Bluey’s designs depict the spiritual areas of both his Father and his Mother.

His mother is Ngarrindjeri and his Father is Kukata. He has a rich tapestry of interconnected kin and land affiliation. All his works depict scenes and spirits of the bush, the Upper and Lower Murray River, the Coorong and adjoining Sea in South Australia.

Bluey Roberts is the nephew of Jimmy James one of our best-known South Australian trackers. Jimmy originally came from the Oldea region of South Australia but lived in the Riverland for many years. Bluey and Jimmy shared a love of the bush and were both accomplished Boomerang throwers. Bluey has created a monument to honour Jimmy’s life and accomplishments as a tracker. The Monument can be found gently nestled on the banks of the Murray River at Berri.

The “Dream Time” is believed to be a time of creative activity by various spirit creatures. The Aboriginal people see their entire culture as a legacy of the “Dream Time”. Great spiritual emphasis is placed on the land, fauna and flora. Every group has its own territory and other groups never challenge their rights. This has changed considerably since the arrival of Captain Cook and the assertion of Terra Nullius. With Land comes the responsibility of maintenance. These obligations include practical care and ritual care. In ritual care the “Dream Time” mythology is re-enacted. For example traditional ceremonies for increase, and care of the country ensured continuity, integration and equilibrium.

Sadly he notes this activity is becoming increasingly more difficult in some areas of Australia and in other areas has already stopped. The old people are dying off and the young uninitiated do not have the necessary skills. Bluey’s work holds memories of that long ago time. Some of his rock formations depict the spirit face of an ancestor metamorphosed within the rock as utilisable power and who shows a continued interest in the affairs of the people, the land, the animals, birds and plant life. Around this rock in the bush one will find Emu or Kangaroo grazing.

In earlier times The Emu increase ritual had a “Dream Time” creation story. At this time Aboriginal people would tap into that power and initiate a response to action on the part of the ancestor. This was done by re-enactment of the Emu creation story at the metamorphosed spirit site just before egg laying time. Part of the ritual involves stating what is wanted or needed, for example one would want feathers for ceremony, meat and eggs for food and more eggs for reproduction. The Emu guardian or spirit, in response to the ritual, would then ensure there would be plenty. These rituals are sacred and secret and whilst it is permissible to paint everyday scenes one would never reveal the dynamics of a Dreaming ritual.

Many of Bluey’s works depict his “old people”. Whilst they are caricatures of dancers, musicians and observers, or hunter gather scenes, he feels, as they live on in his memory and as part of his art work, the great loss of so many Aboriginal lives in the frontier wars and the dispersions, the loss of children to assimilation programs, and the loss of cultural ways of living and being in the world will not be entirely forgotten. Artwork is his way of taking care of his culture.