Exploring Indigenous Australian Art: History, Geography, and Pointillism

1. Tuesday 26th June 2018 LO: To understand the history and geography of indigenous Australian civilisations LO: To acquire skills in aboriginal art (pointillism)

2. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! Fact: There are over 250 Indigenous Australian languages!

3. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Kaya’ (Hello)

4. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Guwayu’ (Goodbye)

5. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Yabber’ (to talk)

6. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Booja’ (country)

7. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Gammon’ (to joke/ pretend)

8. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Bunji’ (mate)

9. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Shakealeg’ (dance)

10. G’day mate – let’s learn some lingo! ‘Goona’ (poo!)

11. What Is Indigenous Art? Australian Indigenous art is the oldest in the world. Original forms of artistic expression by Aborigines were rock carvings, body painting and ground designs. Evidence of these art forms date back more than 30,000 years. Art has always been an important part of Aboriginal life because it connects the past and present, the people and the land, and the supernatural and reality. Traditional Indigenous art ranges from works on rock, ground, canvas and fibre. Contemporary artistic methods such as printmaking, fabric printing, ceramics and glassware now complement traditional art. Photo courtesy of esther1721(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

12. The History of Indigenous Art Aboriginal culture dates back as far as 60,000 to 80,000 years.  This was when Aborigines first settled in Australia.  The first known evidence of Aboriginal rock art dates back more than 20,000 years. Aborigines used ochres to paint on rocks.  Archaeologists have been able to date remains and findings as far back as 60,000 years from the discoveries of primal campsites. Photo courtesy of flodambricourt(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

13. The History of Indigenous Art There has never been a written language for Australian Aborigines. They used art to convey their important cultural stories from generation to generation. It was important for Aborigines to pass on information to preserve their history and culture. Indigenous art is centred on storytelling. Storytelling through art is used as a method to convey knowledge of the land, events and beliefs of the Indigenous people. The use of symbols was a way to write down stories of cultural significance and to teach survival and use of the Australian land. Photo courtesy of Walkerssk(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

14. The History of Indigenous Art Although Australian Aboriginals have been using ochres as body paint, on bark and rocks for tens of thousands of years, it was not until the 1930s that the first paintings were done. In 1971, a teacher named Geoffrey Bardon was working with Aboriginal children in Alice Springs. He noticed that when the Aboriginal men were telling stories, they would draw symbols in the sand. He encouraged them to paint the stories onto canvas and board. It was a significant change for Indigenous people to paint their stories onto western facades, which was a foreign concept to them.

15. The History of Indigenous Art Aboriginal Art has since been identified as an exciting contemporary art form of the 20th century. Aboriginal artists need permission to paint particular stories. They inherit the rights to these stories, which are passed down through generations within skin groups. An Aboriginal artist is forbidden to paint a story that does not belong to them through family. Photo courtesy of twistedFrog(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

16. Examples of Indigenous Art Ochre Pigment Ochre was the most important painting material used by Aboriginal people. It was mined from the earth and was a crumbly hard rock, heavily coloured by iron oxide. It came in a variety of natural earthy colours from pale yellow to dark red and brown. Ochre gave a rich warm colour to Aboriginal artworks. The surfaces it was used on varied widely from rock, wood and bark to the skin of participants in ceremonies. Red ochre was the most important colour among desert people as it symbolised the blood of ancestral beings. Photo courtesy of MemoryCatcher(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

17. Examples of Indigenous Art Rock Art The earliest Indigenous art forms were rock paintings or engravings. These were done on boulders or on the walls of rock shelters and caves. Indigenous people related these ancient images to the actions of Dreaming beings. The images were sacred because they showed a continuing ancestral presence. Photo courtesy of ejakob(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

18. Examples of Indigenous Art • The three styles of rock art are: • engraved geometric figures such as circles, arcs, animal tracks and dots; • simple painted or engraved silhouettes of human and animal forms; • complex paintings of detailed figures, such as x-ray art that shows internal organs of humans and animals. Photo courtesy of MemoryCatcher(@pixabay.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution

19. Examples of Indigenous Art Dot Painting Dot paintings are now widely recognised as unique and integral to Australian Aboriginal art. The simple dot style might be beautiful but has a far more hidden purpose - to disguise the sacred meanings behind the stories in the paintings. In the 1970s, a teacher encouraged Indigenous people to paint their cultural stories onto canvas and board. Originally, they used cardboard or pieces of wood, which were later replaced by canvas. He helped the Aboriginal artists transfer their art from desert sand onto canvas.

20. Examples of Indigenous Art The Indigenous people became increasingly concerned that the sacred (and secret) objects they painted were being seen by Westerners and Aboriginal people from different regions that were not privy to their tribal stories. They did not want them to learn the sacred and restricted parts of their stories so the artists eliminated the sacred elements and abstracted the designs into dots in order to conceal their meanings.

21. Why Is Indigenous Art Important? The Australian Aboriginal culture is the most successful and longest surviving culture in human history. It is complex and depicts long-term survival in the most hostile of environments. One of their main purposes was to convey spiritual, cultural and practical survival teachings to their descendants.  Aboriginal Art reflects the earliest period of their ancient culture which has both artistic and anthropological significance. This is one of the reasons it is so original and important. Contemporary Aboriginal art has been a financial incentive for remote Aboriginal communities. In many small communities, this is the only business providing significant income to Aboriginal people and their families.

22. Why Is Indigenous Art Important? The Aboriginal art movement has helped to strengthen the awareness of Aboriginal culture in society by reinforcing the values of traditional knowledge, which is central to Aboriginal art. Now there is much Aboriginal art being produced in hundreds of remote communities around Australia and by urban Aboriginal artists. Supporting Aboriginal art has a secondary effect as it supports the language and culture of Indigenous families who choose to live in remote locations linked to their ancestral lands and culture.

23. How Can I Appreciate Indigenous Art? • You could: • research a famous Aboriginal artist; • compare and contrast the works of different Aboriginal artists; • visit a site of traditional Aboriginal art; You can appreciate Indigenous Art in many ways. • compare traditional and contemporary Aboriginal art; • recreate different styles of traditional Aboriginal art.

24. Post Learning Discussion • How old is traditional Aboriginal art? • What was the purpose of traditional Aboriginal art? • Which methods were used by Aborigines to produce art? • What effect does Aboriginal art have on remote communities today?