10/11/13- Aboriginal Symbols

In a previous post I mentioned the Bhimbetka Caves paintings in India, and that their symbols seemed to be for more informative purposes, most likely for travellers. Also, when I last spoke of the Kanji characters, I mentioned the way you could form compound characters with them to convey a more complex meaning. Both of these ideas reminded me of the way traditional Aboriginal symbols are included in contemporary art today to convey meanings ideas that are both relevant and still understood to this day.

The iconography used by the Aborigines (people descended from those who were indigenous to Australia before the British colonisation) is relatively simple, mainly composed of dots and wavy lines, and it is not just a collection of symbols that are used to enhance the aesthetic value of an art piece, but it is also a written language specific to the Aboriginal people. This language has taken on many forms, such as rock art, bark paintings and body decorations. Each symbol has it's own meaning but, like Kanji, more than one symbol can be used together to produce a whole new meaning, and, while abstract, the symbols have strongly pictorial roots in order for them to be easily understood and passed on through the generations.  

Above are some examples of symbols used in Papunya Central Desert art

As shown in the image above, one symbol can have more than one meaning, and there are different variations a particular type of symbol so as to be more specific (the footprint symbols vary depending on the type of creature's footprints they represent).

While these symbols have been used for descriptive and informative use, the main purpose of these symbols is to tell the many ancient stories based on the "Dreamtime"- a period of time the indigenous Aboriginal people believe the world was created in. These stories are about how humans fit into the world around them, focussing on things such as the stars, the animals and the land, and are usually told through a combination of symbolic art work as well as dance and song, which usually work together in harmony to convey ideas and images vital to the preservation of the ancient culture, which may well have already lasted over 50,000 years. There are a lot of rules concerning especially important and ancient stories, as some stories are very specific to a particular family history and my contain certain secrets and information meant only for that family. Therefore, Aboriginal artists are not permitted to create artworks based on stories that do not belong to their own family lineage, and other artists have to gain permission before they are allowed to convey certain Dreamtime stories. 

Some of these visual stories can be filled with knowledge, lessons, and layers of meaning to be passed on, so using the symbols and a visual guide has assisted in contemporary Aboriginal people retaining and passing on their cultural heritage. 

"Kangaroo Hunting"
by Angelo Burgoyne Judda
This contemporary image clearly shows the symbols for man
(the curved symbols with the dots around them
representing their body paint) and their spears as they
surround and hunt a kangaroo.

"Storm Camps on the Rain Dreaming Trail"by Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa, 1978
This particular piece uses water symbols
and imagery

I think it is truly incredible that the Aboriginal people have held onto so much of their past and therefore what makes them who they are today, and I think it is a true homage to the power of the symbol- something so simple and sometimes abstract can mean so much and convey such complex ideas in a way that can not only be understood, but can be passed on generation after generation.