Robb Wilson
Robb Wilson is a very proud WYGULKAIP MAN. Born in the small Wheatbelt Town of Narrogin on 25/09/1957, Robb and his family shifted to Mount Barker, also in the southwest of Western Australia, where he was educated and started his working life as a shearer.
He went on to start his own shearing team and work the width and breadth of this huge country. He is married, has 3 children, and 15 years ago shifted his family to Kalgoorlie-Boulder where he helped his brother get a taxi business up and running. He also opened a Fish and Chip shop for 1 of his children to run. That dreaded disease, sugar diabetes, has wreaked havoc with his health, so he thought, "Why not?" I will try painting, and it has just exploded. He has sold pieces all over the world. Not bad for a self-taught man who has only been at it since the pandemic hit in 2000.
Living in Kalgoorlie and its surroundings can be an unforgiving, rugged experience, especially for those in the mining industry who face daily stressors such as relationships and mental health.
This collection of works by established Kalgoorlie artist Rob Wilson aims to both highlight and celebrate life in this country, from its beautiful landscapes to the people and characters that live in the WA Goldfields.
The Kangaroo is one of the most iconic animals in Australia, this is for good reason; they hold incredible cultural importance for many First Nations people. They have always been vital to Indigenous people's way of life as an important food source and as part of cultural rituals and Dreamtime stories.
When Aboriginal people speak of their Kangaroo Dreams, they are trying to convey a profound, intimate connection they feel with that animal deep within the recesses of their soul and consciousness. That kangaroo may be an Elder, Teacher, Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Son, or Daughter, and as one might expect with any family or tribe, there is a deep, abiding sense of community with all of the nuances that relationship entails.
This inexplicable feeling of kindredness that Indigenous peoples feel towards their fellow creatures transcends the confines of Western science, which has a limited understanding of what constitutes ‘knowledge’.
Goanna – The Protector
In many Aboriginal cultures, the goanna is a Creator spirit in Dreamtime stories. Like other animals central to life, they also hold a totemic status, form part of ceremonies and feature in parables ranging from how to conduct oneself to how and when to hunt.
Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent (Serpent) dreaming in Aboriginal society represents one of nature and spirit's great and powerful forces. Connected to water, the Rainbow Serpent is the great life giver and protector of water, his spiritual home.
For Aboriginal people of the desert, the Rainbow Serpent lives in the waterholes of their country, and travels between them, either under the ground or in the storm clouds when a rain storm is moving. His presence brings on the rains, and if he is offended, he can prevent the rains and cause drought or inundations that cause people to perish.
Waterhole
Water sources are sacred places to Aboriginal people of the desert, and each waterhole has a Creation story from the Dreaming attached to it. The Creation story gives the waterhole and the people who are its custodians a common bond and obligation. While traditionally, Aboriginal people are nomadic in that they follow the seasons in searching out native plants and hunting native animals, they stay within their own clan estates.
This is the territory ‘owned’ by individual families who have an intricate knowledge of the country and its resources. Waterholes found on their country are known precisely, from their Creation story through to the sense of whether the water will be present or drying up.
