October 20, 2008
© Asiapromote Ventures Sdn. Bhd.

ELOQUENCE IN A DOT

What's in a dot? 50,000 years of Dreamtime, that's what.  Earthy tones, a swirly expanse of dots and shapes and lines; and more dots. Look beyond the dots however and you'll discover a work that is highly sophisticated, vibrant and spiritually complex.  It is the pattern of life that stems from the Dreaming, about a sacred "once upon a time", encompassing the "everywhen" -- the present and the future.

Australian Aboriginal Art evolved from the culture of sand painting and body painting which has been practised for over 50,000 years. For a culture that has such a deep sense of connection to the country but no written language, the instinct to record Tjukurrpa or Creation Time stories of the elders in the Dreamtime were given shape through song and paintings.  Each version is a unique representation of the artist’s own memories intertwined with their family’s history.

Perhaps it was the romance of the Dreamtime, telling the story of a people’s journey in life and the desire to see Australian Aboriginal Art accorded its rightful place in the galleries and homes of collectors around the world that move long-time collectors, Michael and Barbara Chandler to establish tjala Aboriginal Art, an art gallery that buys, commissions, seeks out and markets important Aboriginal artworks from all over Northern Australia.

This November, KL-ites are fortunate to be able to view and own a piece of Beyond the Dots: Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art – original artworks have been brought into Kuala Lumpur courtesy of tjala Aboriginal Art.

There are many levels when it comes to appreciating Aboriginal Art explains Michael, the director of tjala Aboriginal Art and an advertising veteran of 29 years.  “You can understand the code: Solid circles represent rock holes or water holes, Stripes or ribbons are creeks. U-shapes define women, Half circles may represent home or shelter. Stick shapes can be spears for the men or digging sticks for the women”.

You may discern a daily routine landscape celebrated in dots, depicting the practicalities of everyday life and exhibiting the artist’s intimate knowledge of the land: “Dots used to be painted in conjunction with other designs on the walls and roofs of rock shelters, on flat rock surfaces and in the paintings/drawings originally worked in the sand. They carry a number of meanings which can represent repetition, replication, bird down, topography or vegetation.”

Or, you may uncover a secret: “Some pieces are far more complex in meaning than the artist lets on.  Their designs may contain covert meanings for the public and hide those that can only be unravelled by those in the know. Dotting and stippling may be used to mask sacred designs and information or merely to produce visually stimulating effects of elegance and complexity.”

The paintings typically do not have a horizon line as seen in traditional European art, hence the viewing or hanging orientation is nor important unless indicated by the artist.  It could be said that the paintings should be viewed from above as though it was an aerial view, as it was painted.”

Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art is currently generating great excitement as one of the great artistic movements of the 21st century.  Despite a history that spans over 50,000 years, the indigenous Australian Art form only started to gain momentum in the early 1970s.

There is a freshness and innocence about the art that connects us to a greater, more timeless consciousness.  Indeed a story often told is about the remote Pintupi lands where as recently as 1984, a family group of nine Pintupi speakers walked out the desert into the small community at Kiwirrkura just inside the Western Australian border.  They had lived undetected and blissfully unaware of Western Culture.  When they walked into the 20th century, they brought with them intact Dreamings and lore that stretched back tens of thousand of years.

Recently, the womenfolk have also registered interest.  Where the men painted from a scared, traditional standpoint, the women expressed themselves from a nurturing, maternal space.

Beyond the Dots: …is a delightful mix of the old and new and from both male and female perspectives – the classic minimalism of works by Tjumpo Tjapanangka (now deceased) and the highly resolved and vigorous works by Shorty Jangala are typical of artwork by men. Contrast these with the fresh re-telling of traditional stories by Maida Stewart, a single mum who recently made waves in the art circle when she debuted a delicate and sensitive piece that was awarded finalist placing or the work of Eubena Nampitin, one of the best known artists in Australia, whose rhythmically lyrical paintings reflect her harsh nomadic life, her involvement in performing ceremonies and upkeep of the law of the land and her people’s own spiritual preservation.

“It’s amazing how a dot tells a story and by bringing in Beyond the Dots:…, I hope to grow the acceptance and appreciation of the Aboriginal art and culture and eventually pass on the benefits to remote Aboriginal communities,” explains Michael.

There speaks a man with a mission.