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| The Flourishing of Island Cultures: The Art of Oceania |
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| The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today | ||||
| AUSTRALIA The Aboriginal peoples of Australia traditionally had a special relationship with the land, developed primarily by hunting and gathering. Most objects the Aborigines make for ceremonial use symbolically link them with a mythological place of origin. Many art forms serve as essential props in dramatic re-creations of creation myths. Aboriginal Art (Arnhem Land) Images of dreaming: Two bark paintings from different locations within Arnhem Land region of northern Australia are representative examples of Aboriginal art. The first, from Oenpelli, depicts a black kangaroo and hunter in the X-ray style of western Arnhem Land. The artist simultaneously depicts the subject's interior and exterior in a fluid, dynamic style. This type of bark painting probably served as a magical aid in hunting, as well as to teach youths about hunting practices and mythology. 31-18: Spirit Called Auunenau, from Western Arnhem Land, Australia, 1912. Ochre on bark, 4' 10 2/3" x 1' 1". South Australian Museum, Adelaide. |
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| The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today | ||||