Meei River (Carved Tree) (1997)
Lawrence Leslie
Lawrence Leslie’s carved Myall tree is a tribute to the Kamilaroi people and their sacred traditions. This powerful piece, displayed in BAMM’s garden, connects visitors to the cultural significance of carved trees as markers of Bora grounds and other sacred sites.
Moree’s Kamilaroi people traditionally carved trees as sacred objects. Lawrence Leslie, one of the few remaining tree craftsmen, carved this Myall tree that was felled at the Terlings property 50 kilometres north of Moree. Kamilaroi carved trees were used as markers for Bora (or initiation) grounds and other sacred sites. Late in the nineteenth century, Bora grounds fell into disuse. Carved trees decayed and were jeopardized by fire or land-clearing. Anthropologists became aware of the significance of the sacred trees and arranged for their acquisition by Australian museums.
Dedicated to the Kamilaroi people who lived along the Meei River.
Presented in 1988 by Sinclair Hill and the Moree Cultural Art Foundation
Artist: Lawrence Leslie
When: On permanent display
Where: BAMM Garden
FREE
Biographies
Lawrence Leslie believed he was the last surviving initiated Kamilaroi man authorised to carve trees with traditional and sacred designs. The carving by Leslie reflects a potential re-establishment of this unique North Western art form after a gap of more than a century, and involves non-sacred designs that are able to be viewed by all visitors.
Leslie is one of a few Moree Kamilaroi artists to achieve fame across Australia. His works are represented in many public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
In the 1970s he began painting with natural ochres and acrylics on canvas and by 1982 he was screen-printing his works. His fabric designs became famous in the commercial world when he worked in the 1980s for the leading Sydney fashion designer, Linda Jackson. Leslie was one of the leading artists in the renowned Yurundiali artists’ co-operative that was based in the Moree gallery workshop from 1990 to 1998. His skills in printmaking helped train many emerging artists at the workshop. Leslie sought to make contact with his people’s traditional culture through considerable research on early carved trees and Kamilaroi artefacts. He developed his understanding of traditional Aboriginal art while working in Sydney’s Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Agency, and strived for many years to further strengthen and develop the artistic expression of the Kamilaroi people.