Aborigines are the native, indigenous people of Australia. Art is a huge part of their culture, having both traditional, personal, and religious significance.
Aborigines are the native, indigenous people of Australia. For thousands of years, the different tribes and groups developed cultures in complete isolation from the outside world, and often from each other. Art is a huge part of their religion, having both traditional, personal, and religious significance.
Contents
- 1 What is so special at Aboriginal tattoos designs?
- 1.1 Aboriginal art is traditionally drawn or painted on trees, on stone, on bark, in the sand, and on people.
- 1.2 Because nature and dreams are so essential to their culture, Aboriginal clans often use these images in their artwork.
- 1.3 Because of this, Aboriginal artwork has two meanings.
- 1.4 Modern Aboriginal tattoo designs are based upon these traditional techniques.
What is so special at Aboriginal tattoos designs?
Original artwork is used in traditional ceremonies and rituals. Dreams and nature are significant in Aboriginal culture. Symbols of these essential aspects, as well as many others, are passed down from ancestor to ancestor and are very substantial to the individual group that uses them. Furthermore, in some tribes, designs and symbols are inherited by a single artist, and only that artist, the sole owner, is allowed to draw it and use it.
Aboriginal art is traditionally drawn or painted on trees, on stone, on bark, in the sand, and on people.
Most likely, body painting is the oldest form of art among the Aborigines and continues today. Body painting, like tattooing, uses designs and symbols to decorate the human way.
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Aboriginal designs are often elaborate and complex, using lines, cross-hatching, and dots to create beautiful patterns and images. These designs use few colours, due to limitations of essential supplies like blood, clay, and ash. Bark painting is the more recent medium for Aboriginal art and probably developed from body painting. Some modern Aboriginal artists use canvases and synthetic paints, too.
Because nature and dreams are so essential to their culture, Aboriginal clans often use these images in their artwork.
Landscapes are frequently used to tell stories or ideas and are often depicted in aerial views. Another artistic tradition is to show the insides of animals within an outline of its shape. Land animals, birds, and fish are often drawn with a visible skeleton and organs. Likewise, human females are sometimes depicted with visible wombs.
Artists sometimes use their hands as stencils to form the outline of another image, like a handprint drawn to look like a bird. This illustrates the connection between nature and themselves, which is essential in the Aboriginal culture.
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In Aboriginal artwork, humans are habitually shown connected to the environment, occasionally even morphing into character. A large part of Aboriginal artwork is private, known only to the specific clan that creates it.
Because of this, Aboriginal artwork has two meanings.
The first is the general knowledge of symbols known both within and outside of the culture. Sometimes these symbols are apparent, while other times the group has explained them, sharing this aspect of their culture with outsiders.
The second, the hidden meaning is known only to the specific tribe it comes from and is not shared with outside people, including other Aborigines. This meaning is personal and religious, meant just for members of the specific group and is kept secret. To preserve these secrets, art historians believe the artists incorporated more dots, a distinctive trait of Aboriginal art, as a way to hide and conceal the artwork’s real significance and not just as a decorative aspect.
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Others believe the dots are necessary, in and of themselves, and are not used to camouflage cultural secrets but have their hidden meaning. The Aborigines do not indicate either believed to be correct, and modern Aboriginal artists continue to incorporate these distinctive dots into their work.
Modern Aboriginal tattoo designs are based upon these traditional techniques.
Although most traditional Aborigines do not have tattoos as a part of their customs, some tribes use scarification, or ritualistic cutting, to decorate their bodies more permanently. Non-Aboriginal people continue to practice scarification; tattoos are the most popular method for achieving these Aboriginal looks.
Conclusion
People get the body art of Aborigines to express their personal beliefs about the connection between nature and man, which are shared by Aboriginal cultures.
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Moreover, people of Aboriginal descent may wish to explore their heritage in a manner more suitable for their lifestyles. Scarification is still taboo in many modern cultures while tattooing is much more acceptable.
Source of images: Pinterest.com
