Aboriginal Art vs Traditional Art - Essay Example

The first difference between the two forms of art can be found in their objective. Traditional aboriginal art embodied deep spiritual significance. It also recreated ancestral events. The artists ensured that they facilitated the continuity of the ancestral past. For instance, a rainbow painted on a rock was not merely a picture, but a manifestation of the spiritual significance of the rainbow (Leslie, 2008, p. 58). Conversely, traditional European art was concerned with realism. The artists attempted to depict animals and human figures according to their natural perception (Kleinbauer, 2009, p. 71). The main objective of traditional European art was to maintain the perspective of the landscape.

Traditional European cultures regarded traditional European art as a form of individual expression. In this case, the individual expression could be used as a tradable commodity or object of decoration (Kleinbauer, 2009, p. 33). Conversely, traditional aboriginal art was regarded as a medium for carrying sacred and spiritual messages. It was also regarded as a strategy for the protection of sacred meanings, which are shared within the community (Leslie, 2008, p. 41).

There are differences between traditional European art and traditional aboriginal art. The aboriginal people regard their traditional art as a medium for protecting and transferring spiritual and sacred messages. Conversely, traditional European art was regarded as an opportunity for artists to express themselves.