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Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park and the Ayers Rock Resort is the center of Australia and is considered to be the center for much of the Aboriginal Art world. Around this park and nearby Alice Springs are many Aboriginal owned and operated Art Centres where local Aboriginals can either work on their art or bring their work for display and sale.
These Centres are more accessible to the art buyer or interested tourist than traveling to the remote outback villages where many of the artists live. Visitation to some of those villages is not permitted and most require four wheel vehicles and good weather to find.
As a major place for art, it is useful to learn about the area and the significant roll it plays in the history and beliefs that comprise much of Aboriginal Art.
The Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park has an area over 311,000 acres and comprises two main significant sites:
Sunset and sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta are spectacular, with the colours at both sites becoming more vibrant and even changing. Uluru and Kata Tjuta have significant meaning to Aboriginal people. They both form an important focus of their spiritual life.
The History
The Central Australian landscape, of which Uluru and Kata Tjuta are an important part, is believed to have been created at the beginning of time. The Anangu Aboriginal people are responsible for the protection and appropriate management of these ancestral lands. The knowledge necessary to fulfil these responsibilities has been passed down from generation to generation.
During the 1870s, William Giles and William Gosse were the first white explorers to this region. Giles was the first to reach Kata Tjuta and named it The Olgas after the then reigning Queen Olga of Wurttemburg. Gosse, however, was the first to reach Uluru and named it Ayers Rock after his superior, Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia.
In the early 1900s the Government declared ownership of the land and by the 1950s tourists and miners had begun to make tracks to Uluru and Kata Tjuta. At the time only a few Anangu were living at Uluru. However, as tourist numbers grew, most of the Anangu there scattered into other regions within Central Australia.
By the early 1970s, the pressure of tourism was having detrimental effects on the environment and the government agreed in 1973 to relocate accommodation facilities to a new site.
It was not until 1979 that, in recognition of the existence of traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, a national park was acknowledged. In 1983 Prime Minister Hawke announced the government's intention to grant ownership of the land back to the traditional owners. The agreement, however, required the traditional owners to lease the park to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for a period of 99 years.
Tjukurpa - The Creation Period
Anangu life revolves around the Tjukurpa (sometimes wrongly referred to as the Dreamtime). To the Aboriginal people, this is the ancestral period of when the world was being formed.
At Uluru, Mala (hare wallaby), Kuniya (woma python) and Liru (poisonous snake) are considered to be very important ancestors to the region.
These stories and many others have been passed down through thousands of years from generation to generation. The elder people recount, maintain and pass on this knowledge through stories, behaviour, rituals, ceremonies, songs, dances and art. Tjukurpa is therefore the basis of all Anangu knowledge and connects everything in life.
Sacred SitesThe cultural landscapes of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park resonate with meaning. They contain creation stories and the associated knowledge of law, relationships, plants, and animals, all of which live in the shapes and features of the land.
Places where significant events in the Anangu story occurred are held as sacred sites. Anangu have the responsibility and obligation to care for the land in a proper way. As such, tourists are not permitted access to certain significant or sacred sites. Even inadvertent access to these can be sacrilegious.
At Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park some areas are fenced off and sometimes photography is restricted to ensure that visitors do not inadvertently contravene Tjukurpa restrictions.
Can You Climb Uluru?Aboriginal traditional owners would prefer visitors to not climb Uluru. There are two reasons for this:
NOTE: Some information within this post came from material gathered at Voyages which is a unique Australian travel company offering unique holiday experiences in some of Australia's most remote and breathtaking locations. With Vovages you can choose from an array of award-winning resort accommodation and tours from the red heart of Central Australia to the vibrant colours of the Great Barrier Reef. Please visit their web-site at http://www.voyages.com.au/  |
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Uluru and Kata Tjuta's Influence On Aboriginal Art
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
How To Find Aboriginal Art Without The Travel
Without the expenses of traditional urban art galleries, Aboriginal Art Imports has emerged online to offer quality aboriginal art at very accessible prices.
On our own trips to the remote art centers of Australia we practice Fair Trade ethics to help support aboriginal artists and crafters.
We can then offer you authentic beautiful and interesting art pieces direct from the artist or from their community owned art cooperative for your home and office with prices to fit any budget.
In addition to our own selections, we are proud to be affiliated with Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery,
Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery is one of the largest Aboriginal art galleries in the world located in Kununurra, Western Australia. This association enables us to offer thousands of additional paintings, artefacts, boomerangs, didgeridoos and gift certificates.
Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery
Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery is a family owned and operated business that has worked closely with several different Aboriginal communities in a number of different capacities throughout Australia for more than 10 years!
