Australia offers world-class national and state-based museums and art institutions. It also has many regional art centres, thriving cultural festivals, and rich art history. So, let’s have a look at some of Australia’s aesthetic inspirations as portrayed by famous artists. Australian art frequently draws inspiration from unusual landscapes.
Origins of Art in the Big Brown Land
Understanding the origins of art from Australia with only a smidgeon of history may assist in comprehending the development of these themes.
It would be imprudent to examine Australian art without first considering its origins. The art of Australia’s First Nations people dates back centuries, with the first documented rock art dating back 20,000 years. Cultural creativity and ritual also included pieces made from natural fibres and paintings. Symbolism was significant in art as a form of narrative and historical connection, and it has remained so for Aboriginal peoples and their civilisation.
Only in the latter half of the twentieth century did methods on fabric and canvas emerge that may be considered modern depictions of this culture and art. Artists such as the celebrated Albert Namatjira (1902-1959), an Arrernte painter who mostly adopted western-influenced methods to represent Central Australian landscapes, arose during the colonial period.
The Papunya Tula Artists Cooperative was founded in 1972. It resulted in highly distinct styles and techniques that are perhaps some of the most distinctive in the world. You’ve probably seen the colourful and earthy patterns created by properly placed dots, curved brushes, lines, and symbols.
They tell stories about the environment, family, and community. They have also been employed in a long tradition of narrating stories about religious views and mythology, including the Dreamtime.
Seas and Sands Around
What makes this art distinctively Australian? For this reason, a stroll through an Australian gallery yields more Australian inland vistas than seascapes. Classical scenics are frequently colonial, serving as historical exhibits for ships arriving on shore. Aside from this, prominent artists appeared to paint the terrain more freely as a tribute to agricultural lives and to commemorate urban growth.
Roots and Historical Significance of Art from Australia
Over 60,000 years ago, Australia’s aboriginal peoples arrived from Southeast Asia. Indigenous Australians practice some of the longest enduring practices known to humans, including arts, dance, and spiritual practices.
The Dutch declared the first European finding of Australia, and by 1770, English Adventurer James Cook seized the island for English colonisation. England established six settlements in Australia, such as the famous Botany Bay prison colony.
Colonisation resulted in sickness and mortality among aboriginal tribes, just as it did among the indigenous citizens of the Americas.
Aboriginal Art
Aboriginal cave paintings are as old and plentiful as European cave paintings. Two locations have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and many works of rock art are located within designated parks.
Colonial Artwork
The first European art made in Australia was for academic and exploratory goals. It was created by adventurers, painters, botanists, and scientists who were sent along to document European findings.
Convict Art
Convicts from various walks of life and vocations were condemned to New South Wales’ prison colony. Some of the inmates were painters. Since most free painters of the time were representing Australia using European art methods, customs, and styles, historians obtained the finest image of what Australia was like from convict painters.
In Conclusion
Australian artists were just as interested in psychological ideas as their counterparts in Europe and the Americas. Contemporary coastal artworks are popular and have emerged as one of the most popular landscape themes in rural Australian museums and art sales.
