AndrewD[HoMe Moderator]
12829
Dots
Dec 20, 2011,19:49 PM
Hi Ming,
The meaning of the dots is not entirely known, and there are various theories. What seems to be true is that this style of ‘dot painting’ appeared in the 1960’s in the Central and Western Desert areas, principally amongst the Papunya and Yuendumu communities. The dots are thought primarily to have been used to obscure sacred details that the ‘uninitiated’ were not allowed to view. So they are a type of masking.
And yes, the various shapes do have specific meaning. In this art example you can see water holes and rivers, but specific meaning is often dependent on the region and group who created the art.
Andrew
Ps. I have a goose-neck (hook) boomerang made for me in the early 70’s by a Yuendumu elder using traditional techniques and covered in red ochre (wilgi). A prized childhood possession that I will post some photos of at some point.
Comments:
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Aborinal art using new medium
By: dreamer8 : December 16th, 2011-22:57
When i saw this artwork , it is unmistakeable aboriginal art.The actual piece looks much more resplendent in real life than my iphone photo. Instead of the usual " dots " using paint, this piece was commissioned by Nespresso and the " dots " are nespresso...
re: art
By: DRMW : December 17th, 2011-00:07
Very interesting piece and thanks for sharing. I'm not familiar with Aboriginal art, what is the significance of using dots? Do certain colors or patterns represent something? -MW
Dots
By: AndrewD : December 20th, 2011-19:49
Hi Ming, The meaning of the dots is not entirely known, and there are various theories. What seems to be true is that this style of ‘dot painting’ appeared in the 1960’s in the Central and Western Desert areas, principally amongst the Papunya and Yuendumu...
That is really smart!
By: sidneyc : December 17th, 2011-03:14
And it still maintains the essence of Aboriginal art! Well done to the artist!
Very interesting
By: elanoftroy : December 18th, 2011-14:10
I'm not familiar with Aborinal art and would be interested in comparing the two types. Thanks for sharing, Helen