- When did it happen ?
Australian Indigenous art is the oldest ongoing tradition of art in the world. Initial forms of artistic Aboriginal expression were rock carvings, body painting and ground designs, which date back more than 30,000 years.
- What were the previous art influences that affected this style ?
In 2007 a Senate inquiry found that many Aboriginal artists were working in squalor for minimal pay, drugs and second-hand cars . As a consequence the Australian government launched the Indigenous Art Code in July 2010.
The voluntary code aims to end dodgy sales practices and will be administered by a committee on behalf of the Aboriginal Australian art industry.
- What was going on in the world at that time that influenced the style ?
- What are they key artistic features of this style ?
Lines, dots, things they killed or eaten and Dreamtime stories. Contemporary Aboriginal artists use a considerable variety of materials and techniques in painting. Some of these materials are rooted strongly in tradition – such as the use of ochres in the Kimberley and, to a lesser extent, ochres on bark from Arnhem Land. Other artists have adopted modern media and work with acrylic paints on can, gouache or ochres on archival paper or other surfaces.
Apart from the materials used, Aboriginal artists have shown considerable innovation in the techniques they adopt for applying paint and creating designs – ranging from the crushed end of a stick, as used for example by Emily Kame Kngwarreye in some works to produce characteristic large smudged dots, to the fine brushes used to produce the delicate rarrk patterns of Arnhem Land art.
- What elements of this style do you like and why ?
I like the colours that they use because it all goes together and they are warn colours. I also like how they use lines and dots to paint a very creative picture.
- What elements did you take into your own work ? Why ?