Australian Aboriginal Art - Essay Example

Australian aboriginal art Student Nam Course Name Tutor Date Australian aboriginal art Introduction Aboriginal art can be defined as the art work that has been done by the aborigines, mostly while trying to portray their dreams, especially on rocks and barks. It started about 40,000 years ago.Austalian artworks cover all the art works that predated the colonization by Europe to contemporary art with basis on traditional culture, made by the aborigines. The aboriginal Australian art mainly consisted of paintings on rocks and barks using the colour of the earth called ochre, and these paintings were made to represent dream time. The aboriginal art encompasses great varieties of techniques in sculpture, painting, ceremonial clothing, wood curving and also artistic embellish. Many artists producing aboriginal arts don’t always recognize their work as art, as opposed to the way the Europeans understand it. In as much as the aboriginal arts such as design, art and craft, and also the difference between the contemporary art and the traditional art are categorized in different groups, this is not so within Australia where they are considered a dream time and as one. The reasons for aboriginal artists in Australia working in this field is attributed to the fact that the arts arise from their history, beliefs and culture and also helps in provision of economical, spiritual as well as cultural development1. The significance of aboriginal art Aboriginal art has significantly transformed the Australian art movement in several ways like the traditional bark painting which were made by the indigenous artists from Australia using the bark from trees like stringybark.These traditional paintings were belonging to traditional artists and their clans. However, currently, they have been largely converted in to the contemporary art to produce fine arts. These fine arts are very valuable and highly priced in the art markets both within Australia and internationally. The very best productions are always rewarded every year by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arty Award. Symbols In both rock art as well as painting, the use of a variety of colours was limited because only the resources that could be found around were used, mostly the use of colours from the pits containing ochre. The colours were not only for the purposes of paintings, but also served as an important material for use in ceremonies, hence the ochre became traded among the clans. There were also some pigments derived from animal blood, clay, and also ash from the wood. All this were done to portray the different symbols in the rock arts a. It is also another form of self-expression. As the symbols that are frequently used are somehow simple, they are applicable in illustrating complex stories if elaborate combinations are used. For instance the paintings of water dreaming may indicate indicate a man, using a u-shaped symbol, resting by the waterhole which is represented by circles or even concentric circles while the water is running, expressed by spiral lines. This story might be portraying the ability of rain to be caused by the waterman .currently artists always consider only the arts’ outside stories as they present the arts to the public in general while the inside story is left for people who have the appropriate knowledge to interpret them. Dots have been used as conventional symbols used widely especially by the people who are not aborigines hence giving a distinctive character to the Central and Western Desert art. The dots might also represent several things like the stars, burnt ground and also sparks. The basis of aboriginal painting or design has been earth preparation; it can also be portraying the involvement of ancestors with earth. Dotting was first used in Central and Western Art Movement by Johnny warrangkula, one of the artists who were recognized 30 years ago. The background of his paintings consisted of work done through dotting. Later on his style, method, and convention was rapidly picked up and developed by other papunya painters, further spreading to Yuendumu as well as the other communities in central desert2. During the development of Papunya movement around 1970s, dots were increasingly applied in obscuring of meanings as well as hiding the exposure of symbols not meant for the un-initiated. The Western use of this techniques composed of using dots to hide meaning has casued irony since majority of the western people did consider a contemporary Central and Western Desert Art characteristic. In order for the artists to conceal their secrets, they came up with methods of hiding as well as avoiding the sacred, by using the dots. From 1973 the dots became more popular in papunya paintings. Some members of Papunya movement were not pleased with the way their painted art was being sold to the private businessmen hence they went to Yuendumu and started painting dreaming stories on 36 of the doors of one of the schools in that locality hence leading to the start of another art movement in that place.1985 saw the foundation of the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association in yuendumu, which had the responsibility of coordinating the artists from around the area. The most famous painters in this movement are Paddy Tjapaltjarri Sims, Judy Napangardi Watson, Paddy Japaljarii Stewart, and Maggie Napangardi Watson3. In the 20th century, the diversity and the great depth of the aboriginal art dating back to the pre-European period was discovered and also recognized, another area that was recognized was the development of many regional schools of contemporary aboriginal sculptures as well as painting that were distinct, including the acrylic paintings from the Western Desert. The landscape paintings that were popularized by Heidelberg School (1880s up to 1890s) in the beginning year of the century. These remarkable improvements led to the sponsoring of exhibitions rich in scenes of local landscape by The Society of Artists in Melbourne and Sydney. After the First World War, international modernism started affecting the Australian art and continued until institutions were established in 1930s to exhibit the Australian art that was newly formed. They included the Contemporary Art Society in Melbourne and Modern Art Centre in Sydney. Around late 1930s some painters of contemporary landscape started adopting the aboriginal art’s formal devices as well as pictorial motifs while interpreting them the way a modernist would look at them4. Figurative art also developed due to the relation of figures, natural and manmade objects, as well as animals. The aboriginal communities found this an important tool in representation of their ideas of life and the environment around which they live in. This art had strong attachments on perspectives, anatomy, proportions, and volume. The aboriginal people regarded a life drawing of a nude model very important. As opposed to the abstract art, this particular art didn’t make objects unrepresentative by distorting them. Human form was always used to portray the personal and social as well as ideological