Australian painting. Australian fine arts
The Australian Aborigines are the most ancient cultures living on Earth. And at the same time - one of the least studied. The English conquerors of Australia called the natives "aboriginals", from the Latin "aborigene" - "from the beginning".
The Australian aborigines had original means of self-expression: among them - the technique of woodcarving, drawing ornaments on trees, rocks, and the ground. Drawings on the skin and modeling from beeswax were less common.
Usually we see scenes of everyday life, but the natives drew the richest inspiration from myths and totemic beliefs. They experienced events in reality, connected themselves with the world of spirits by visible means. Such a perception brought them as close as possible to their spiritual heroes, the phenomena of the surrounding nature, on which they sought to influence.
Aboriginal art was in most cases purposeful: it conveyed ideas, not just a snapshot of reality.
Fine art was deeply symbolic in its form. It did not convey a complete resemblance to the original, therefore many patterns and drawings seem to people of another culture (more precisely, civilization) devoid of any meaning.
A feature of the culture of the natives are peculiar drawings on eucalyptus bark and sacred rocks.
However, it had a hidden meaning, accessible only to the initiates. Lines and designs applied with ocher may have increased the population of plants and animals. Faded, unattended drawings could cause the rains to stop, food failures, and even death.
The number of objects of fine art of various forms fluctuated in different parts of the continent. In Tasmania, they were apparently created very little, because only a few rock carvings and images on the bark have survived. In drier areas, their numbers are even more modest and they did not differ in diversity, perhaps because the local aborigines constantly wandered in search of food. However, even here the natives carved drawings on the ground, rocks and bark, decorated weapons, and painted bodies for ritual ceremonies.
In Eastern Australia, rock art was impressive in area. This area was also famous for carvings on trees, drawings on the ground, made for the rite of passage. In Northern Australia, the arts really flourished.
The fine arts on the Arnland Peninsula were the most expressive. Here, the natives spent a lot of time decorating ceremonial objects, carving and creating colored designs on the surfaces of rocks and trees, creating a kind of masterpiece of creativity.
In addition, there were so-called "X-ray pictures", where, along with the appearance of animals, their internal organs were depicted, as well as highly artistic decorative drawings on the bark, often decorating the inside of the huts, using plots from the cult of the area.
To our great regret, much of what existed in Aboriginal society at the beginning of European colonization has disappeared forever.
It is interesting that Australian aborigines (probably others too) cannot watch ordinary movies, as they have special eyesight: on the screen they see only individual frames replacing each other that do not merge into movement. That is, they see everything much faster than other people who call themselves "civilized". And the pictures they paint are incomprehensible to us. We usually see them as simply avant-garde. But for them, it's realism.
My brother returned from a long trip a week ago. Vitalik lived and worked in Australia for a year. Last night at a party, I heard an amazing story about what my brother saw and what amazed him while he lived in Sydney and traveled to interesting places on this delightful continent.
I never would have thought before that I could be struck by the painting of the Australian Aborigines. My brother got acquainted with local creativity in Uluru. This is a tourist village near the pink rock, which is considered sacred by the indigenous people. There he managed to get to the master class of a local artist. The craftswoman showed dot drawing technique using the other side of the brush.
Drawing for the Australian Aborigines is a kind of meditation. They create their paintings right on the street, sitting with a canvas and a brush in their hand. Focusing on their inner world, they draw colored dots, from which real masterpieces are subsequently obtained. Works in this technique are fascinating and seem to exude positive energy, attracting views and thoughts for a long time.
And all you need is to listen to yourself and start drawing a cascade of multi-colored dots. But it also has its own secrets.
Unusual drawings
Editorial "So simple!" prepared for you a selection of bright and unusual Australian aboriginal paintings. The energy is just over the top!
- Bright colors, laconic expressiveness of the stroke, picturesque anatomical details - all this characterizes the painting of Australian aborigines, acquaintance with which will give pleasure to true connoisseurs of original cultures.
- Do you know what native artists look like? In this case, the stereotype, as we imagine the artist, does not work at all. They look quite exotic, especially from a European point of view.
Here, for example, is a fairly well-known Australian artist Jeannie Petyarre. Ginny's works are known all over the world and have a large number of connoisseurs. And with good reason, because these works of art are really amazing, you can’t take your eyes off!
A reproduction of this painting, thanks to my brother, is now in my possession.
