Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Cave Painting of Kakadu, Arnheim Land

                                                       Kakadu from the air.

Birth of Djangkawn's children.
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.
                                               Fish trap and hunters.

                                                           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.


Kakadu from the air


Aligator

                                                   Hunting party.

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