Traditionally, Indigenous Australians would use ochres, a natural clay, to paint their bodies, trees, rocks and other surroundings. It was not until the 1930’s that the first paintings were done. Indigenous dot art is considered to be the most famous of the traditional techniques, but it was not the first. Watercolour was used to illustrate desert landscapes and these were used mainly until the 1970’s. The Indigenous Australian dot paintings are made up of the symbol’s elders would use to tell stories. A school teacher by the name of Geoffrey Bardon encouraged the painting of these symbols on board and canvas. It was with this notion that the colourful indigenous art we know today was formed.
Indigenous paintings are entirely unique to the indigenous artist that painted them. They inherit the right to the stories told through these artworks through family lineage. An Aboriginal Australian artist cannot paint a story that does not belong to their family. Indigenous art for sale is can differ greatly depending on the region and history of the artist. Western Desert Communities opt for strong primary colours, while others choose softer earthy tones to create their Indigenous art prints. A spike of Aboriginal women artists in the 1980’s incorporated a new style into the market. They would choose to work with a brighter array of colours to portray their stories.
Aboriginal artwork has a rich, respected history. Connect with an Indigenous artist and commission a customised, culturally rich mural or canvas.