Aussie Art Blog – Aboriginal Art

Art, music, the land, and religion is the backbone of the Australian Aboriginal culture.  The significance of the phrase the ‘land is art’ cannot be underestimated. The traditional Aboriginal people believe the Spirits reside in every rock, tree and waterhole, and these beliefs were reflected in their dance, their music and Aboriginal Art.

One of Australia’s leading archaeologists, Josephine Flood, claims that the oldest art site in the world containing recognisable icons, not random rock incisions, is found at Panaramitee in South Australia, and is more than 75000 years old.  In Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia, the most prolific art site ever found contains over one million images.

Traditional Aboriginal rock art, as shown in the images above, can be seen in many parts of Australia. Rock engraving and paintings, was widely used for artwork by Aboriginal artists, who often made a mixture of paint by crushing ochre, and mixing it with water or saliva. They would then put the ochre in their mouth, and spray the paint mix onto the rock face creating some amazing images.

Aboriginal Art dominates indigenous culture and lifestyle. Different regions of Australian Aboriginals had varying styles of art, which was a gift from the Spirits, and could neither be exchanged or copied.  Whilst European culture uses words for communication, and art for expression, the Australian Aboriginal people use art to communicate and instruct, and as a base for their laws. Until very recent times, the Wandjina cave paintings in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, could only be retouched or depicted by Elders who knew of the wisdom and deeds of these mystical Spirits. Once initiated into the deeper realms, the Aboriginal artist slowly earns the right to depict the most sacred icons.

Even today, there is still a need to be aware of the sensitive regional considerations of the Aboriginal people and their culture in many parts of Australia. In some isolated areas, traditional expectations are still very strong. Many of the traditional patterns, motifs, dots and symbols in the Aboriginal Art have transcended tribal and geographic boundaries, often, this is through consent.

The indigenous art movement of today is widely accepted as being the most prolific in quantity, styles, time span and continuity. Apart from the many traditional regional styles of Aboriginal Art, all manner of forms have melded into today’s evolving contemporary art movement. Many indigenous artists are recognised as mainstream contemporary artists who draw on their indigenous heritage for inspiration. The strength of the culture is obvious in their art work, whether expressed in traditional form or through the evolving urban and contemporary environments.

Traditional Aboriginal art, and even the more contemporary modern indigenous artworks, certainly ‘stand alone’ within the art world.  The message created by the individual artists, can give each painting a deeper insight into the Aboriginal culture, if  you take the time to embrace it.

Have a wonderful week!