belief. This art has been used to link the present and the past, especially the use of the human figure to portray symbolically real and ideal. This art has been used as a major tool for expression of ideas as well as a valuable source for history documentation. This art also shows the stylistic conventions as well a s the human forms which are helpful in showing the importance of time and space for an artist. This also portrays how the artist thinks about consciousness, scale, morality, and beauty. Since, during the period of mass production, it portrays the human nature, it shows deep historical insight to different artists as well as the subject. Some artists who have greatly demonstrated this in their work include treatment of the figure by John Glover, Albert Tucker (the expressionist) and also Euan Macleod (modernist painter). The Australian artists also use human body to represent alienation. Graeme Dendrel and also Deborah Klein have shown this in their work by showing feelings that are caused by psychological alienation through using the body. Dean Bowen and Terry Brat also use this to represent the cultural assimilation. In the aboriginal communities, the use of real-time dreams was very instrumental in bringing art to its current stage. The aboriginal belief that the dreams were part of a reality led to the portraying the dreams and also the dream like fantasies. This led to the development of surrealism which had the characteristics of irrational and realistic style. The main aim was to realize the psychological truth behind the attachments in dreams. Some of the ways that were employed included creation of images that were compelling as well as the use of stripped significant objects in order to create empathy among the viewers5. The alienation felt by the modern majority during the period are effectively portrayed in the combination of the abstract, the psychological and also the depictive aspects. Surrealism has often aided the art work in several ways, especially through the emphasis it employs in free form leading to the provision of highly popular alternative to the world. Surrealism has left a great influence in the modern painting by providing the contents with traditional emphasis, hence leading to the growth of arts in Australia. With no specific surrealist style, there is the prevalence two categories of artwork involved here, those that use the conventional art techniques in depicting the mysterious images and fantasies; and also the ones using inventive techniques that are elaborate, like the frottage, involving the rubbing of a surface that is raised (Stacey, 1972). The growth in interest in arts which has originated from the aborigines has led to the formation of various ways to extend the knowledge to others. The introduction of academism, or academic art, was a significant way to pass this knowledge. It was style that was highly sophisticated and which involved constant use of the subject matters that were mythological as well as historical, and which also had a moralistic tone. Since it was a painting and sculpture style that took several years in art trainings that were painstaking, it was expected of students to copy the classical paintings and sculpture prints in order to get acquainted with the shade, contour, and light principles. It was a very important procedure in the training of students since it aimed at assimilating the skills and methods used by the masters in to producing their independent art works6. Several ways were used in academism to instigate ways for idealism achievement in art. In this case simpler as well as more abstract figures were used so that the work of the art could be used allegorically or figuratively with ease in several cases. It is in this era that the sensational Rococo paintings got re- popularized as well as the re-fashioning of the themes.Raphael, due to his work’s idealism, had an influential dominance in the academism. Even though academism had great success, it was pulled down by Avant-garde movement arrival and hence was soon considered to be conservative, lacking in style, sentimental and bourgeois7. The Australian visual arts included the Australian Aboriginal art, landscape, modernist, colonial, atelier, and also the contemporary art. There are a lot of artists who owe their success in the art field due to this. Both non aboriginal art and aboriginal art are social and also archival while not mostly innovative. This has been portrayed by the land’s sacredness which is a theme that unites and which is also present in the Australian art history. The Australian art aids in passing on the Australian history from the time the Europeans were exploring. Expressions have also been implied using this. There is a diversity of opinions on the place of the art in the society. Some notions include virtuosity, hobbies, enterprenureship, technology, education, investment, and also socializing. It should also be considered that there emerged tensions in both representation and nonrepresentational arts in 1940s to1950s by the proponents. This conflict continued and grew intense with the confrontations over figurative arts between “Sydney 9” and the antipodeans abstractionist groups, leading to continuous provocative exhibitions. The abstract painting ended up being dominant in the art scene of Australia for the next 10 years. Some artists involved in using some of the materials used by the aboriginal communities to produce the abstract art include Fred Williams (1927-1982), Janet Dawson (born 1935) and also Ian Fairweather (1891-1974). They used the colours as well as forms that were much like the Australian landscape to form their abstracts. This led to the formation of careers for artists who were involved in the practice of the abstraction that was “colour field”. Political activism led to the transformation of this through media experimentation on painting forms that were not traditional. This was also supported by the women’s movement so as to produce arts that were more community- based and engaging socially8. Conclusion There have been significant development in arts in Australia that has led to various improved and innovative techniques, however, as Charlie Tjaruru Tjungurrayi, the reputed Australian artist portrays,aboriginal art is the main form of art that has clearly brought out the cultural significances in the Australian communities and also put the Australian artists in the limelight. The aboriginal art has greatly emphasized on sacredness and dream time even though the intervention of modern innovative ways have tried to ignore this. Bibliography Tatz, C., (2005). Aboriginal Suicide Is Different.Canberra, Australia Aboriginal Studies Press. Heathcote, C., (2001). Australian Painting 1788-2000. Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press. Stacey, W., (1972).The artist craftsman in Australia. Crows Nest, N.S.W. Jack Pollard Publications. Catalano, G., (1981). The Years of existence of Hope – Art criticism in Australia 1959-1968. Melbourne, Oxford University Press. Payes, S., (2007). Untitled. Portraits of Australian Artists. Melbourne, Vic. MacMillan Art Publishing. Read More

