On Tuesday our focus was Aboriginal Art. The Aboriginal people came from Australia. They have been living in Australia for over 40,000 years. This makes them one of the oldest cultures in the world. They lived in the Central Desert region got all their food from the land they live in. They had seeds, fruit, vegetables, reptiles and insects. Australian Aboriginals spoke different languages, but had the same religious beliefs that focused on the natural environment around them.
Aboriginals do not have a written language like we do, so their art stands for a written language. They have layers of hidden meanings. Their paintings are used for teaching and there are different ones for children or adults. Some Aboriginal paintings on rock surfaces are probably the earliest discovered in the world. Some are negative prints made by spraying pigment over ones hand to leave the shape of it. Some are animals or plants. Some of the paintings of fish, show what it looks like on the outside but also what it looks like on the inside - now called x-ray art.Painting was also done on baskets, shields and boomerangs. They even painted designs on themselves for special occasions. Painting these designs was a way of life and very important in their communities and brought them all together.
Have a look at our examples of Aboriginal Art;