How does Aboriginal art create meaning

Colin Jones, lecturer in Aboriginal History, talks about his culture, his history and his art.

[kateguino]

As intricate as these artworks look, I'm glad that it can be translated, making people understand the story behind it and the artist.

[OutragedPufferfish]

I love Australian Aboriginal art, it's so warm and has a childlike innocence that's therapeutic to me.

[jacobeksor]

So inspiring great work love it a lot . I am Montagnard indigenous we paint symbols of Montagnard indigenous culture but I love aboriginal Australia the best.

[virginiaburns]

This is really interesting ... thank you! That artwork shown in this short video is absolutely stunning!

[debkeyes]

Thank you thus is just what I needed for my documentary on aboriginal art

[jamiefoyers]

Lovely art work to accompany this piece. My Aunt sent me an Aboriginal jigsaw and I'm currently working my way through it and to most people it would actually be impossible to do...but there's a key to understanding its actual translation. Bit like what this piece is trying to explain here.
Follow a line and the line will uncover the pattern and the pattern will give you the insight into the bigger picture and how to translate the image.
That's what I learned in trying to get a start to this jigsaw, if you're of a Western mind it's not easy to "find the foothold" into an image but the title of the book "The Songlines" cracked the mystery. Like a line out of a physical song, the actual lyric...follow the art representation and the whole words and music will reveal itself. Perhaps not at once but in words and in verses...
I'll have to try and find more jigsaws like this...I just love the Aboriginal art...it's wonderfully colourful and uplifting.

[JohnSmith-stho]

Firstly, dot art is a western medium, Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image or symbol. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed this technique in 1886 in Europe and introduced to Papunya Tula and "dot painting" In 1971–1972, by White art teacher Geoffrey Bardon who encouraged Aboriginal people (Senior Lore Men/Women Artists), in Papunya, North West of Alice Springs to put their Dreaming stories onto canvas. Before white man materials, canvas, paints, brushes etc.. But! in saying that the old people/ ancient elders over thousands of years would create the ceremony stories and dreaming's on mother earth at scared locations, by utilizing ochre pigments, and raw indigenous materials. These unique symbolic sacred images and motifs decorations where placed on the body by both Women, Men & Children for ceremonial sacred creation and Lore. The central desert and other traditional communities throughout Australia creates traditional stories associated to their community, Country and traditional stories handed down from grandfather and grandmother dreaming connection to family members.

Now fast forward 48 years to date, there has been a unique evolution of Modern, Urban, City based Aboriginal people in the arts particularly, if you grew up as example without culture or ceremony and sacred stories handed down. What has happened is that many of our Aboriginal people, indigenous communities are finding, expressing and exploring their personal connection to country, and are incorporating the dot style techniques as well as the cross hatching technique's of Arnhemland, Northern Territory into their creative works.

[carolkennedy]

Our art is of sound and vibration and creation three elements ❤❤❤ god bless

[bigenergy]

So the pattern paintings whats the professional name for it

[sheilbwright]

Just when I think Australia is making progress I read the comments on here.

[mohamedismail]

good to see such amassing art like this aboriginal people was doing great million years ago in arts design

[lisarochwarg]

So beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Huichol art. They use beads instead of dots.

[benbow]

All credit to Geoffrey Bardon for inventing Aboriginal painting in 1971.

[patricelauverjon]

HATCHING OUT.
Our Ancestors were peasants depending very much on weather conditions: so, they would regularly look at the sky scrutinising the clouds and the winds.
The father was allocated the more responsibilities
When it came to Religion, God has been located in the sky, being associated with a father image.
Added to that, wars and conflicts have been giving a geo politics content to Religions.
Today most people spend much more time looking at their phone than at the sky, and when they watch a sunset or rise it is in the company of that same phone or equivalent.
So, here we go!, It becomes tempting to lift the technology and science into Religions, into the Spiritual World! This orientation is encouraged by the global Politics of the day.
If Religions are helping with local identities, the 'game' is blocked at these levels, with little chances of evolution.
Both Politics and Religions do not allow these static attitudes to be used as steps forward: this is probably why toxic gurus have been associated with this blockage.
As a consequence the Western World has this inner pressure cooker feeling.
Those living through Colonial times were, for most, just living their life, just as well today we are doing what we do, and most of us do not realise we still are under Paternalist rules, when many signs indicate that it is time to enter another cycle called self-realisation or Self-actualization. A necessarily difficult time to get rid of old skin and open our eyes to the usefulness of Traditional Cultures aiming at this transition! What the technical Left is doing is obviously not an answer when it demands non-partisan genuine involvement.

[ebizzyvlogs]

The aboriginals can make some amazing artwork I just love it

[Ray-wmdz]

Dot painting was introduced to the Aboriginal people by an Australian school teacher and artist in the 1970s. It was subsequently adopted by the Aboriginal people.

[AR-bhmn]

What not many people know

the majority of Aboriginal Art in circulation today is 90% Fake.

especially fake products made in Indonesia which are widely circulating on the

speaking of this (Products made in Indonesia can be said to be better than the original version... the price also tends to be cheaper and has very strong durability) 🙄

that's why aboriginal art products are being threatened by imitation products made in Indonesia.... 😢

[tomanypeople]

Aboriginal art is a decoration, not a written language. Only the painter would know the meaning.
I worked with the Aboriginal artist of the year in the 90's . He is noticeably mostly white and uses water based acrylic paint and moved from cotten buds to syringes to create the dots . So unoriginal.

[liamgilham]

Dot painting is not culturally traditional Australian aboriginal art