Art is a very important part of our religious
life, to maintain traditional representations and styles. It is
still in the tradition to represent many of the desert Dreamings
stories, and the sand paintings have been replaced by paintings
on canvas and new styles like dot paintings and X rays styles are
the most popular modern art styles based on traditional Dreamings
and totemic representations.
Symbols used within paintings include concentric circles, curved
lines & straight lines. Concentric circles usually represent
camp sites, waterholes or places of significance. Curved lines generally
represent rain or water travelling underground. Straight lines may
be indicative of travelling & when these lines join concentric
circles it may show the pathway travelled by the ancestors. A small
"U" shaped figure may represent a person & depending
on the iconoraphy next to the person determines whether it is male
or female.
Tracks, whether human or animal, are often shown as they appear on the ground. Lizards and snakes are frequently seen from a topographical view - as one would see them from above.
Dotted motifs & design work have become the trademark of the contemporary Aboriginal Art movement.