About Aboriginal Art
The
symbols or icons used in contemporary Aboriginal
paintings are the same as those found on cave paintings and rock engravings
that were executed tens of thousands of years ago.
The designs are traditionally used as body paint decorations
for corroborees and as sand paintings for ceremonial purposes.
Contemporary Aboriginal Art is a direct continuation of
the creative and symbolic artistic tradition developed over millennia.
The art designs vary greatly in style from one area to
another, from the art of Far North Queensland with it’s
‘x-ray’
style or ‘crosshatching’ seen on bark paintings, to the
‘dot’ or
‘sand’
paintings of the deserts of Central Australia.
Australian Aboriginal culture encompasses a belief in
the ‘creation’ or ‘dreaming’
(Jukurrpa) when ancestors roamed the
countryside forming rivers, rock formations, waterholes and hills.The
‘stories’
of these times are still celebrated today, using sacred objects, song and
dance.
The Aborigines of Australia have a deep and spiritual
association with the land, the sea and the cosmos, as their stories will
attest.
There are many symbols used throughout the paintings -
these are some of the most frequently seen:
About Us and Our Artists
Cooinda Gallery was first opened in 1987 by the
Director, Julia Johnston, who presents this wonderful aboriginal desert
art - sometimes described as 'Dot paintings'. Cooinda Gallery has supplied
galleries and private collectors since 1987 with excellent examples of
aboriginal art.
Cooinda means 'meeting place' - the town of Cooinda
is part of Kakadu National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory.
The 'Dot paintings' are stories that were traditionally
drawn in the sand to teach the culture and impart the traditional ways
of the aboriginal people to their young - it is their 'language', and tells
of the time of the Dreaming when the Ancestors roamed the countryside shaping
the country into what we see today. See our page on for more details.
These acrylic on canvas works are merely a new medium
for ancient storytelling which originally used feathers, sticks and stones
and natural pigments in the desert sands, to relay and celebrate their
dreamings.
Consulting and Brokering Service
With over 15 years experience in collecting and handling
Australian Aboriginal Art, we offer a personalised service to those
requiring assistance in any aspect of purchasing this art form for personal
collections and/or investment. Please
Packaging and Freight - easily arranged.
The Artists represented on this site are well respected,
published and collected by private art enthusiasts, investors in fine art, Public Art Galleries and Museums within Australia and overseas.
