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Read the Article As Paul S.C. Taçon Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep X-Ray Art Of North Australia Including Kakadu National Park Introduction For at least 4000 years Australian Aborigi- sionally backbones represented with a thin nal artists of the Top End of the Northern line through a central body cavity (Figure Territory have been depicting creatures by 1; Taçon 1987, 1989a, 1989b). Over time showing both internal and external fea- the concern about the insides of things tures of the body. This began by including grew so that when Europeans arrived in empty body cavities in otherwise solid or this part of Australia, in the early to mid stroke infill paintings of animals and occa- 1800s, artists were producing elaborately Figure 1: Early X-ray macropod, Wellington Range, Arnhem Land. Adoranten 2016 1 Figure 2: X-ray bar- ramundi fish, Kakadu National Park detailed works on rock walls and sheets ways, with some paintings akin to scientific of bark that showed many organs, bones diagrams (e.g. Figure 2). This interest in the and other internal aspects of anatomy of mechanics, aesthetics, beauty and power of not only animals but also human figures. the inside was not confined to animals and These designs delineate many features of humans but was extended even to depic- bodies, in both naturalistic and abstract tions of European ships, fire arms and other Figure 3: Rock painting of an X-ray macropod, Wellington Range, Arnhem Land 2 Adoranten 2016 Figure 4: Bark paintings of X-ray macropods, unknown artist, c.1960s introduced artefacts (Taçon and May 2013; also discovered. Arnhem Land X-ray paint- Wesley 2013). Since then so-called ‘X-ray’ ings were soon known around the world art has gained immense popularity among with many non-Aboriginal artists seeking non-Indigenous Australians, with works in inspiration from their simplicity, elegance, major art galleries and museums across the exoticness and beauty (e.g. see Taçon and world. Chippindale 2001). Skilled artists painted on both rock and sheets of bark, often with The European discovery of X-ray Abo- similar subject matter (e.g. Figures 3 and 4). riginal art began in the 1870s with Paul Foelsche, a member of the Northern Terri- In this paper the reader is introduced tory police force who patrolled the Cobourg to some of the X-ray and other forms of Peninsula northeast of Darwin (Taçon and rock art of western Arnhem Land, includ- Davies 2004). Foelsche obtained bark paint- ing Kakadu National Park, with a focus on ings for museums and private collectors, changing aesthetics as can be seen within as well as taking an acute interest in the the extensive rock art chronology. The pa- works himself. In the early 1900s, buffalo per also provides a guide to much of the shooter Paddy Cahill and scientist Baldwin key literature on the rock art of the region Spencer actively encouraged the production as well as flagging other recent summaries of bark paintings for sale or exchange and and new/emerging research. a new art industry was born. Since the early 1900s, great galleries of X-ray rock art were Adoranten 2016 3 The rock art of sive sites (e.g. Djulirri – see May et al. 2010, Kakadu and Arnhem Land Taçon, Langley et al. 2010, Taçon, May et al. Much has been published on the rock art of 2010; Mt. Gilruth – see Chaloupka 1993 and Kakadu and Arnhem Land (see Chaloupka Haskovec 1992; and Nawarla Gabarnmang 1993 for the best illustrated large volume), – see David et al. 2011, David et al. in press, including some good recent summaries David, Barker et al. 2013, Gunn et al. 2010), (e.g. David et al. in press; May et al. 2015; in many overlapping styles. May and Taçon 2014). This is because the rock art of western Arnhem Land, includ- One of the earliest forms of rock art in ing Kakadu National Park, has long been this region featuring depictions of human- recognized as having World Heritage sig- like figures has been labelled ‘Dynamic nificance. At least 20,000 rock art sites have Figures’ by George Chaloupka (1977, 1984a, been reported and documented in various 1984b, 1993), the first rock art researcher forms of detail across the Arnhem Land to study this type of painting in detail. plateau and sandstone outliers, from near Chaloupka named the style ‘Dynamic’ Katherine in the south and as far north as because of the action-packed, ‘expressive the Wellington Range near the coast of the movement’ of the individual figures and Arafura Sea. Each year hundreds of new the scenes (Chaloupka 1984b: foreword). In discoveries are made. Many forms, styles this style, one of the earliest in the region and periods of art have been defined and (Chaloupka 1993; Taçon and Brockwell varied stylistic chronologies have been pro- 1995; Chippindale and Taçon 1998), human posed for rock art argued to span at least figures dominate, representing a significant 28,000 years (e.g. Brandl 1973; Chaloupka shift from the earlier naturalistic animal- 