Aboriginal Australian art has been around for many thousands of years. While the meaning of each piece we’re lucky enough to have uncovered may indeed be lost to the recesses of time, modern Aboriginal artists’ adherence to the techniques of their ancestors has provided us with a unique insight into the progression of human expression over a long period of time.
Indigenous peoples have made countless many great contributions to Australia’s celebrated modern culture. The designs originally painted on rock and other degradable materials has left behind a wealth of evidence attesting to the presence of a culture that valued visual expression. Modern analysis of Aboriginal art, however, often fails to fully appreciate the process that is so integral to any artistic endeavour, regardless who undertakes it.
People who see aboriginal art for the first time are astounded. Though methods and execution may not be at the forefront of human technological advancement, the traditional means through which artists render images of the Australian experience leave appealing, lasting imprints.
What makes Aboriginal art so timeless? Maybe it’s got something to do with how it speaks to the common natural origins we share as a species. Many of the aesthetic trends these works display come from traditions that easily pre-date recorded history.
One thing that modern analysts and critics do agree upon is that aboriginal art has always been steeped in ritual. Many of the images and representative figures included in the cave paintings, bark renderings and sculptures were originally created as integral elements of sacred religious rites.
Social taboos established to protect the purity of tradition often made it hard for modern analysts to get a really thorough feel for the complex thought processes behind the art. Hidden deep within the layers of seemingly straightforward images of animals, laboriously constructed stone arrangements, log coffins and naturalistic scenery were intricate abstract concepts. From depictions of daily lifestyles to creation myths, aboriginal artists tackled every subject, tone and mood.
So what can we do to appreciate aboriginal art more? If you’re an artist yourself, you’ve probably already figured out that repeating the method is the best way to comprehend the practice. For the rest of us, perhaps it’s just time for a greater domestic interest in including more Aboriginal art in our national education system. Whatever the solution, it’s clear that in a time of global cultural expansion, Aboriginal expression fills a role that shouldn’t be neglected.