The Museo Regional De Art Moderno once again provided four floors of food for thought when the U3A Art Appreciation Group visited the display of Contemporary Aboriginal art.
We met by the marina for coffee and Helen Fuller explained a little about the art we were about to see. This type of art is not merely decorative but uses symbolism to depict scenes which the artist may have witnessed, knows about, or may simply have imagined.
Much of the art is based on the Aboriginal concept of "Dreamtime". The Dreaming or Dreamtime is a term used by Aborigines to describe the relations and balance between the spiritual, natural and moral elements of the world. It is an English word but its meaning goes beyond any suggestion of a spiritual or dream-related state. Rather, the Dreaming relates to a period from the origin of the universe to a time before living memory or experience - a time of creator ancestors and supernatural beings.
The photographs do not do full justice to the paintings as one needs to be close up and see the meticulous care with which the dots (which make up most of these paintings) are placed, and to see them at full size. Most canvases were in the order of 1.5m x 1.0m.