- Aboriginal artists paint the world with dots and strokes. It is as if from atoms they create the most important thing in their life, what has the greatest weight, what they are proud of and what they live in: the country in which they were born, the earth, rivers, sun and sky.
They also draw people who live nearby and whom they love, draw women, men and children, flora and fauna, everything that surrounds them.
The secret of the energy of the paintings lies in the encoded symbols, the artists write them down while working on a new masterpiece, turning the plots into bright ornamental canvases.
Knowing and understanding these symbols, one can easily "read" works of art.
- And here are the paintings of Australian Aboriginal artists, exhibited in one of the world's art galleries.
They have a very special aura! From these abstractions there is such a feeling as from communication with nature - a light breeze, the smell of grass, the chirping of birds ... Very irrational, like waves of color.
Gallery visitors admit that they like to stand in front of the canvases, listening to their inner state.
- Australian aboriginal artists painted and continue to paint colorful fish, animals, birds, sometimes people, while along with external details, internal organs are also depicted - the spine, esophagus, heart, liver.
This is the so-called x-ray style, which reflects the interest of the natives in expanding their knowledge of the anatomy of the animal world.
In addition, such a thorough image of edible game was a kind of magical action and ensured success in hunting.
In case you decide to go on an exciting journey, we have prepared for you a fascinating selection from around the world. Take a few ideas with you on the road, an original approach to choosing souvenirs will bring you a lot of positive emotions.
What can you say about these works of art of Australian aborigines, unusual to our eyes? Personally, I do not have a soul in ethnic motives!
In addition, having tried to create such, at first glance, primitive works, you understand that drawing with dots is not at all easy. This requires great concentration and a huge internal resource, because you can create such works only in a good mood, without allowing a single negative thought.
If you were inspired Australian art- share this article with your friends. I'm sure they will definitely find something new for themselves.
Nastya practices yoga and loves traveling. Fashion, architecture and everything beautiful - that's what a girl's heart aspires to! Anastasia is engaged in interior design, and also makes unique decorations with a floral theme. Dreams of living in France, learning the language and keenly interested in the culture of this country. He believes that a person needs to learn something new all his life. Anastasia's favorite book is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Australian ornaments were the second on the list, but then I could not stop at anything specific and missed that month, and now, after two successful kanes in my opinion, I came up with the idea to make kane again, inspired by the dot painting of Australian aborigines.
The dot-drawing tradition of the Australian Aborigines goes back about 4,000 years, and they did not come up with this style of drawing for decorative purposes at all. The fact is that the ancient Australians did not have a written language, and such bitmaps were used to transmit their chronicles and messages about history, way of life, traditions through generations. That is why, by the way, none of the Australian Aboriginal languages has the words "art" or "artist".
For their drawings, they used crushed stones and earth - in Australia there are many beautiful and brightly colored minerals, ocher, white and orange hues.
Aboriginal people painted their bodies.
At first, Europeans considered these drawings primitive and not worthy of attention.
Until, in 1971, art teacher Geoffrey Bardon came to the Aboriginal settlement of Papunia.
Bardon was amazed at the conditions in which the locals lived. According to him, it was a real hell on earth. In just a year, half the population died from disease there. There were actually five different tribal groups living in Papunia who spoke five languages. The natives tried to coexist peacefully and find a new purpose in life, because everything they knew was now forbidden. All the colors of life were taken away along with the earth, and they were left with only a half-asleep existence and sad reflections. Everything was run by arrogant white officials "in white socks", most of whom, as Bardon recalls, did not care about the natives.
Some have not spoken to the locals for ten years. As for the one and a half thousand natives, they did not have leaders whom the whites would take seriously, so no one represented their interests.
The locals did not trust the whites, the children came to school only for free hot milk.
Bardon noticed that outside of school, chatting and playing on the playground, the children drew patterns in the sand with their fingers and sticks - dots, semicircles, wavy lines. Once he asked them to repeat these patterns, and after some persuasion, the students agreed.
And then the adults joined in. Bardon took the drawings to the nearest town, and there they suddenly began to be in demand.
The teacher brought money and new paints to the natives. Later it came to cars.
But as you know, no good deed goes unpunished.
The local white administration was alarmed. It turned out that the art of the aborigines costs good money, and the locals, who, according to the administration, should have remained indigent, suddenly acquired property and money. And their interests were defended by Geoffrey Bardon.
