DOT PAINTINGS DOT PAINTINGS Dot paintings were created

DOT PAINTINGS

DOT PAINTINGS Dot paintings were created by the Aboriginals as a way to tell stories. Originally they drew in the sand, telling stories about the dreamtime. Dot paintings are found in the Central and Western Deserts of Australia. The colours were originally from ochre, charcoal and pipe clay and were red, yellow, black and white. Artlandish. (2016). Western Desert Aboriginal Art. Retrieved from: http: //www. aboriginal-art-australia. com/aboriginal-art-library/a-look-at-western-desert -aboriginal-art/

WHY DOTS? Stories were originally told by smoothing over sand drawing pictures in it. Once finished the sand was smoothed over again to destroy the story. These stories were sacred to each tribe. Once painting began, the Aboriginals were worried about others include Westerners finding out their sacred stories. They disguised their stories in designs using symbols only they understood. From this came the dot paintings.

SYMBOLS Here are some of the symbols the Aboriginals used. Mrs. Lundgren’s Art Room. (n. d. ). Aboriginal art. Retrieved from: http: //lundgrenart. weebly. com/aboriginalart---choice-11. html

LETS DECODE TOGETHER Have a look at the dot painting to the right. Answer these questions: • What colours can you see? • Red, yellow, black, white. • What area of Australia did it most likely come from? • Central or Western Desert • What symbols can you see? • Honey ant site • Ants • What else do you think you can see? • Pockets almost like in an ant colony Tjapaltjarri, T. (Artist). (1975). Honey Ant [Painting]. National Museum Australia. Retrieved from: http: //www. nma. gov. au/exhibitions/papunya_painting_out_of_the_australian_desert/tim_leura_tjapaltjarri

ABOUT THE PAINTING – HONEY ANT HUNT • Painted by Tim Leura Tjapalljani in 1975. • From the Papunya hills – an important Dreaming site. • Painting represents huge ancestral Honey Ant • Painting depicts chambers and passages http: //www. nma. gov. au/exhibitions/papunya_painting/home Tjapaltjarri, T. (Artist). (1975). Honey Ant [Painting]. National Museum Australia. Retrieved from: http: //www. nma. gov. au/exhibitions/papunya_painting_out_of_the_australian_desert/tim_leura_tjapaltjarri

NOW HAVE A GO YOURSELF What colours can you see? Where might this painting be from? What clues does the name give? What symbols can you see? From all this, what story do you think was being told? Kangaroo story [Painting]. (1972). Art Record. Retrieved from: http: //www. artrecord. com/index. cfm/artist/7768 -tjakamarra-long-jack-phillipus/medium/1 -paintings/? page=4