Art- Indigenous Australian Art Introduction:

The Aboriginal people, also known as the Indigenous people, have been living in Australia for thousands and thousands of years. They have a rich, resourceful and knowledgeable way of life that is deeply connected to the land. This connection and understanding of the land, nature and the animals has allowed Indigenous people to adapt and develop through the seasons, the years and the many generations that have walked across the harsh land that we recognise to be Australia.

Another element of the Indigenous culture is their song, dance and artwork. The paintings and drawings are known as ‘Aboriginal Art’ and they are all created to share meaning, understanding and teach. As seen below, there are many different types and styles of Indigenous art, including rock, dot and x-ray.

Key elements of Aboriginal art include: Patterns → There are lots of patterns in Aboriginal art, most of them are made using simple lines and dots. Each style of work comes from a different place in Australia and is special to the people of that area.

Storytelling → Telling stories through art and dance is an extremely important part of Aboriginal culture. The Aboriginal people do not have a written language so to pass down their dreamtime (traditional) stories of life, culture and beliefs they use symbols. By drawing out these important stories, on rock, their bodies and in the dirt, they are not only teaching the younger generations about life, but they are also creating intricate and moving pieces of artwork. As you can see in the pictures above and on the next page, there are key symbols that have been used to tell a story through art.

Colour and Symbols → Many years ago, Aboriginal people only used materials from the land to make paint. They used clay and plants so all of the colours were natural. Today other materials are used to create Aboriginal art and the colours are much brighter.

1. Write down 4 words that you would use to describe Aboriginal art: ______2. Using the Aboriginal symbols (below), what do you think is happening in the image on the right? ______

Art- Indigenous Australian Art: Create your own.

Indigenous Australians used a variety of unique tools in everyday life. These tools had many uses including fishing, hunting, communication and transport. Indigenous Australians think of these tools as an important way of remembering how they are connected to their country.

Boomerang

Use: hunting, fighting and ceremonies.

The boomerang is a throwing stick made of wood. Boomerangs were used for hunting animals (like kangaroo), fighting and in ceremonies. Some boomerangs return when they are thrown, whereas others do not. Returning boomerangs tend to be smaller and lighter, but they can be difficult to use in heavily wooded areas. Not all Indigenous Australians used boomerangs.

Using the symbols below create your own unique boomerang design (see next page for shape) in your Home Learning Book.