Aboriginal Art

Mysterious sand mosaic, shorts Lungcarta Jiungurrayi.

Introduction

Aboriginal Australian art includes artwork made by Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, including collaborations with others. It includes works in a wide range of media, including leaf painting, bark painting, wood carving, rock sculpture, watercolor painting, sculpture, ceremonial clothing, and sand painting. art by Indigenous Australians that predates European colonization by thousands of years, to the present day. There are several types and methods used to make Aboriginal art, including rock painting, dot painting, rock painting, bark painting, sculptures, weaving, and string art. Australian Aboriginal art is the oldest uninterrupted art tradition in the world. Some symbols in the Aboriginal modern art movement retain the same meaning in all regions, although the meaning of symbols can be changed in the context of a painting. When viewed in monochrome, other symbols may look similar, such as circles within circles, sometimes depicted alone, sparsely, or in grouped groups. Depending on the group of which the artist is a member, symbols such as fire, tree, hill, excavation hole, water fountain, or spring may differ in meaning. The use of the symbol can be further clarified by using colour, such as water depicted in blue or black. Many paintings by Aboriginal artists, such as those representing a dream story, are presented from an aerial perspective. The narrative follows the lie of the earth as created by ancestral beings on their journey or during creation. Modern rendering is a reinterpretation of songs, ceremonies, rock art, body art, and ceremonies (such as awelye) that have been the norm for many thousands of years. Whatever the meaning, interpretations of symbols must be made in the context of the entire painting, the region the artist comes from, the history behind the painting, and the style of the painting (‘Indigenous Australian Art’).

Historical Overview

Aboriginal Australian art can claim to be "the greatest ongoing artistic tradition in the world". Before the European settlement of Australia, indigenous people used many forms of art, including sculpture, woodcarving, rock sculpture, body painting, bark painting, and weaving. Many of them continue to be used both for traditional purposes and to create works of art for exhibition and sale. Some other techniques have declined or disappeared from European installation, including decorating the body with scars and making possum leather cloaks. However, Indigenous Australians also adopted and expanded the use of new techniques, including painting on paper and canvas. The first examples include drawings of the late nineteenth century by William Barak. Australian Indigenous art movements and cooperatives have played a central role in the emergence of Indigenous Australian art. While many Western artists pursue formal education and work as individuals, most contemporary Indigenous art is created in community groups and art centers. Many of the centers operate online art galleries where local and international visitors can purchase works directly from communities without having to go through an intermediary. The co-ops reflect the diversity of art across Indigenous Australia from the North West region where ochre is used significantly. in the tropical north where cross-hatching is prevalent; in the Papunya art style by the central desert cooperatives. Art is increasingly becoming an important source of income and livelihood for some of these communities (‘Indigenous Australian Art’).

Politics

Australian modernism, similar to European and American modernism, was a social, political, and cultural movement that was a reaction to rampant industrialization, linking the moral panic of modernity and the death and trauma of the World Wars. In art, the movement included female artists who reacted against the male-dominated art style of naturalism. It is also important to note the presence of Aboriginal Australian art during this period. Indigenous modernism refers to the unique experience of Aboriginal Australian modernity, which is very different from white Australians' experience of modernity. Albert Namajira was the first indigenous modernist to be identified. It wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that scholars began to call indigenous art modern, as there was a distinction between modern and contemporary indigenous art in traditional indigenous art. The dominant modernist movement began in Australia around 1914 and continued until 1948. Throughout the years, tensions between the conservative and avant-garde schools of thought continued. The years following the Second World War are when Australian modernism gained fame in Australia's art world. Nationalist pastoral painting of the Australian landscape was replaced by abstract, colorful distorted images of modernist works. After the World Wars the dynamics of society in Australia and abroad changed dramatically, causing increased acceptance and attraction towards modernism. Social and political upheavals continued due to the ravages of war and increased immigration. This led several European artists to move to Australia, which contributed to the introduction of further art styles, such as surrealism, social realism, and expressionism. In addition, continuous technological progress at the end of the 20th century contributed to the increase in cubism and printing (‘Australian Modernism’).

