Changing Patterns and Art |
Wednesday May 09 2007
By Shae Hadden
Bio
How often do we take time to look a little closer at beautiful works of art? To learn about the culture that shaped the images we see?
I recently had an opportunity to visit a unique gallery in my community. Founded and run by a Canadian who is committed to bringing Australian Aboriginal art created by women to North America, the Jan Townend Art Gallery features paintings, textiles, weaving and basketry. The British art critic John Ruskin once said, “All great art is the work of the whole living creature, body and soul, and chiefly of the soul.” The powerful paintings I saw at the gallery amply conveyed the soul of the Aboriginal people—its beauty, strength and hidden meaning. The deceptively simple style is grounded in a complex ceremonial tradition. Consider that these people have no written languages, so their art is a visual record, a way to communicate their history and culture: the images help them tell their creation stories, their ‘dreamtime’, their explanation of the world they live in. Pausing to view the creative work of these women made me realize how my hectic, technology-driven life has left me disconcertingly out of touch with my own soul. And in speaking with Jan, I gained a greater understanding of what this art means to the artists and their communities.[Read More]
Written by eldering at Wisdom in Action
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