The painting depicts a Mimi spirit with a Rainbow Serpent spirit, which are mythological beings for Aboriginal people associated with creation myths from the Top End of Northern Australia. The spirit figures can be seen on rock formations.

Dreamtime Stories tell of the Rainbow Serpent spirit being the inhabitant of permanent waterholes and is in control of life's most precious resource, water.

Mimi Spirits are depicted as tall, thin figures and live in rocky escarpments. They are harmless, but can be quite mischievous. It is believed they taught Aboriginal people skills in hunting, cooking and painting.

If you would like to know more about the Rainbow Serpent Spirit and the relationship with Aboriginal Art and culture, please read the following articles:

• Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories
• Aboriginal Spirituality
• Ancestral Rock Paintings