After the initial introduction of modernism in Australia in 1914, the movement steadily grew in popularity, with more artists adopting the skills and techniques of Modernism. In the 1920s and 1930s, more artists, such as Nora Simpson, traveled abroad to Paris to study. These artists were exposed to a series of art masters who taught them about various new art styles. These artists who traveled to Europe at the time included Grace Cossington-Smith, Anne Dangar, and Dorrit Black, who learned about cubist theories and methods from their teacher Andre Lhote. These female modernists learned about cubism in France and brought these techniques back and used these techniques in the Australian context, for example Dorriet Black's 1932 lino print, Noctornal depicts Sydney's Wynyard street in simplistic forms that are indicative of cubism. Many more art styles and movements emerged from the 1920s and 1930s. Modernism was expressed and received differently in various Australian capitals. There was a larger proportion of modernist artists living and working in Sydney, including Margaret Preston and Grace Crowley, so Sydney was a hotspot of contemporary art. The basic art style and element, however, was design. In Melbourne, art was significantly more conceptual and focused on moral panic. The environment in Melbourne at the time was less acceptable than contemporary art. Adelaide, however, again approached Modernism quite differently. Surrealism was a key element of the art that came out of Adelaide (‘Australian Modernism’).

Arts

Aborigines are known to have a strong relationship with the natural landscape, including deserts, coasts, valleys and prairies. They often use Australian animals as inspiration in their art and folklore. They are also of great value in natural materials, including ocher: a soft rock containing clay. Their art and paintings mainly represent The Dreaming, which is the period when Aboriginal people believe the world was created. The first type of Aboriginal art was symbols and patterns, made only in natural colors, often with dots and swirls. As there was no written language in their culture, symbols are incredibly important. The main types of Aboriginal arts and crafts are: dot painting, rock painting. rock engraving, tree bark painting, sculptures/sculptures, aerial "country" landscapes, weaving (‘What Is Aboriginal Art?’). Rock art, including painting and engraving or sculpture (petroglyphs), can be found at locations across Australia. Examples of rock art believed to depict extinct megafaunas such as Genyornis[3] and Thylacoleo in the Pleistocene era have been found, as well as more recent historical events such as the arrival of European ships. The oldest examples of rock art, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and the Olary region of South Australia, are estimated to be around 40,000 years old. [6] The oldest firmly dated evidence of rock painting in Australia is a charcoal drawing on a small rock fragment found during the excavation of the Narwala Gabarnmang Rock Reserve in southwest Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It dates back 28,000 years and is one of the oldest known works of rock art on Earth with a confirmed date. It is believed that this decorated fragment may once have been part of a larger ceiling artwork, however, the shape of the original motif is unknown. The oldest reliable, in-situ rock art motif in Australia is a large painting of a macropod from a rock shelter in Western Australia's Kimberley region, radiometrically dated in a February 2021 study to be about 17,300 years old. Gwion Gwion rock art (the "Bradshaw rock paintings", also referred to as the Giro Giro"[2]), originally named after Joseph Bradshaw, who first mentioned them in 1891, consists of a series of rock paintings in caves in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. A 2020 study places this art at about 12,000 years old. Aboriginal stone arrangements are a form of rock art made by Aboriginal Australians. They usually consist of stones, each of which can be about 30 centimeters in size, arranged in a pattern that extends to several meters or tens of meters. Each stone is well embedded in the ground, and many have "trigger stones" to support them. Particularly nice examples are in the state of Victoria, where some examples have very large stones. For example, the stone layout at Wurdi Youang consists of about 100 stones arranged in an egg-shaped oval about 50 meters (160 feet). [citation needed] The appearance of the site is similar to that of megalithic stone circles found throughout Britain (although the function and culture are probably completely different). Although his relationship with Aboriginal Australians is well validated and beyond doubt, the purpose is unclear, although it may have something to do with initiation rituals. It has also been suggested that the site may have been used for astronomical purposes. Smaller stone layouts are found throughout Australia, such as those near Garkala, which depict accurate images of praus used by macassan Trepang fishermen and spear throwers (‘Indigenous Australian Art’).