Symbols In both rock art as well as painting, the use of a variety of colours was limited because only the resources that could be found around were used, mostly the use of colours from the pits containing ochre. The colours were not only for the purposes of paintings, but also served as an important material for use in ceremonies, hence the ochre became traded among the clans. There were also some pigments derived from animal blood, clay, and also ash from the wood. All this were done to portray the different symbols in the rock arts a.

It is also another form of self-expression. As the symbols that are frequently used are somehow simple, they are applicable in illustrating complex stories if elaborate combinations are used. For instance the paintings of water dreaming may indicate indicate a man, using a u-shaped symbol, resting by the waterhole which is represented by circles or even concentric circles while the water is running, expressed by spiral lines. This story might be portraying the ability of rain to be caused by the waterman .

currently artists always consider only the arts’ outside stories as they present the arts to the public in general while the inside story is left for people who have the appropriate knowledge to interpret them. Dots have been used as conventional symbols used widely especially by the people who are not aborigines hence giving a distinctive character to the Central and Western Desert art. The dots might also represent several things like the stars, burnt ground and also sparks. The basis of aboriginal painting or design has been earth preparation; it can also be portraying the involvement of ancestors with earth.

Dotting was first used in Central and Western Art Movement by Johnny warrangkula, one of the artists who were recognized 30 years ago. The background of his paintings consisted of work done through dotting. Later on his style, method, and convention was rapidly picked up and developed by other papunya painters, further spreading to Yuendumu as well as the other communities in central desert2. During the development of Papunya movement around 1970s, dots were increasingly applied in obscuring of meanings as well as hiding the exposure of symbols not meant for the un-initiated.

The Western use of this techniques composed of using dots to hide meaning has casued irony since majority of the western people did consider a contemporary Central and Western Desert Art characteristic. In order for the artists to conceal their secrets, they came up with methods of hiding as well as avoiding the sacred, by using the dots. From 1973 the dots became more popular in papunya paintings. Some members of Papunya movement were not pleased with the way their painted art was being sold to the private businessmen hence they went to Yuendumu and started painting dreaming stories on 36 of the doors of one of the schools in that locality hence leading to the start of another art movement in that place.

1985 saw the foundation of the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association in yuendumu, which had the responsibility of coordinating the artists from around the area. The most famous painters in this movement are Paddy Tjapaltjarri Sims, Judy Napangardi Watson, Paddy Japaljarii Stewart, and Maggie Napangardi Watson3. In the 20th century, the diversity and the great depth of the aboriginal art dating back to the pre-European period was discovered and also recognized, another area that was recognized was the development of many regional schools of contemporary aboriginal sculptures as well as painting that were distinct, including the acrylic paintings from the Western Desert.

The landscape paintings that were popularized by Heidelberg School (1880s up to 1890s) in the beginning year of the century. These remarkable improvements led to the sponsoring of exhibitions rich in scenes of local landscape by The Society of Artists in Melbourne and Sydney. After the First World War, international modernism started affecting the Australian art and continued until institutions were established in 1930s to exhibit the Australian art that was newly formed.

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