Many of the artists they work with were friends long before they began presenting their works through the Artlandish gallery and online presence. It was these friendships and their generosity in always wanting to share lives and culture that ultimately led to them to being involved in showcasing Aboriginal Art.
They have established one of the largest Aboriginal art galleries in the world in Kununurra, Western Australia, the gateway to the beautiful Kimberley region of Australia and the heartland of painting Aboriginal Art using traditional natural ochres .
This website is the Online home for Artlandish's "real world" gallery, located in Kununurra, Western Australia.
Artlandish purchases the vast majority of our Artworks direct from Independent Artists, Curators that have genuinely close, strong and happy relationships with the artists and from Art Centres where possible.
We and Artlandish are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality, authentic products, exceptional customer service and true value for money.
FREE SHIPPING
Click here to Visit the Gallery
Complimentary Worldwide shipping and insurance applies to all Aboriginal artworks & artefacts purchased through Artlandish
How To Properly Preserve Your Art Work
In our last post we have considered the subject of a painting, it's style & the artist. In this part we will be considering the painting or artwork itself & how that may affect its future value.
Firstly consider what material the painting is painted on. Is it paper, canvas, plastic or some other fabric.
Some Aboriginal Art works, particularly by desert artists have been painted on some strange materials. While I suspect that in some cases this will improve their re-sale value, you also have to keep in mind how the work will last. Also what sort of paint etc has been used. Again - that can be interesting.
Many paintings, particularly designed for the export market are painted on un-stretched or partly stretched fabric. These need to be properly framed & sometimes that can be expensive & occasionally not possible to be framed properly. (If this is the case the canvas may be put behind glass & may be an uneven size - which can make it interesting!)
If the painting is not going behind glass it should be sealed with a quality sealant. Unfortunately many Aboriginal artists fail to do this. Clear sealant can be purchased for any quality art supply store & is easy to do yourself - a soft brush is preferable.
Apart from protecting the painting, a sealer makes it possible to clean the painting with a damp cloth if it gets dusty or dirty & also keeps the colors nice & bright. Sealers are available in matte, semi-gloss or full-gloss. In most cases I would recommend a semi-gloss, but any good art shop will advise. The worst thing I have heard of is t the rumor that went around a few artists that hairspray was a cheap sealer. While it works in the short time I'm told it is extremely harmful in the long term.
When deciding how much money to spend on a work remember the cost of framing if needed. Any work, if bought unframed should be professionally framed with 1 - 3 mattes. Perhaps try several color options before deciding. Ochre color mattes often work the best.
Many of the works in my store are already framed. Horses in Kelp is an example of a painting professionally framed with 3 mattes all done in traditional Aboriginal colors. The professional framing of Horses in Kelp adds considerable beauty & value to a simple, but traditional & meaningful painting. Rosetta Dreaming is painted on a framed canvas & has been sealed properly by the artist. It is ready to hang as it is.
By AprilvioletTo help with our series devoted to investment art, I have taken the view point of Aprilviolet, an Aboriginal artist and writer. Much of this material comes from her writings on http://allaboutaboriginalart.blogspot.com/
Historical Factors That Influences Aboriginal Art
As "initiation" has more to do with religion that culture; this is not true. Many "non-initiated" people have an excellent knowledge of their culture, in some cases this knowledge has been passed down to them through several generations.
I will now explain a little about religious art and how this may affect your purchasing decisions.
After reaching puberty Aborigines went through an initiation process. As this is really a religious act, it is only tribes that still retain a fair amount of religious knowledge where this still happens.
How does this affect art? Like most other religions you reach a higher "rank" as you obtain more knowledge & power. The most sacred of religious art is only created by older persons who have completed several stages of initiation and is not allowed to be seen by anyone except other initiated persons and very little is in private hands.
The next level of religious art again is only painted by highly initiated persons, but may be viewed by others, but with tight restrictions. It should only be shared with persons who treat it with respect. Prior to 1980 some art of this level reached the market (sometimes by accident) & is probably the best investment Aboriginal art you can buy. As many aboriginal persons consider selling such art for money as offensive as 'flag burning' in recent years little has been released onto the market.
The fourth level of religious art is still only produced by 'persons who have the right', but the most sacred & magical pieces are not included (or masked over in some way) and often the artist, while still being initiated has a lower level of knowledge and does not know all the details of the ancestral beings that older person does, so can not include these in their painting anyway. This is the level of (religious) art you are most likely to buy.
What I call the "third level" is a little below the second. It can be painted only by very knowledgeable elders; but the most sacred elements are left out or concealed. This art is still considered to be 'sacred' & there have been some successful lawsuits because of unauthorized persons desecrating it by putting the designs on tea-towels etc. (And breaking copyright laws of course!) This type of art can be very expensive, so do your research if you are especially interested in purchasing a painting of this type as a long-term investment.
