Aboriginal Rock Art in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory.

To even the uninitiated eye, the traditionally strong use of ochres, reds, blacks and yellows in Aboriginal artwork strongly identifies such artwork as being of the Australian landscape and anchors the context and message firmly in the physical, tactile reality of this country. We also find the same colours and similar patterned abstract symbols in a contemporary context in paintings such as those of Rover Thomas. Experiencing this art as an expression of Indigenous affinity to land and country is almost an inevitable outcome of the rich earthy colours and traditional abstractions used in the images.

“All That Big Rain Coming from Top Side”, Rover Thomas, 1991

As an expression of cultural identity, and the continuity of culture throughout both Indigenous and White Australian history, Indigenous art is a very powerful demonstration of the indomitable nature of the Indigenous spirit. This art has demonstrated an effective cultural continuity through the contemporary replication of strong traditional cultural, symbolic and mythical elements and through an ability to adapt to the modern context of art-as-commodity while remaining creatively unique and unconfined by non-Indigenous or ethnographic concepts of artistic representation, style or content. The ability of Indigenous artists to incorporate the conceptual plasticity of the modern art world, as in the work of Christopher Pease and Daniel Boyd, or to maintain an unbroken connection to the deep history of the dreaming and traditional iconography as in the work of Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra or Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri demonstrates a vibrant cultural connection to the past while keeping an intelligent eye on the future.

Clicking on the images below will take you to either more information on the artist or to specific information on the painting.

“Target”, Christopher Pease, 2005

“Governor No Beard”, Daniel Boyd, 2007

“Water Dreaming”, Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra

“Man’s Love Story (Ngarlu)”, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, 1993

When Johnny Warangkula’s 1972 “Water Dreaming at Kalipinypa” sold for $486,500 to an American collector - who would have guessed that the (now deceased) man was paid $150 for it and his family who live in a tin shack receive nothing.

“Earth Creation”, Emily Kngwarreye, 1995

When the Emily Kngwarreye painting “Earth Creation” was sold for $1.056 million and set the highwater mark for prices paid for Australian Aboriginal art you have to wonder what message this sent to the world. Does this mean that Aboriginal art is now a member of the exclusive international million-dollar “mile-high club” of extravagant auction prices? Does the exclusivity of such art prices raise up Aboriginal culture in Indigenous eyes and those of the world or does this trend towards the excessively expensive actually alienate it from the people that it is meant to reflect positively upon?
Some further questions which may be raised include:

Who is the intended audience of the art and just how does this construct the artwork in content and perception ?

What role does art have to play in the Indigenous Australian mind as a foundation around which (a) cultural identity may be asserted and preserved ?