Iconography and symbols abound in Aboriginal art. Dots are used primarily to form pictures and pictographs in aboriginal art. Colors used in Aboriginal art, while few in number, are vivid. Aboriginal art coloring is based on natural substances used to make the material that becomes paint. The earth itself is vividly colored, and is the these colors are the basis for the color pallet that is used in Aboriginal art.
The representations in Aboriginal art are used to tell oral stories by the use of pictures. In some cases, the dotting used in Aboriginal art was not only used as a part of the artistic process, but as a means to disguise some of the clan's secret or sacred information from being seen by those inappropriate or uninitiated people. In fact, Aboriginal symbolism itself became more obscure to hide certain symbolic meanings from those who were not supposed to have the clan's secret or sacred knowledge.
Aboriginal art symbols represent icons that tell the story of the Dreaming or Dreamtime. While this term does not literally translate in to English well, the Dreaming is the time before recorded history, when the supernatural held sway over the world. During Dreamtime, the creators made the earth and everything in it. These beings also developed spirituality and moral boundaries for all of the earth and all those living in and on it. These symbols are used in decorating the body itself and onto any surface, especially if the symbols are being used in tribal rites.
Some of the symbols or icons you can expect to see in Aboriginal art are interpreted in the context of the story. A series of layered lines shaped like arcs can represent a rainbow, cliff, hill or cloud. A series of wavy lines layered on top of each other can represent smoke, flowing water or flowing blood. Frequently in Aboriginal art, an shape that looks like a hollow letter "C" will be seen. This shape represents a person, either man or woman. Straight lines descending from the sky represent rain. Sometimes this same symbol has small circles amongst the lines, which can represent rain or hail. Horizontal lines represent paths.
A frequent symbol found in Aboriginal art is a series of gradually smaller circles within a larger circle. This symbol can represent fire, a camp site, a hole, a well, a breast, a rock or fruit, amongst other representations. A common symbol in Aboriginal art is the combination of the multi-circular symbol with four of the woman symbols at the compass points around the circle. This represents four women sitting around a fire.
Dots are probably the most frequently used aspect of Aboriginal art. They can represent people, be a part of a larger design, enhance or obscure other Aboriginal art designs, stars, sparks, burnt ground or the earth itself. For non-Aboriginal people, dots are the defining aspect of Aboriginal art that draw the non-native Aboriginal art lover's eye to the unique beauty of colorful, meaningful Aboriginal art.
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