Day of Special Interest 22nd November 2011
Dreamtime to Machine Time (Aboriginal Art)
Lecturer: Rebecca Hossack
Rebecca Hossack was born in Melbourne and now runs
two thriving London art galleries, specializing in non-western art.
She has served as the Australian cultural attaché to the U.K. and
lectures widely. She is passionate about bringing
aboriginal art to a wider public.
The study day looks at "the oldest cultural
tradition in the world", its beginnings and modern resurgence.
We will learn about the meaning of "Dreamtime" and the
aborigine's deep respect for the land.
We
look at paintings from different aboriginal countries and
discover how to read the symbols and signs used.
We
will hear about the important legal status of the art.
Rebecca will talk about her visits to the aboriginal people and
their visits to her in London.
Review
On the 22nd November
2011, members of Chester NADFAS attended a Study Day at the Grosvenor
Museum on the somewhat esoteric subject of Aboriginal art and culture,
given by Rebecca Hossack, an Australian herself, and the owner of art
galleries in London and New York.
Aboriginal art is an art of paradox. It is the oldest continuous art
movement in the world, rich with a strict sense of meaning, formally
prescribed with no place for imagination and largely revolves around the
metaphysical. Its symbols have been handed down for over fifty thousand
years and relate entirely to the land in which the Aboriginals live and
to their ancestral heritage.
Painting on board or canvas began in the early 20th century
and only then came to general public attention, but since much of it
contained sacred information, it was disguised by the familiar dots.
Although initially suppressed by the white government, who were not keen
to encourage the culture of the Aboriginal nations, for many Aboriginals
the paintings have since become a means of elevation in society.
As well as fetching thousands of pounds for their aesthetic and
interest value, they have also, in certain circumstances, assumed the
status of legal documents in matters of Aboriginal land rights. Sadly,
we were informed that much Aboriginal art in the outback is now under
threat from Chinese mining interests and other industrial projects.
Rebecca also touched briefly on the more modern bark paintings and
contemporary Aboriginal art.
The subject proved totally absorbing and the day was completed by the
inclusion of a tasty (and beautifully arranged) buffet lunch provided by
Annie Trevor-Jones.
