David Dunn
Born: 1964
Language: WIRADJURI-ENGLISH
Country: Wiradjuri Nation
Area: Trangie
Hi, My name is David Dunn; My Aboriginal name is Gaagang, which means elder brother. I come from a small town 50 miles west of Dubbo called Trangie (in Aboriginal this means quick, intercourse). I use some of the traditional symbols my father and uncles showed me but I try to use my own style. I started painting professionally in 1986, which means I have been painting for nineteen years. I remember drawing and colouring in with my mother and father when I was about five years old. I know the tradition was handed down to me then. My parents are still my inspiration to my works now. I paint from the heart and from the memories of my childhood, I have ten children, I paint a lot about them, Kids are so important. I get a lot of enjoyment out painting but the fun part is when I see other people’s expressions while they are viewing one of my works. I also paint from the heart not from a picture. I was told by an Elder from the Warburton community to paint what you feel not what you see. When I hold the brush this is all I do, someone else "(God)" does the painting; I'm just a tool.
One day when Goomble-Gubbon saw in the distance Dinewan coming towards her she squatted down and doubled in her wings in such a way as to look as if she had none. She tricked the Emus into cutting off their wings. HA HA HA laughed the Turkey, jumping up and down with joy and said, "I have taken you in, old stumpy wings. I have my wings, yet you are so easily taken in, old stumpy wings"
Brooding over her wrongs, the Emu walked away, vowing she would be revenged. At length, the Emu thought of a plan, and then she paraded past the Plain Turkey with her two young ones.
Goomble-Gubbon asked her why she only had two children and the Emu replied, "It is too hard to find food for twelve children, it is easy to feed only two." And straight away the plain turkey killed all but two of her children. "You cruel mother to kill your children, you greedy mother, why I have twelve children and I find food for all of them. I tricked you into doing that because you tricked me into cutting off my wings." And ever since that time, Emu has had no wings and the Plain Turkey has only laid two eggs in one season