Apart from rock paintings and engravings, there is little evidence of the artistic and cultural activities of Aboriginal people prior to the white invasion. However, there are several accounts - the journals of officials and others in the First Fleet - that document the cultural traditions of Sydney’s Aborigines at the time of European settlement.
It is clear that singing and dancing were a large part of daily life for Aboriginal people in Port Jackson. Some observers like Governor John Hunter claimed that Aboriginal women would sing all day, particularly while fishing, keeping time with a song while they paddled. The songs and dances performed at corroborees told stories of hunting, fighting and male / female relationships. Corroborees, termed "bush operas" in modern days, took place at night at Bennelong Point (the site of Sydney Opera House), where non-sacred songs and dances were performed.
The main forms of visual arts were rock engravings and rock paintings. Rock engravings were usually done on flat, horizontal pieces of rock and, like rock paintings, often featured the wildlife of the coastal area. Rock paintings were usually of animals such as whales, fish and sharks.
Traditional Aboriginal culture in the city has been almost completely destroyed since European occupation, but it has been replaced with new, diverse and protected forms of Aboriginal art, creating a distinct urban Aboriginal culture. And while the methods of creating such art have changed over time, the enthusiasm to create, maintain and protect new artwork has grown. In recent times, the celebration of Aboriginal culture within Sydney has been a strong element in the maintenance of an Aboriginal presence in the city. This celebration has incorporated both traditional and contemporary forms of dance, song, storytelling, literature, multi-media and visual arts.
Aboriginal playwright, screenwriter and director Bob Merritt believed in a resurgence of Aboriginal culture and in 1984 set up the Eora Centre for the visual and performing arts in Redfern. The objective of the Centre was to offer young Aboriginal people a comprehensive education in the traditional arts.
More recently, the celebration of Aboriginal arts and culture within the city has taken on a higher profile, aided by a growing interest by non-Aboriginal people in celebrating the oldest surviving culture in the world.
Aboriginal art and culture are accessible throughout the year in Sydney, but there are also significant and specific annual events. NAIDOC Week is a national celebration when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people share their culture with families and friends, and in particular with schools, in an effort to educate and entertain the broader population.
Another annual cultural celebration is the "Survival" concert held each year on January 26. Originally, this was held at La Perouse because of its historical significance but since 1998 it has been held at Waverley Oval. The concert celebrates the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society and culture across all art forms.
In 1997, the City of Sydney played host to the first of the four Olympic Arts Festivals held in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Festival of the Dreaming was dedicated to the presentation and promotion of Indigenous culture, primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, with some international involvement, and events were held in the NSW State Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Opera House and The Wharf at Walsh Bay.
Organisations like the National Aboriginal & Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) and the Bangarra Dance Theatre, both located in The Rocks, provide training and professional performances of Aboriginal stories from around the country to audiences in Sydney, interstate and overseas.
NAISDA’s performances in Sydney have included "Sharing Gaiai" (1995), "Murrakupini Yo Yi" (1996),"Mura Kaimel: The Journey of Bia" (1997), and "Ranggajeerna: Can You Hear the Echo" (1998) and they are always popular at Survival Concerts each January.
Bangarra’s performance successes in Sydney include "Praying Mantis Dreaming" (1992), "Ninni" (1994), "Ochres" (1995), "Dance Clan" (in association with City of Sydney in 1998 and 1999) and "Rites" in 2000. One of the highlights of Bangarra’s repertoire was the performance of the "Awakening Ceremony" which opened the Festival of the Dreaming on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in 1997. As part of the Festival, Bangarra also performed "Fish" at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
The appropriation of Aboriginal art work has become a political and cultural issue in more recent times but it has been happening for years. It is well-known that non-Aboriginal artists like Martin Boyd produced "Aboriginal-inspired" pieces of art in the 1960’s with his kitsch pottery including wall pieces and ceramic boomerang cocktail dishes. Studio Anna in Marrickville also appropriated Aboriginal art and produced plates and earthenware with pseudo-Aboriginal designs. These pieces are currently held by the Powerhouse Museum.
Since the establishment of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in 1987, there has been no shortage of Aboriginal expression through the visual arts in Sydney. Boomalli, originally in Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, and now located in Annandale, has enabled Aboriginal art to contribute to the cultural activities of the city. Some of the exhibitions that have been held in the past decade within the city’s boundaries include: "Blak on Trak" (1997), "Chip on the Shoulder" (1996), and "Black Boys" (1996).
Yiribana Gallery at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is the home of a uniquely important collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Opened in 1994, the name Yiribana acknowledges the Eora people and their descendants and simply means "this way". The majority of the artworks in the collection have been produced since 1945.
Yiribana's permanent collection (developed by acquisitions and donations to the Gallery) includes bark paintings, works on paper, Tutini or Pukumani poles (grave posts), sculptures and installation works. As well as changing their major exhibitions, Yiribana also hosts travelling exhibitions.
The Djamu Gallery opened at the former Sydney Customs House at Circular Quay in 1998 and closed in 2000. ‘Djamu’ (pronounced jar-moo) is an Eora word meaning "I am Here", and the Djamu Gallery was a multi-dimensional experience of art, culture and history. It was a meeting place for ideas, visions and artistic expression. A venture of the Australian Museum, it showcased rarely seen collections, as well as artworks and cultural objects from Indigenous communities and keeping places. Djamu’s exhibitions (1999-2000) included "Mapping our Countries" and "Menthen…Queue Here".
Opened in May 2000, "Bayagul: contemporary Indigenous communication" is a permanent gallery housed at the Powerhouse Museum showcasing contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works in the areas of tourism, fashion, performing arts, and media.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
No comments:
Post a Comment