Australian Aboriginal Art - Dreamtime
The Dreamtime
The Dreamtime for Aboriginal people is the time which the earth
received its present form and in which the patterns and cycles of
life begun. Sometimes creating their surroundings and sometimes
changing into animals or people, the Dreamtime reflected the events
and characters of daily life in the Australian desert.
The expression 'Dreamtime' is often used to refer to the 'time before
time', or 'the time of the creation of all things, while 'Dreaming'
is often used to refer to an individual's or group's beliefs.
The Dreamtime stories
Australia Aborigines created stories to teach each other about the
Dreamtime, these stories taught about life, including birth, love,
food gathering, hunting, warfare, marriage and death but also about
the Creation.
The Aboriginal traditional way to educate about the Aboriginal History,
Culture and Laws was storytelling, using a combination of Arts form
such as painting, singing, music and dancing to illustrate the ancient "Dreamtime Stories". Traditionally, people telling a story
would use the haunting sound of the didgeridoo with song and dances,
but also symbolic drawing were created. These designs were traditionally
used as body paint decorations for corroborees and as sand paintings
for ceremonial purposes.
Because the "Stories of the Dreaming" have been handed down through
the generations, they are not owned by individuals. They belong
to a group, the storytellers is choose by the Elders, and have the
obligation to pass the stories along, ensuring that young people
build and retain a sense of who they are.
Aboriginal Art
Today paintings are created using modern-day materials, but the use of traditional symbols and art styles helps to keep this ancient culture alive. The symbols used in contemporary Aboriginal paintings are the same as those found on cave paintings and rock Art.
Dot paintings
Dot painting are the traditional visual art form of
the Aborigines in Western Australia Central Desert.
The canvas is covered in small dots of paint which
create patterns and symbols. These symbols can easily
be recognize by those familiar with the Dreamtime
Story illustrated.
Bright colors are now more common with the use of acrylic
paint, but traditional dot painters used natural pigments
such as ochre, crashed seeds.
Dreamtime symbol
Authentic Australian Aboriginal Art - Didgeridoos -Aboriginal artifacts
Didgeridoos, Dreamtime dot Paintings
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