Also remember no one can be a true prophet of how the future market will price works. eg. as artists' eyesight deteriorate with age the quality of their work may go down. This could make some of their works worth less; on the other hand the fact that it is one of the last paintings they produced could send its value sky-rocketing.
If you wish to buy work by a particular artist as an investment piece, please make sure that the actual artist painted the work. In some cases other family members may have done the actual work, this could have a major bearing on its future worth. (As families & individuals 'own' stories under traditional law - the story owner can sometimes be named as the artist when in fact they did none of the actual painting.)
Please note that in most cases the artist retains copyright of his work and therefore has the right to produce & sell copies of your 'famous' piece. You can offer to buy 'copyright' with the painting, but be prepared to pay for the privilege.
It is good to remember that Aboriginal Religious art can be offensive to certain people (consider the first three of the 10 Commandments) & therefore should be avoided by some people; or you may need to consider where you hang it.
Other people may wish to purchase it because of 'magical properties' they believe it has. Much of our art is secular or relates 'dreaming stories' that teach everyone good morals.
Above I discussed in detail about religious works produced by initiated Aboriginal persons. Are these Art Works the only true Aboriginal Investment Art?
As I have stated on numerous occasions, Aboriginal art styles varied right across Australia. If you wish to purchase art from only initiated persons you are not going to enjoy all the varied styles of our art.
Much painting was & still is done for cultural reasons. In areas of Australia where our people were removed, exterminated or simply converted to Christianity early in the 1800s initations (at least in the tribe you belong too - it is usually possible to get iniated into another tribe if you want to) can no longer occur. Does that mean that Aboriginal persons from those tribes know nothing about their culture so can not paint authentic art? No.
Aborigines everywhere have retained a knowledge of their culture, & as art has always been a large part of our culture, we have retained a knowledge of our art.
Many of our 'dreaming stories' teach principles of right & wrong; so have been remember and are still taught to our children.
Important land marks & sites are still known and the stories connected with them repeated.
In addition in many instances families still retain guardianship over art sites; some of which are on the edges of big cities such as Sydney.
As our culture is 'not to share our knowledge with un-appreciative persons' & government policies of yesteryear also discouraged talking about cultural matters many persons are unaware of how much knowledge modern Aboriginal persons still retain. Therefore some comments about "authentic Aboriginal Art" are spoken more in ignorance than in fact.
Non-initated Aboriginal persons can produce art that reflects accurate knowledge of our culture & laws and the history of their tribe, clan, family and ancient (& sometimes current) religious and spiritual beliefs. Such artists would not consider painting anything that their gender or family connections were not allowed to paint, and their 'aboriginality' shows in their work.
High quality Aboriginal art from all areas of Australia is available and as we hope 'truth replaces myth' in the future some paintings and other works of art purchased today may increase greatly in the future.
The above painting was produced by a modern artist using ancient symbols & spiritual concepts. It's meaning would be understood by all Aboriginal persons & many people familiar with our culture.
In pre-European times Aborigines painted on caves, bark, on sand and on their bodies. In additions to this the walls of our huts (the building of permanent/semi-permanent dwellings was much more wide spread than commonly known) were decorated with art work, as were the possum skin fur coats some tribes wore.
Implements for both play & work eg. didgeridoos & boomerangs were also decorated with art. It has been said that Aborigines devoted more time to art than any other race.
Orche colors were the most common as they were available in most places. However other colors (even blue) were occasionally used, if there was an available source of that color.
Art was often used to tell a story and for educational purposes. A painting that comes with a detailed story can be a good investment piece. Does the story match the "dreamings" of the area the artist is said to come from? Or is the painting for tourists? (Paintings from outback areas can be more 'fake' in this regard than urban Aboriginal art.)
Educate yourself about the art that belongs to different areas of Australia. Even within areas, what are the tribal symbols? Are there any totems clans should or should not use? Does the subject of the painting match the sex of the artist? eg.a female should never include a didgeridoo in a paintings.
In many (though probably not all) areas of Australia only female artists paint wombats and numbats. Women are also gatherers so often show more details of plants in their paintings.
Men tend to have more landscape forms in paintings because hunting often occurs over a large area.
Does the painting conform to what you have been able to learn about "genuine" works from that area? There are plenty of good reference books in libraries that will guide you. One tip you probably have never heard before is to examine "cave art" from the area of the artist. Cave Art is always an example of the authentic style of that area.
The range of Native Australian Art is much wider than most people think. Dot Art is only one style; and is not as wide spread as is often thought. Though the Desert Artists are popular, Aboriginal Art from other areas is just getting to be better known, and could make an excellent investment piece.