Then it was decided to turn the natives against the young teacher. Moreover, it was not difficult to do this. The aborigines, after many years of hopeless poverty, completely blew their heads when money appeared. They were told that Bardon appropriated most of the proceeds for himself.
The natives stopped trusting him and survived from the settlement.
A year and a half later, Geoffrey left there, having lost many of his ideals and illusions, crushed and broken (he got a nervous breakdown, was later treated by a psychiatrist), but in this short time he managed to start one of the most amazing trends in painting of the 20th century.
I first heard about Bardon a few years ago. I read some art book. I don't remember the name of the author, or the title of the book, or the main plot, or even what language I read the book in Russian or English. There was a Jeffrey Bardon story as a side story, I was interested. I got on the Internet to look and was simply struck by this painting.
PS Katya aka twinsika suggested the name of the author and the title of the book: Victoria Finlay "The Secret History of Colors". Thank her very much!
Now in Australia there are more than 50 Aboriginal artistic artels (moreover, most of the artists live in remote desert areas of the country).
Aboriginal art is now considered the property of the country, it is impossible to just buy a painting and take it abroad. So basically all the painting is in Australia.
Aboriginal painting is sacred, filled with symbols. Often they depict animals that play a huge role in their daily lives.
One such animal is the goanna, a species of large lizard from the monitor lizard family.
Goanna represents the spirit of rain for many Australian tribes, in addition, the goanna is a source of food. Goanna fat is considered a delicacy (they say yummy, but to me it's just yuck).
It seems to me that it was the Goannas who inspired even the "invention" of the bitmap of the natives.
Ready kane to squeeze
At the request of Alia, I took several pictures of the process of "birth" of Kane
I made a rough sketch of the future caine, put it under the glass, and began to lay out the drawing on the glass.
First came the lizard. I made it while "on duty" in Balboa Park, where the week of the polymer clay guild is now taking place.
She represented the guild, talked about clay and the simplest techniques to everyone who wanted to listen, immediately showed something along the way, besides, I also wanted to talk with my friends from the guild, see the exhibition (it’s just amazing, but I was allowed to take pictures only on the condition that I I won't post anything online. In breaks from all these distractions, I was engaged in kane. By the time we had to go home, the lizard was ready.
Then I began to fill background. I wanted to imitate dot painting, so I meditated for several evenings, laying out layers.
Now the caine is in the refrigerator, tomorrow evening I will try to squeeze it. I'm afraid I won't be able to save the dots. I don't know why I spent so much time on them. Well, let's see what happens.
Before there, how to draw an Indian, I must tell you a little about the subject. The Indian is a red-skinned bro, so named because of the ridiculous mistake of Mr. Columbus (Famous, who did not even suspect that he had discovered not India at all, but America) According to generally accepted concepts, the Indian always looks thoughtful, smokes a pipe and walks in a kokoshnik of feathers. When a stranger steps on their land, the Indian (clapping his palm on his lips and making the sound O-O-O) runs headlong to his tribe, where they kindle and sharpen their spears and arrows. But when strangers present them with overseas gifts, the Indian buries the hatchet. Later, the leader of the tribe and the guests sit in a circle, in the most tuned wigwam, and light the pipe of peace (most likely with some unusual herb, since the leader very often has all sorts of visions prophesying evil).
The Indian is perfectly adapted to life, knows how to kill animals with his tomahawk and rip off their skins, grow corn and make popcorn out of it. An Indian woman plucks poor birds and sews dream catchers out of their feathers. The female Indian is most often beautiful, judging by the cartoon Pocahontas.
At present, there are practically no Indians, as such. By a special court order, a decree was adopted to move all Indians to museums, and to build naphtha derricks, factories and clubs with poker and courtesans in their habitat. And a little later, the blacks rebelled and filled the whole of America. So it goes.
How to draw an Indian with a pencil step by step
Step one. Let's start with the position of the person. 
Step two. We draw the elements of the face: eyes, nose, mouth, let's denote plumage. 
Step three. Let's add hair, and strokes all over the body. We will do the same with feathers. With the help of hatching we will make shadows. 
Step four. Let's erase the auxiliary lines and detail the objects. 
Somehow it should work. You can also color with colored pencils. In addition, we have other interesting lessons, for example.
