Country
Images
“We use paintings to talk about where we belong, about Country. Painting is like writing or recording the story about your place. Our paintings are more than just colours or lines, they're about how we relate to each other, a social history, a ritual, an ancestral story and a personal history. A Yolŋu person can only paint something that belongs to them and they belong to. We use painting to tell the story from beginning to end. We can only paint our own particular land, or particular sacred clan designs, or country.” (Burarrwanga, 2013, p. 129).
Students should not copy or imitate Aboriginal artworks. Artworks, such as the ones below by Sally Morgan, can be used in art appreciation activities (using the Harvard Project Zero Artful Thinking strategies). If students are going to be creating artworks consult a local Aboriginal person or, if that's not possible, consult a book such as the Focus on Indigenous Art series. What is Aboriginal Art? by Margo Binberg is also a useful resource.
You should also review the Board of Studies Affirmation of Identity teachers' handbook.
Sally Morgan
