Over the years, my work layovers in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have enabled me to see a lot of Aboriginal Australian art in museums and galleries. I am always impressed by the diversity of paintings and mediums used by these artists and the differences from region to region in the vast nation that is Australia. This variety ranges from dot paintings on canvas with acrylic paint to natural pigment on bark, stone and wood carvings and basket weaving as well as more modern expressions of art such as installations, video and digital renderings.
The majority of paintings, both traditional and new, have a palette of browns, ochre, red, orange and yellow. Not surprisingly, these are the dominant colours of the soil in the desert and bush of the outback as well as the prominent red orange sun, a noticeable part of Australian skies and landscapes.
As you can see, many of the paintings seem to be completely abstract. However, artists are often depicting the "dreamtime", the story of Aboriginal spirituality and existence. They are shown from an aerial perspective. The narrative follows the lie of the land, as created by ancestral beings in their journey or during creation. The modern day rendition is a reinterpretation of songs, ceremonies, rock art, body art and ceremonies that was the norm for many thousands of years.
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| this piece was a sort of metal etching |
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Then there are paintings which have the stories of people or animals with in them. They also reflect some mythologies and stories of ancestors or of daily life.
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| This piece, the artist Tony Albert contrasts the strength and dignity implied by the word "hunter" with a debased view of Aboriginal people and culture as represented by the kitsch and 'camp' tourist souvenir-ware featuring 'portrait' heads. |
This painting is essentially done with fingers,
as would be done on someone's body.
