Aboriginal symbols
Aboriginal dot paintings are full of symbolism. Aboriginal symbols are an essential part of a long artistic tradition in Australia. Aboriginal people used symbols to indicate a sacred site, the location of a water hole and the way to get there, a place where animals lived and to illustrate Dreamtime stories. To understand and appreciate Aboriginal symbols imagine how you would indicate, record and recall essential information ( places, names and events) without a written language.
Since Aboriginal people sometimes travelled vast distances across the country, significant information was recorded using symbols. Their paintings were often maps of the territory : they were aerial views, which means that most of the time they were painted from a bird’s eye view.
Later, in modern days, these symbols were transformed into a more permanent form, using acrylic on canvas but the meaning behind the symbols remains the same!
