Background Information for Teachers
Key Concept: Culture
Aboriginal Perspectives in the Creative Art
The arts are a rich and integral part of Indigenous culture. Students can learn about Indigenous culture through the arts and they can learn about the arts in Indigenous culture. Teachers should incorporate a study of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works in dance, drama, music and visual arts programming. When planning practical learning experiences that incorporate Aboriginal perspectives, it is important to involve the Aboriginal communities. Arts curriculum incorporating Aboriginal perspectives should ensure:
Image retrieved from: http://www.australia.com/explore/things-to-do/aboriginal-australia.aspx
The arts are a rich and integral part of Indigenous culture. Students can learn about Indigenous culture through the arts and they can learn about the arts in Indigenous culture. Teachers should incorporate a study of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works in dance, drama, music and visual arts programming. When planning practical learning experiences that incorporate Aboriginal perspectives, it is important to involve the Aboriginal communities. Arts curriculum incorporating Aboriginal perspectives should ensure:
- Respect for Aboriginality
- Respect for the rights of the traditional owners of artworks, songs, stories and dances
- Use of accurate and up-to-date resources
- Accessibility for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.
Image retrieved from: http://www.australia.com/explore/things-to-do/aboriginal-australia.aspx
ACTIVITY 2: MOVEMENTS OF ART
Aboriginal Art Regions & Movements
Religious and ceremonial aspects of life, being so important, are the inspiration for much art. Aboriginal art and decoration is an integral part of traditional life, and occurs as body decoration in ceremonies, on bark shelter and rock shelter walls, on trees (dendroglyphs), carved on rocks (petroglyphs), weapons, utensils, and sacred objected both natural and carved.
There is an enormous variety in the styles of Aboriginal art, with both regional variations and a time depth, where for each region, the styles have varied as one goes back in time. For example, studies of Kimberley (north Western Australia) and Kakadu (in the Northern Territory) rock art show many evolving styles dating back tens of thousands of years.
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/art.shtml
Below are two examples of Aboriginal art
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
Religious and ceremonial aspects of life, being so important, are the inspiration for much art. Aboriginal art and decoration is an integral part of traditional life, and occurs as body decoration in ceremonies, on bark shelter and rock shelter walls, on trees (dendroglyphs), carved on rocks (petroglyphs), weapons, utensils, and sacred objected both natural and carved.
There is an enormous variety in the styles of Aboriginal art, with both regional variations and a time depth, where for each region, the styles have varied as one goes back in time. For example, studies of Kimberley (north Western Australia) and Kakadu (in the Northern Territory) rock art show many evolving styles dating back tens of thousands of years.
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/art.shtml
Below are two examples of Aboriginal art
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
Image retrieved from: http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/methods/mimages/ochres.jpg
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Aboriginal Paintings: The Kimberley
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Image retrieved from: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/aboriginal-rock-painting-11143235.jpg
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Image retrieved from: http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
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Aboriginal Paintings: Central / Western Desert Aboriginal paintings from the Central and Western Desert region of Australia are mainly painted using Acrylic paints. These are the kind of paints available in most art supply stores. They are usually painted on canvas and sometimes linen. Several of the distinguishing features of Aboriginal Paintings from these areas are the bright colours and intricate dotting. |
Image retrieved from: http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/australian-aboriginal-flag-with-map.gif
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There are different ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders expresses culture and they are;
- Art: the visual form
- Customs: the practical form
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Dance: the physical form
- Music: the acoustic form
- Totems: the spiritual forms
- Lore: the cultural form (http://www.loreoftheland.com.au/indigenous/index.html)
- Lands: the geographical forms.
Activity 3: Cultural Creativity
Contemporary Vs Traditional Art
Australian Aboriginal art and paintings represent one of the most vital art forms in Australia today. The contemporary Aboriginal paintings using acrylic on canvas are the latest adaptation of an artistic tradition that can be traced uninterrupted and continuous for over forty thousand years, making it the oldest living art movement in existence. Aboriginal Artists would often paint their stories on bark to sell or give as presents to the white man. Bark paintings such as this date back to the 1930′s and the tradition has continued to this day. Aboriginal Paintings on bark are now considered “fine art” and often are considered extremely valuable due to their fragile nature.
