History Of Aboriginal Art

According to Aboriginal belief, the ‘Dreamtime’ signifies the time when life on earth began. It is an understanding of the world, of it’s creation, and it’s stories. This ‘Dreamtime” continues as the ‘Dreaming’ in the spiritual lives of Aboriginal people today. Events from the Dreamtime are reenacted in ceremonies and painting is one component in the ritual performance of the Dreaming. Painting is done by individuals or groups composed of both owners and guardians  of each Dreaming. Ownership of stories, the right to paint and the manner of representation are governed by the complex social and ritual relationships delineated in the Dreaming. Painting subject and content are determined by kinship and vary with the knowledge level of the individual (which increases with age and initiation). A senior individual has the right and responsibility to ensure that the painting or the ceremony is done correctly.

The process of painting stimulates the Dreaming. The art is still treated as ephemeral, like the sand and body paintings it derives from. The context of traditional Australian Aboriginal artwork begins with the Dreaming (Jukurrpa or Tjukurrpa) that forms the basis of indigenous cosmology. The Dreaming is the Ancestral Creation period in Aboriginal tradition. The mythic journeys extend across the continent in a grid-like pattern that determines Ancestral claims and current ownership of land, rights and responsibilities. While each Aboriginal culture (language group) has its own Dreaming stories, many of the protagonists are shared across the country. Each language group has specific names for their Dreaming figures and stories. The Dreaming stories define Aboriginal Law. They provide the foundation of social relationships, cultural values, land ownership and custodianship of the environment.

Transformation is a key element in the Dreaming and objects are depicted in multiple states and from various points of view simultaneously. Many objects are symbolized as they intersect the ground (tracks, footprints and seated figures), while others are depicted from above the ground (plants and objects). Forms are also shown below the ground (tubers and underground water-courses), while a final group (rain, clouds, thunder and lightning) occupy the sky. The land itself is central to Aboriginal identity. The indigenous people are born from the land, are energized and sustained by it and return their essence to the earth upon their death. The places where Dreaming figures emerge from the ground or return to the earth are sites of great significance and filled with the powerful essence (kuruwarri) of the Dreaming.

Art is a medium for social change. Through the introduction of synthetic painting materials, Aboriginal artists have attained an international voice to express their world view and their concerns with modern society. Artistic expression led to the first indigenous Australian to receive citizenship in 1957 (Albert Namatjira) and has brought global awareness of Aboriginal Dreaming cosmology and their perception of the earth. Painting has provided a means of economic support and the ability to return to their traditional homelands. Aboriginal women are vital to the physical, emotional and spiritual equilibrium of their communities. Through their artwork, we are priveleged to experience the wisdom of their painted song.