Woodcarving has always been an essential part of Aboriginal culture, requiring wood, sharp stone to carve, wire and fire. Wire and fire were used to create patterns on the object by heating the wire with fire and placing it in the wood carving. Wood carvings such as those of Central Australian artist Erlikilyika in the shape of animals were sometimes exchanged with Europeans for goods. The reason Aboriginal people made wood carvings was to help tell their Dream stories and pass on their group's mythology and basic information about their country and customs. They were also used in ceremonies, such as the ilma. Aboriginal people from the Tiwi Islands traditionally carve pukumani tombs, and since the 1960s have carved and painted iron wooden figures. In most areas of the Pacific, men oversee art and architecture. Women supervise the art on felted fabric they would make from tree bark and plants. The art in clothes is supervised by the head woman in charge of the production. These detailed clothes were worn for rituals. Each represented wealth and rank in the group. Sacred clothing is also used in commercial goods and social and political relations. Wearing the cloth then removing it and giving it to another person helped connect or strengthen friendship or alliances. Baskets, sometimes coiled baskets, were created with rotating bark, palm leaves and feathers. Some of the baskets were simple and some were created with feather pendants or feathers woven into the basket frame. Artists used mineral and vegetable dyes to color palm leaves and hibiscus bark. These bags and baskets are used in ceremonies for religious and ceremonial needs. Baskets could also be used to transport things back to the village. Basket weaving has traditionally been practiced by the women of many Aboriginal Australian peoples across the continent for centuries. Kalti paarti carving is a traditional art form made by carving emu eggs. It is not as old as some other techniques, originating in the nineteenth century (‘Indigenous Australian Art’).

Music

Indigenous music refers to music owned, composed and/or performed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It includes musical styles that originated before the European settlement and musical styles that have been adopted by indigenous musicians since then. Music plays an important social and spiritual role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and is closely associated with dance, ceremony and storytelling (Foundation). Music and dance are important to Aboriginal culture. They are used as part of everyday life and to mark special occasions. The songs tell stories about creation and Dreamtime as Aboriginal people made their journeys through the desert, while other sacred music is used in ceremonies. By singing the songs in the proper order, Indigenous Australians could navigate vast distances in the hostile desert environment. Music is an integral part of Aboriginal ceremonies, also known as corroborees. Through pantomime and song they tell the mythical story of their tribe. There are sacred and non-sacred ceremonies. During sacred ceremonies, the presence of people outside the community is not allowed. Non-sacred ceremonies are usually performed at night in front of the men, women and children of the tribe. A group of adult men, sitting around a small fire, chant one of their ancient songs. Others, through dancing and singing, interpret different elements of the myth they narrate. Each Tribe can have leaders in both singing and dancing. "Songman" composed songs to describe everyday events as well as sing ancient songs passed down from generation to generation. The dancers were also very important - the best dancers are highly regarded. Traditional dancing involves arm, body and leg movements and a lot of foot sealing. Dances were often imitations of the movements of animals or birds (‘Music, Dance and Art’). Traditionally Aboriginal music is mainly vocal. Singers are often accompanied by percussionists and several other singers of the same sex. The tribes accompany it with various instruments, such as boomerangs, clubs, sticks, hollow logs, drums, seed rattles, and of course the didgeridoo. Clapping and lap/thigh slapping are also common. Most instruments fall into the category of idiophone, where instruments consist of two separate parts that are glued together to give a percussion sound. In the manufacture of their organs, Aboriginal people use available resources, including hollow trunks, animal skins, and shells.

Music often accompanies the performance and ceremony, which are traditionally performed without written prompts. These performances often involve dance: intense and energetic male performances and more limited but still virtuosic female performances. Other ritual practices include body painting, rock painting, costumes, and the use of props (Foundation).