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-indigenous-art
ACRYLIC PAINTINGS
Acrylic paintings are merely a new form incorporating the classic elements of Aboriginal Life. They state a person's relationship to those around them, to the land and to the Dreaming. They also represent a new context of interaction between indigenous and western societies. Through modern art the Aboriginal people are able to introduce and express their culture to the world.
CONTEMPORARY ART
Acrylic paintings by Central Australian Aboriginal people is one of the most exciting developments in modern Australian Art. The paintings are mythical representations of landscapes or conceptual maps of designs wrought by ancestors. In this tradition, paintings, dances and songs relating to the Dreaming are repeating the work of Ancestors, thus keeping the Dreaming alive.
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/contemporary.html
Australian Aboriginal art and paintings represent one of the most vital art forms in Australia today. The contemporary Aboriginal paintings using acrylic on canvas are the latest adaptation of an artistic tradition that can be traced uninterrupted and continuous for over forty thousand years, making it the oldest living art movement in existence. Aboriginal Artists would often paint their stories on bark to sell or give as presents to the white man. Bark paintings such as this date back to the 1930′s and the tradition has continued to this day. Aboriginal Paintings on bark are now considered “fine art” and often are considered extremely valuable due to their fragile nature.
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-indigenous-art
ACRYLIC PAINTINGS
Acrylic paintings are merely a new form incorporating the classic elements of Aboriginal Life. They state a person's relationship to those around them, to the land and to the Dreaming. They also represent a new context of interaction between indigenous and western societies. Through modern art the Aboriginal people are able to introduce and express their culture to the world.
CONTEMPORARY ART
Acrylic paintings by Central Australian Aboriginal people is one of the most exciting developments in modern Australian Art. The paintings are mythical representations of landscapes or conceptual maps of designs wrought by ancestors. In this tradition, paintings, dances and songs relating to the Dreaming are repeating the work of Ancestors, thus keeping the Dreaming alive.
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/contemporary.html
Reference
Activity one
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5231511-quinkin-mountain
Trezise, P. J. (1995). Quinkin Mountain. Pymble, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2013/06/24/3788118.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Vx3TpW3zc
Activity two
http://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/aboriginal-art-culture/aboriginal-art-regions/
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
http://www.aboriginal-dreamtime.net2go.info/Aboriginal/Aboriginal_Symbole.htm
http://nga.gov.au/atsiart/Default.cfm
http://www.aboriginalartgalleries.com.au/artist.cfm
Activity three
http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/ochre_earth_pigments.htm
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/methods/methods.php
http://wiki.islandwood.org/index.php?title=Natural_Pigments
Other Resources
http://www.australia.com/explore/things-to-do/aboriginal-australia.aspx
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/contemporary.html
http://www.loreoftheland.com.au/indigenous/index.html
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/art.shtml
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5231511-quinkin-mountain
Trezise, P. J. (1995). Quinkin Mountain. Pymble, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2013/06/24/3788118.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Vx3TpW3zc
Activity two
http://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/aboriginal-art-culture/aboriginal-art-regions/
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
http://www.aboriginal-dreamtime.net2go.info/Aboriginal/Aboriginal_Symbole.htm
http://nga.gov.au/atsiart/Default.cfm
http://www.aboriginalartgalleries.com.au/artist.cfm
Activity three
http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/ochre_earth_pigments.htm
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/methods/methods.php
http://wiki.islandwood.org/index.php?title=Natural_Pigments
Other Resources
http://www.australia.com/explore/things-to-do/aboriginal-australia.aspx
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/contemporary.html
http://www.loreoftheland.com.au/indigenous/index.html
http://www.aboriginalartshop.com/aboriginal-paintings/
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/art.shtml