Aboriginal Art has survived for over thousands of years and continues to be one of the oldest art forms practiced today. Aboriginal
Art consists of symbols. These symbols were used as a means of
communication; communication of their lives on earth, their rituals,
food, customs and also to show constellations and for ritual
decorations. These works were almost always ceremonial or religious.
Symbols were used in order to show the presence of different things or objects that existed around them. Unlike the well-known artists you've studied, Aboriginal artists created their works based on how the land was created, basing their subject matter mainly on patterns and animals. These patterns and symbols were
created using only the colours seen in nature, (for instance soil, was
seen in tints of reds, yellows and browns ochres. White, clay and
charcoal colours were also used from natural materials. Thousands
of years ago, Aboriginals would create their works using only the
natural materials left around them, (such as bark, clay, logs, trees,
burnt sticks, rocks, etc....
The
backgrounds of these art works were never blank. There is always a
continuous use of dotting, patterns, lines or hatching to create a sense
of movement within the work. These works of art could be labelled as
Abstract.
Check Out Some of The Frequent Symbols That Were Used: