Written by admin - August 2nd, 2010
The art in Darwin, Australia reflects the remote Northern Territory’s indigenous cultures. Several art galleries and museums highlight the aboriginal culture’s art style, which has been passed down for thousands of years in the region’s indigenous people. Aboriginal art features wood carving, rock carving, ornate baskets, painted designs on tools, ceremonial clothing, and colorful paintings on a variety of natural canvases. The aboriginal cultures expressed a deep spirituality in their artwork and often the symbols and animals painted are symbols or important characters in their religions. Different clans and tribes painted their bodies with distinguished paint designs, so they could identify each others tribe affiliations.
The aboriginal painting style includes an array of bright, vibrant colors, which highlight different animals and landscapes. This painting style involves using dots of paints to create pictures, usually of natural occurring patterns, animals, or plants. For example, an area in the painting that would typically be a solid color appears as a landscape of dots of the same color. This paint-dot style is simplistic, but creates a unique texture in the painting. The paint dots can be varied in size to create different effects in the painting. Sometimes solid colored lines are used as outlines for shapes and designs in the paintings, but the spaces inside the outlines are generally colored with paint-dots. This effect is commonly reversed, also, to where the outlines are made of paint dots and the area inside the lines is a solid color. The paints were originally made from natural occurring plants, clays, and other materials found in the region.
Australian aboriginal art has a long history, and has become recognized across the globe. When early European settlers in Australia first discovered the aboriginal art, they were fascinated by it and anthropologists have been studying it for years. However, some settlers sought to desecrate and destroy sacred aboriginal artworks, so there are not as many prehistoric aboriginal art pieces as there would otherwise have been. Some settlers even began stealing and selling sacred aboriginal relics. Nowadays, the aboriginal artwork is protected by museums and galleries, where people from all over the world can study and enjoy them. Aboriginal artwork and design is not strictly a thing of the past, there are many artists who carry on the traditions of their ancestors to this day. Their art is featured in galleries in Darwin, Australia and other areas of Australia.
Written by admin - July 30th, 2010
Located at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in the old Health Clinic, the Coomalie Cultural Centre contains an extensive collection of indigenous arts. It is a vibrant art community, with an Artist in Residence Programme and a Student Learning Resource. A gallery displays the works of current artists and treasured items from the area’s rich history. The Centre features a bush tucker garden and a mural designed and created by Centre students to preserve the landscape and heritage of the Northern Territory. Ceremonial artifacts share exhibit space with textiles, carvings, paintings, and even didjeridoos. The Centre’s mission is to promote the indigenous artwork of the region and to encourage new generations of artists to continue in this tradition.
Territory Wildlife Park
Litchfield National Park
Written by admin - July 30th, 2010
Darwin Guides Attractions Events in Northern Territory
The Northern Territory of Australia is home to everyone. Settled by a mix of English, Irish, Scotts, Germans, Italians, one can hear virtually every language spoken. It is a uniquely young territory, home to the largest population of residents under the age of 15 in all of Australia. The median age is only 30.3 years, which is nearly six years younger that the rest of the nation. With slightly more than half of the territory’s population concentrated in the capital city of Darwin, much of the rest of the territory retains its natural beauty.
Coomali members
