What is Aboriginal art?
Q: What is Aboriginal art?
A: Aboriginal art is art made by indigenous Australian people, which includes work made in many different ways including painting on leaves, wood carving, rock carving, sculpting, ceremonial clothing and sand painting. It is closely linked to religious ceremonies or rituals and is an important part of the world's oldest continuous cultural tradition.
Q: How old is Aboriginal art?
A: Aboriginal art dates back more than 30,000 years and is the oldest ongoing tradition of art in the world.
Q: What symbols are used in aboriginal art?
A: Symbols are used in aboriginal art to show different things; while the meaning of these symbols can be shared between groups they can also change meaning within the same piece or be different between different groups.
Q: How did aboriginal artists start making artwork?
A: Aboriginal artists started making artwork around 30,000 to 40,000 years ago using beautiful patterns as a language.
Q: Are there any famous examples of aboriginal artwork that have been sold for a lot of money?
A: Yes - In 2007 Pitjantjatjara artist Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson sold a painting for AU$240,000.
Q: What was the largest modern aboriginal art piece created recently?
A: The largest modern aboriginal art piece was created by Judy Watson and Alick Tipoti for Queensland Government’s Tilt Trains which run between Brisbane and Cairns; with seven carriages and two locomotives it will be 185 metres long when completed.
Q: Is there any significance behind why certain colours are used in Aboriginal Artwork? A: Yes - Certain colours often have symbolic meanings associated with them such as red representing bloodlines or yellow being associated with spiritual energy.