Genuine paintings are always painted from a certain angle; even landscapes by Aboriginal artists conform to this principle, which gives them their unique look. In this latter case, watch out for Aboriginal artists who make a point of proclaiming their university training. Most paint genuine art, but I have come across ones who seem to have lost the very basis.
Fairer skinned Aboriginals are often expert traditional artists & many produce paintings worth $1,000s. Likewise a dark-skinned person holding a painting doesn't mean that the painting is any good as an investment piece & doesn't even prove 100% that they are even the artist!
Look at the painting above Rosetta Dreaming. The artist comes from an area where Eastern Rosellas occur & she has used the traditional symbols to tell the lifecycle & story of the birds. She has used double dot work to show the brilliant colors of the rosella. They are depicted nesting in hollow trees, eating grass seed & flying. She has used white dots to signify dreaming as they traditionally mean & has even given the painting a bit of a feathery look. Rosella Dreaming is a modern traditional paintings that expresses our culture well.
The term "Dreaming" in various forms was used in Aprilviolet's article. This is a very important aspect of Aboriginal Art and will be explored on this blog in future posts.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Appreciation of Good Aboriginal Art and Aboriginal Investment Art
Appreciation of Aboriginal art is increasing with its exposure worldwide. Here we will learn the history of this art form and the people who create it. An we will strive to understand the meanings of the symbols and discover the Aboriginal Dreaming that make this work so mystical and captivating.
Obviously "good art" of any type is defined differently by each individual viewer. Equally as obvious is that art should be acquired because it is appreciated by its owner as 'good art" in his or her eyes. But - keep in mind that there is "Investment Quality" art that is determined by a broader range of viewers.
We will look at all styles of Aboriginal Art but let us first look at what is felt by many to be good "investment art". Keep in mind that with Aboriginal Art we must also consider the level of the artist's stature or religious rank, as described below, in determining value. This stature has great impact on the investment value when applied specifically to Aboriginal Art.
Hopefully what you like as good art might be a good investment also.
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To help in defining one view of investment art, I have taken the view point of Aprilviolet, an Aboriginal artist and writer. Much of this material comes from her writings on http://allaboutaboriginalart.blogspot.com/
I paint to express my aboriginality & my soul. I obey tradition & so paint only what I understand I am allowed to by culture as a Tasmanian & member of my family's tribe. I like to educate people about the many styles of Australian Aboriginal art - so paint as varied as possible. I also paint to educate about my homeland, our history, our culture & what needs to be done to preserve it. I have been inspired by the cave art of my people..." See the example above.
"In recent years I have won some awards for my artwork; some of which can be seen at www.aboriginalartreasures.com. I am also web master for www.dinkydi.info & www.thegemlovers.com. As I have always loved gemstones, it is a job I enjoy." http://allaboutaboriginalart.blogspot.com/
Anthropologists disagree as to the relationship of my people to mainland Aboriginals. At one time we were considered to be a distinct separate race; then just a separate tribe. The present opinion is probably between these two extremes.
Certainly we are descended from the earliest human arrivals in Australia, and being cut off by Bass Strait did not intermarry with the later arrivals like our mainland cousins did. Our culture is similar theirs, which proves we are
closely related.
Some say our language is similar to the language of the original aboriginal inhabitants of Japan and we share a common genetic pattern with them. Certainly we have some oriental features; almond shaped eyes, high cheek bones and a long forehead.
In recent years some anthropologists see a close similarity between us & the Tolai people of Papua New Guinea. As well as being similar in appearance, we also use shell necklaces for the same cultural reasons as the Tolai & also sing in harmony in the style of Papua New Guineans unlike our mainland cousins who are not renowned for their singing. Full bloods were a deep tan brown with a yellow tinge, shorter in statue than Europeans. Most have curly hair, our men having tighter curls than the women. In pre-European times our men had beards of tight ringlets. We have tiny ankles and wrists. The early European invaders considered us to be a good-looking well-formed people.
Our people were divided into 9 tribes. There were at least 5 dialects of our language.
On the west coast permanent villages of huts were built. Shellfish collected by the women and small mammals and birds hunted by the men were a major part of the diet. Women also caught small animals and collected plants.
Coastal tribes made regular trips to off shore islands to hunt seal and mutton birds. (Our people still make these trips. Some traditional foods are very popular and such outings provide a continuing link to our culture.) Water craft were made from bark & reeds. Incidentally Bass Strait is one of the roughest bodies of water in the world.
Our women made sturdy baskets for collecting food and carrying personal items in. Tools and containers were made from wood, bone, stone, seaweed, bark, grass and sinew or tendons. We produced the first known art in Australia.
This painting above is an examples of Tasmanian Aboriginal art. It is entitled 'Hobart', my birthplace. I hope you like this modern version of ancient art.
