Aboriginal Art with Uncle Allan
This month Elder Uncle Allan has been teaching the children the different art techniques used in Traditional and contemporary Aboriginal art works.
Dot painting is the most commonly recognised Art technique.
Dot paintings often have a bird’s eye perspective, where the viewer is looking down on the picture.
The paintings can represent:
- an area of the countryside;
- tell the story of the people who live there; or
- about Dreamtime stories or song line.
Elder Uncle Allan talked about how each piece of artwork in unique and is a culturally traditional way of telling stories.
The Dot painting are a way of passing down Aboriginal culture throughout the generations.
Respect for Aboriginal culture and the art of Dot painting as a story telling technique was the basis of one of our cultural inclusion sessions.
Traditional Methods
Elder Uncle Allan also shared with the children how Hand Masking and Hand Printing has an important role in Aboriginal culture.
He showed the children images of these traditional methods, many of which are on rock walls and in caves.
He explained to the children that Hand Masking was often only carried out by the Medicine Man in the tribe.
Hand Printing on rock walls and culturally significant places could be an indication of who had been their previously or to mark a territory.
Elder Uncle Allan explained to the children that traditionally, Aboriginal people would chew ochre mixed with blood and spit it onto the wall.
The children found this method a “bit yucky” and were happy when Elder Uncle Allan showed them the spritz bottle, they would be using to create their own Hand Masking art piece.
He worked together with each child to spray around their hand to make the Masking, and later used acrylic paint on the palm of each child hand to make a hand print.
What the children love about Elder Uncle Allans visits:
- Listening while he plays the digeridoo;
- Speaking in Yugambeh language;
- Asking lots of questions; and
- Sharing stories with him.
We eagerly look forward to our next visit from Elder Uncle Allan.
That’s all from Miss Patti and the Pingins for this month.
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