Aboriginal art

Art of the Australian Aborigines. Traditionally almost entirely religious and ceremonial, it was directed towards portraying stories of the Dreamtime, a creation mythology reflecting the Aboriginal hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Perishable materials were used, as in bark painting and carved trees and logs, and few early works of this type survive. A great deal of rock art remains intact, however, and forms one of the richest continuing traditions in the world. Abstract patterns and stylized figures predominate. Ground and body painting were also practised, chiefly as part of secret initiation rites.

Although modern Aboriginal artists use a full range of colours, early Aborigines used only earth colours, naturally occurring pigments in the soil that produced reds, browns, and yellow ochres. Large amounts of white, made from pipe-clay, were used, as well as charcoal from burnt sticks. Their art reflected images of the world around them, including kangaroos, crocodiles, and kookaburras, as well as stories and myths, many of which took the form of a journey. In some areas people and animals were depicted ‘X-ray’ style, showing their inner skeleton and organs. The surface around the main designs and figures were densely hatched, dotted, and patterned – areas were rarely left blank. Stencils, frequently of hands, are found in all rock-painting areas and were produced by placing an object against the rock wall and then blowing a mouthful of paint over it.