The Three Legged Crocodile is a actual crocodile with three legs, yes part of a traditional story,not sure how he lost his leg, but it is not just a "make-up" story. All Aboriginal art has a religious background, based on stories that have been handed down from generation to generation. All the stories, animals, plants, images that are depicted in paintings have a deep religious significance, even though the stories could be thousands of years old they are still based on fact. Aboriginal painters do not use their imagination when painting to create creatures or events.... as in Western art. Many of the people who have been telling the Dreamtime stories of their spiritual background have also evolved as artists, some now very famous....I think that it is why Aboriginal art so interesting. The fact that it is based on such solid foundations, as in the stories of their spiritual ancestors and also the fact that so many of these painters have developed into fantastic artists with no formal training, but just an incredible knowledge of their country and also an amazing ability with colour (in particular the Desert artists) that they are able to tell the world about their culture through these paintings.

George Milpurrurru's sacred totem is the Crocodile, that sacred totem has been passed down thru the generations as all sacred Aboriginal totems are. All Aboriginal artwork is based on a strong religious background and does send out a story about a particular subject. Whilst traditionally these sacred motfis were painted on the body for ceremony they have now been transferred onto bark, paper and canvas for the purposes of communication and teaching non indigenous people about their country, also this work not only tells the story of a particular croc who has three legs the painting it also reflects the vision of a contemporary artist, who has learnt the traditional stories of his clan and passed thru ceremony, working in a modern world, but still respecting his sacred totems.