Kakadu Rock Painting,
Art is central to Aboriginal Culture, in political, social
and utilitarian ways, and Kakdu National
Park in Arnheim Land and the surrounding
districts offer some of the best and richest examples in which to view it. Not
everyone is able to the long drive to
the Kimberley in Western Australia to see the wonderful l Bradshaw paintings,
but Kakadu fortunately is only a few hours’
drive from Darwin within reach of most of us .
After entering the park at
Ubirr, you are able to stop and view a wide range of different artistic
styles. These caves were often were often repainted, new paintings superimposed over the old. On a recent trip to
Northern Australia, I had the opportunity to fly over Western Arnheim Land and
view the full extent of this rocky landscape, a mixture of rock, floodplain,
and rivers. An outsider often has great
in difficulty in understanding this mix
of past and present, ancestor spirits,
and the changing meaning of the icons
used in rock paintings. I shall try to
explain as best I can in a condensed form, the broadest central issues of cultural identity presented.
The acquisition of knowledge, rather than
material possessions enable a person to acquire status in Aboriginal
culture. Art is an expression of this past knowledge and bestows authority on
the elder who interprets the work. However the same icon does not always have
the same meaning, as this depends on the circumstances at the time. This is why
Aborigines are reluctant to explain their
work, claiming it is either women’s or
men’s business, and has sacred content. Work in western Arnhem Land tends to be
figurative making understanding of the painting more straight forward .Most of
the examples, I have photo’d here bear this out.
Kakadu was declared a native reserve in 1931, preserving
this unique collection of rock painting for future generations. This painting
tradition is still very much alive, and has spawned a collection of artists’
co-operatives enabling the local artists to create some economic independence
for their clan. The earliest images in the caves are hand imprints and
archaeological evidence suggests many are several thousand years old. Other
later works portray the spiritual presence of animals, and human forms, and
explains why they are repainted from time to time in order to renew their
presence.
Creation myth.
Over time figures developed into what is called the “X-ray”
style, these images present the internal anatomical details for the viewer .You
may see the ritual ornaments and bags hanging from necks and elbows of ancestors. Colours are mainly ochres, yellow
and red, white is made from kaolin, and black from charcoal. These colours have symbolic meaning, white stands for mourning, work in
white suggest a deceased person. Red is the blood of the ancestors, who now
reside in the earth, and is there for accessible to the living. The pigments
are bound together with wax, birds’ egg yolk and various resins and saps. As permanence
is not considered important in Aboriginal art, each painting is created for a
particular purpose, the painting of the work being more important than the
finished product.
Longneck turtle
This connection with the past creates the human bond Aborigines
have with their supernatural world. The Cave painting of Kakadu fulfils a
traditional cultural need and in varying degrees was created and viewed only by
those initiated to the correct level of awareness. The interpretation of these
icons depended on circumstances at the time the art work was carried out.
Hand print and fish traps, game
Dreamtime is the core of religious belief and describes the
spiritual nature and moral order of the world. Many of these paintings focus on
the activities and epic deeds of the supernatural beings,
and connects the artist with their ancestor. This relationship to some
extent is similar to the world of the Olympian gods of Ancient Greece. The
Rainbow Serpent, Lightning Man, Wagilag Sisters and company travelled across
the world creating everything, laying down the laws for future generations. So ,it
is not restricted to the past, but
provides a framework for modern Aborigines to live in harmony with nature. It
is was not my intent to write a long discourse on Kaladu painting, but rather
to provide a sketchy outline as to what the work is all about.
Hunting party.
Kakadu from the air
Aligator
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