ABORIGINAL BARK PAINTINGS

Aboriginal bark paintings specialize in Early Aboriginal Bark Paintings, Aboriginal Weapons, and important early aboriginal art.

I specialize in Aboriginal Art from the pioneer artists of the numerous aboriginal Art Movements in Australia.

Aboriginal Artworks Currently Available

Information About Aboriginal bark painting

The Origins of Bark Painting

Bark painting is an ancient Aboriginal tradition where dried bark stripped from trees is painted using natural ochres. One of the earliest documented instances of this practice dates back to 1800, when French artist Nicolas-Martin Petit, traveling with Nicolas Baudin to Tasmania, recorded painted bark shelters over graves. This was not an isolated instance; similar bark shelters were later found in Victoria and New South Wales. These artworks, often created by scratching or painting onto smoke-blackened bark with charcoal, reflect the deep cultural significance of this medium to Aboriginal communities.

The Evolution of Bark Painting and Early Discoveries

The oldest surviving examples of bark paintings date from the 19th century, with one of the earliest pieces—a bark etching of a kangaroo hunt—collected by British explorer John Hunter Kerr near Boort in northern Victoria. This piece is now housed in the British Museum. Over time, bark paintings were discovered in regions like the Kimberley and Arnhem Land, often depicting stories passed down to children during long wet season periods spent in shelters. In places such as northeast Arnhem Land, painted bark was also used for coffins and belts, while in the Tiwi Islands, it played a role in death rituals.

The 20th Century: Modern Bark Painting Emerges

By the early 20th century, the practice of bark painting evolved into its modern form. In 1912, Baldwin Spencer commissioned works from Gunbalanya (Oenpelli), which garnered significant attention from art collectors. Spencer valued these works not only for their cultural significance but also for their aesthetic appeal. Missionaries like Reverend Thomas Theodor Webb and Reverend W. Chaseling also encouraged the production of these paintings to help fund mission activities and raise awareness of Yolngu culture in Australia.

Collectors and Growing Demand for Bark Paintings

Between the 1930s and 1950s, anthropologists and missionaries became major collectors of bark paintings. Key figures in this period included Norman Tindale, W. Lloyd Warner, and Charles P. Mountford. In the 1960s, demand for Aboriginal art surged, largely due to mission shops. A significant moment in the history of Aboriginal art came in 1963, when the Yolngu people presented the Yirrkala bark petitions to the Australian Parliament. This marked the first legal recognition of Indigenous Australians in Australian law and sparked greater interest in their culture and art.

The Establishment of Aboriginal Art Markets

In 1971, the Australian government established a centralized marketing company for Indigenous art, while the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council began supporting community arts centers in 1973. This led to the growth of places like Maningrida, Ramingining, and Katherine as key centers for promoting bark paintings. Today, many of these artworks are created for the art market, although some artists continue to produce traditional designs that preserve their cultural heritage.

The Styles and Techniques of Arnhem Land Bark Painting

Bark painting in Arnhem Land is renowned for its rich tradition, encompassing distinct yet interconnected visual languages. In western Arnhem Land, the style is closely related to rock art, often featuring figurative imagery that emphasizes lifelike representations. On the other hand, artists from eastern Arnhem Land tend to focus on geometric patterns and clan symbols, which hold deep spiritual meaning. Artists from central Arnhem Land often blend these two approaches, incorporating both figurative and abstract imagery in their work.

Crosshatched Patterns and Use of Natural Materials

A key feature of Arnhem Land bark paintings is the intricate use of crosshatched patterns, known as rarrk in the west and miny’tji in the east. These fine designs are believed to carry ancestral power and symbolize the influence of ancestral forces. The patterns are applied with a short-handled brush made from human hair, a technique that mirrors the ceremonial body painting done during cultural rituals. The color palette typically includes natural ochres, charcoal, and white clay, with binders traditionally made from egg yolk or orchid juice, although some artists now use water-soluble wood glues.

The Creation and Preservation of Bark Artworks

Bark paintings are created on Eucalyptus tetrodonta (stringybark), which is carefully harvested during the wet season. Once stripped, the bark is cured over fire and flattened under weights to prepare it for painting. This process ensures the bark’s durability, making it an ideal medium for creating these significant and culturally rich artworks. Despite modern changes in techniques and materials, the essence of bark painting remains rooted in tradition, maintaining its place as an important form of Aboriginal artistic expression.