the water containers’ empty, he was furious and in his rage killed his crew, except Kareg. As the crew were spirit beings they could not be killed so Tagai banished the crew to the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Six of the crew he skewered, they became Usiam, the six stars of the western constellation, Pleiades. Six he put on a seg (a seg is anything hung in line on a string) and they became Seg, the six stars of the western constellation, Orion.

Tagai Calendar 2015 Linocut on Paper 86.5 x 76.5cm The constellation Tagai appears about March and descends around October. This seasonal calendar maps out the sea, wind and land activities associated with Tagai, as he traverses his way across the sky. It shows specific plants, sea animals, birds and wind activities when Tagai appears that the Islanders use.

Tagai and Crew 2015 Linocut on Paper 77 x 107cm This artwork depicts Tagai and his crew on their fishing journey. In every journey it is customary to have a zogo le (spiritual man) for bidding fair weather or to combat any other spiritual forces. Tagai must have been a zogo le, warrior, hunter and clan leader. The artwork depicts Tagai drawing and bidding from the spiritual world to control the natural through the spiritual.

Kareg 2015 Linocut on Paper 86.5 x 76.5cm Kareg was Tagai’s only crew member who he did not slay. Some oral traditions say he was Tagai’s brother. However, the owners of the Tagai myth, the people from Dauar, in the Mer group of islands, say Kareg was a kaimeg (friend) of Tagai. When Kareg rises, a little red bug attacks yam leaves. The bug is called Moramor. It is red with white strokes on its body and black marks on its wings. The artwork is of Kareg and a Gep (sucker fish) hunting for turtle.

Wal (Two of Tagai’s Crew) 2015 Linocut on Paper 76 x 57cm Wal rises after Kareg. Islanders would attach objects to their bodies to mimic animals, called lamar ebur (spiritual animals). Hence this artwork depicts two dancers performing wearing feathers and mimicking the flight of birds.

Sia (Carina Nebula) 2015 Linocut on Paper 77 x 107cm Sia appears before Maima. They both let Eastern Islanders knows that Tagai is coming and they commence preparation of the ceremonial ground and paraphernalia associated with the ceremony of anointing Tagai.

Beizam 2015 Linocut on Paper 77 x 107cm The Beizam constellation is made up of stars from Usras Major, Arctutus and Gemma of Corona Borealis. The seven chief stars of the Bear make up the body of the Beizam constellation. The two stars of the Bear form the eyes of the Beizam. The constellation Beizam had shrines dedicated to it. It was believed that Beizam’s glow would help provide an abundance of coconuts, yams and bananas. The shrine was built and then left for up to four to five months. During ths time the people asked Beizam to make plenty of food and provide protection to the animals and damage from nature.

Dogai (Arcturus) Linocut on Paper 77 x 107cm

2015

Dogai are spiritual beings that invariably take the form of women and are ugly; often with hideous features. It is said that Dogai swings Beizam’s tail causing wild winds and very high tides leading to erosion and broken fences. Naiger (north east wind from October to end of December) blows when Dogai is seen. When Dogai appears, fish, octopus and sardines can be seen dead floating on the water and dry coconuts fall before maturing.

Gep (Sagittarius) Linocut on Paper 76 x 57cm

2015

Gep is known as the sucker fish. Gep is the fish that was used to catch small turtles by latching a rope to its tail and throwing it near a turtle for it to latch itself to the turtle’s shell and be pulled in by the hunters. This artwork displays this method of hunting and also reflects the western representation of Sagittarius as the hunter.

Maire (Shooting Star) Linocut on Paper 64 x 107cm

2015

Maire is a spirit, which exists in two states, Mar and Lamar, and is sent to the afterlife in a ritual ceremony. When Islanders see a comet it is associated with Maire, travelling to the afterlife. The dance that tells the story of the Maire is performed by two torches made form dried coconut leaves, weaved tightly. The dance comes to a climax, representing the spirit being sent to the next life, by dancers banging two torches together creating a firework of embers.

Mabersor (Delphinus) 2015 Linocut on Paper 57 x 76cm Mabersor is the Eastern Torres Strait word for trumpet shell. This artwork is inspired by the artwork Triton Blowing on a Conch Shell by Jacob de Gheyn (III). Eastern Islanders have a place called Dorama Kes where four tides meet. It is said to be where the mermaids live. This artwork is a merman calling sailors through the four tides.

Meb (Moon) 2015 Linocut on Paper 107 x 77cm Meb lives inside the moon and his facial expression describes his sadness for his lover, Iwell (Venus). Eastern Torres Strait Islanders have a story of Iwell and Meb coming together for a moment in time to spend in each other’s embrace and then depart, waiting for the next time they would be together.

The female in the bottom right corner is from the story of Saibai. She appears here from the popular version of the story of a women who used to weave mats at night in the moon light. She was warned many times not to weave in the night but it was her way. The moon took notice and thought that she loved him. The moon came and took her up to become a part of the moon where she can be seen weaving her mats.

The story was told to warn children not to play or do work at night as bad people and spirits walk at night.

Usiam (Pleiades) Linocut on Paper 76 x 57cm

2015

The clearing of land begins about the end of August and goes on until the wet season sets in. The ascension of Usiam, the flowering of the Sobe, Waiwi meaur and Kud trees are signs for clearing the land for gardening. Depicted are the six crew members that Tagai skewered that he sent up to the heavens to become the six brightest stars of the Usiam constellation (the Pleiades).

Wer Tik (Milky Way) 2015 Linocut on Paper 107 x 77cm Wer Tik tells the Islanders which direction the tide is running and if the tide is high or low. When the Milky Way, which is said to be a Kaigas (Shovelnose Shark) is straight up, Islanders know the tide is running west when the head points south, tails north, the tide is running east.