1993; Chippindale and Taçon 1998; David, dominated art. When animals are shown in Barker et al. 2013; Jones et al. 2016; Lewis Dynamic Figure art it is usually in relation to 1988; Taçon and Brockwell 1995; Taçon and human figures. Macropods are most com- Chippindale 2008; various papers in David mon, comprising 49% of animal depictions et al. in press). This region contains some and found at 81% of sites. Fish account for of Australia’s most outstanding surviving 22% of Dynamic animal depictions across painted rock art imagery, sometimes in mas- Kakadu – Arnhem Land and are found at Figure 5: Rare yellow male Dynamic Figure, Kakadu National Park 4 Adoranten 2016 Figure 6: Female Dy- namic Figure, Mann River, central Arnhem Land 19% of sites. Other creatures account for subject of PhD research (Johnston et al. less than 10% of Dynamic animal paintings in press; May et al. in press). Body art and but the extinct thylacine (‘Tasmanian tiger’) adornments are indicated with depictions is found at 14% of sites and echidnas at of scarification, possible body painting 11% (Taçon and Chippindale 2008:77; see and material culture attached to limbs and also May et al. in press). waists. Curiously, dots and dashes are often present near the mouths and limbs of Dy- Sometimes human-animal composite be- namic figures, which may represent sound ings were depicted interacting with human and movement (Chaloupka 1993; Tacon and figures or engaging in human-like activi- Chippindale 1994; Chippindale et al. 2000). ties (see Taçon and Chippindale 2001 for Depictions of female Dynamic Figures (as detailed study). Human figures appear to evidenced by breasts and female genitalia) race across rock surfaces, legs outstretched are rare in comparison to Dynamic males. and arms bent with the weight of numer- Usually females (Figure 6) are shown with ous spears and/or boomerangs they hold. different material culture than males, such Sometimes hunting, domestic, sexual and as fibre objects (especially dilly bags). Some perhaps ceremonial scenes were illustrated. females carry spears like males, something not seen in more recent styles of rock art. There is considerable debate as to exactly Thus the imagery has the potential to pro- how old Dynamic Figure rock art is (e.g. vide insight into past gender roles and this Chaloupka 1993 versus Lewis 1988 versus will be the subject of future research (and Taçon and Brockwell 1995 and suggestion see May et al. in press). by David, Geneste et al. 2013). Despite this, it is generally believed that Dynamic Figures Dynamic Figures were replaced with are very late Pleistocene/early Holocene in various styles and forms of rock art, includ- age (May et al. in press). A number of new ing what have been labelled Yam Figures, dating projects should better ascertain the Simple Figures and various regional styles. age in the near future. Ongoing research by several PhD students and long-time researchers is revealing much Many male Dynamic figures have elabo- complexity to the chronology throughout rate headdresses (Figure 5), currently the the Holocene and the sequence is not only Adoranten 2016 5 being fleshed out for various time periods the Kunwinjku language, played the most but also across space, from one end of the prominent role in the creation of the world Arnhem Land region to the other (e.g. for people, including the first Kunwinjku. papers in David et al. in press; Jones et al. Yingarna is said to have travelled across the 2016; Wesley and Viney 2016; and see be- sea, stepping ashore on part of the Cobourg low re. History Places project). Peninsula. She carried many dilly bags full of children and food. As she travelled in- land she deposited spirit children in water- Depictions holes, created the first people, told them of women and X-ray rock art what languages they should speak, taught Women and female subjects figure promi- them about the foods they should eat and nently in more recent periods of Arnhem gave them many other gifts. She was the Land rock art, especially the bichrome and first mother not only for the Kunwinjku polychrome art of the past couple thousand but also for many neighbouring language years (Taçon 1989a, 1989b). Some of the groups (Berndt and Berndt 1951, 1970; most powerful Arnhem Land Ancestral Be- Taçon 1989b). ings, responsible for the greatest acts of creation, are also said to be female. On the In stories and art Yingarna is often other hand, male Ancestral Beings under- portrayed as a powerful woman with hu- took both creative and destructive acts. In man form but sometimes is like a female western Arnhem Land, an especially impor- Rainbow Serpent, a composite being with a tant Ancestral Being, known as Yingarna in snake-like body but made of animal parts of Figure 7: Rock painting of Yingarna, Injalak Hill, Arnhem Land 6 Adoranten 2016 Although important, the image of Yingarna is not to be found in one of the most prominent locations.
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