Maori Music

Traditional Māori music, or pūoro Māori, is composed or performed by the Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, and includes a wide variety of folk music styles, often incorporated into poetry and dance. In addition to these traditions and musical heritage, since European colonization in the 19th century Maori musicians and performers of New Zealand have adopted and performed many of the imported Western musical styles. Modern rock and roll, soul, reggae and hip hop feature a variety of notable Maori performers.  The main types of Māori music are a) Waiata, b) Mōteatea and c) Karanga. Waiata are songs (waiata) sung solo, jointly or in octave. Song genres include lullabies (orioriori), love songs (waiata aroha) and laments (waiata tangi). Traditionally, all formal speeches are followed by a waiata sung by the speaker and their group of supporters. Some of the smaller wind instruments are also sung, and the sound of the poi (raupo ball suspended at the end of a flax cable) provides a rhythmic accompaniment to waiata poi. According to Captain Cook, who visited the New Zealand archipelago in the late 18th century, Mōteatea reported that Māori sang a song in "semitones". Others reported that Māori had no vocal music at all or sang dissonance. In fact, the ancient chants, or mōteatea, to which Cook referred, are microtonal and repeat a single melodic line, generally centered on one note, falling at the end of the last line. It was a bad omen for a song to be interrupted, so singers would play in subgroups to allow each subgroup to breathe without interrupting the flow of the song. Mervyn McLean, in "Traditional Māori Songs", first noted microtonality in a significant number of mōteatea in 1975. Ngā Mōteatea, collected by Sir Āpirana Ngata (1874–1950), is an important collection of lyrics of traditional songs. Karanga is a solemn, ceremonial calling and answering at the beginning of a pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony) and is common in a marae. Karanga are performed almost exclusively by women and in the Maori language. It is a special role and there are guidelines on who is best suited to carry out karanga that depend on the protocols of each pōwhiri. The woman making the call is called kaikaranga, the call comes from the reception group and also from the guest group, a name for the person from the guest group is also kaiwhakautu. Kaikaranga specialists condense important information about the group and the purpose of the visit (‘Māori Music’).

Notable Compositions

Port E - Travis Thompson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtQfryovbXw

Tuini Moetū Haangū Ngāwai (5 May 1910 – 12 August 1965) was a Māori songwriter, performer, teacher, barber and cultural advisor. Through modern Māori waiata during World War II, Ngāwai contributed to the Māori renaissance ('Tuini Gandhi').

Love Me (Great King)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW_NJcDzS8g&t=1s

This song, Arohaina mai, was written in 1940 and is considered by many to be the greatest Māori song ever written. It is the unofficial anthem of the Māori Order. Returning from a service for the C Battalion, held at Waiparapare Marea in Tokomaru Bay, she sat on the side of the road to rest, and all the words came to her mind, complete. This video is to honour Tuini and the Māori concert troupe, Te Hokowhituatu who toured New Zealand during the Second World War, performing and raising money for the Māori Order overseas (Travis Thompson and The Great British Army).

Pecan Summer (Prelude) - Deborah Cheetham

https://vimeo.com/47006139?login=true 

Dutala, star filled sky - Deborah Cheetham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tz-eY9RMuw 

Woven Song – Pukumani - Deborah Cheetham

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/multimedia/woven-song-pukumani/ 

The Aboriginal Father - Isaac Nathan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldxlhT5RVEY 

Leichhardt’s Grave - Isaac Nathan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTE-FYwDIFk

Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" set to music by Isaac Nathan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVHmkQbIDE 

Don John of Austria: Act I: Overture (Live) – Isaac Nathan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luE40XScE40 

Bibliography

‘Australian Modernism’. Wikipedia, 8 Mar. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_modernism&oldid=1143487376.

Foundation, Watarrka. The Tradition of Aboriginal Music. https://www.watarrkafoundation.org.au/blog/the-tradition-of-aboriginal-music. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

‘Indigenous Australian Art’. Wikipedia, 25 Mar. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indigenous_Australian_art&oldid=1146454168.

‘List of Indigenous Australian Art Movements and Cooperatives’. Wikipedia, 1 Nov. 2022. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Indigenous_Australian_art_movements_and_cooperatives&oldid=1119383166.

'Māori Music'. Wikipedia, 22 Apr. 2022. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M%C4%81ori_music&oldid=1084025899.

‘Music, Dance and Art’. DevelopmentEducation.Ie, https://developmenteducation.ie/feature/a-focus-on-aboriginal-australia/music-dance-and-art/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

'Tuini ngāwai'. Wikipedia, 25 Sept. 2022. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tuini_Ng%C4%81wai&oldid=1112250424.

Tuini Ngawai and Te Hokowhituatu Perform Arohaina Mai. Directed by walnuttheclown, 2009. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW_NJcDzS8g.

‘What Is Aboriginal Art? - Answered - Twinkl Teaching Wiki’. Twinkl, https://www.twinkl.gr/teaching-wiki/aboriginal-art. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.