Kakadu National Park

Aboriginal Art

Rock Art shows our life

Rock art is an important part of Aboriginal people's lives. Mimi spirits were the first of the Creation Ancestors to paint on rock. They taught some Aboriginal people how to paint and other Aboriginal people learned by copying Mimi art.

At the end of their journeys, some Creation Ancestors put themselves on rock walls as paintings and became djang (Dreaming places). Some of these paintings are andjamun (sacred and dangerous) and can be seen only by senior men or women; others can be seen by all people.

--Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Aboriginal people in the Kakadu area paint rock images rarely now. Among the reasons for this are the fact that Aboriginal people no longer live in rock shelters and there are fewer people with the necessary knowledge to allow them to paint at certain sites. Nevertheless, Aboriginal artists continue to paint on bark, paper and other materials. In recent years printing traditional designs onto fabric has become a popular art form, particularly among women.

In spite of this, rock art remains relevant to Bininj/Mungguy: the works depict objects still used, animals still hunted, and activities people still do. The rock art in Kakadu was painted for a number of reasons:

• hunting - animals were often painted to increase their abundance and to ensure a successful hunt by placing people in touch with the spirit of the animal;
• religious significance - at some sites paintings depict aspects of particular ceremonies;
• stories and learning - stories associated with the Creation Ancestors, who gave shape to the world were painted;
• sorcery and magic - paintings could be used to manipulate events and influence people's lives; fun-for play and practice.

Some sites and paintings could be painted only by people with the requisite knowledge. Sorcery paintings could be painted only by the holder of magic knowledge, for instance. Other paintings, particularly at sites depicting stories of Creation Ancestors, were often repainted: again, only people with knowledge of the stories could repaint them. The act of painting put artists in touch with their Creation Ancestors-a powerful experience.

In Dreaming painting,
use special paint, ochre, blood.
Come back with that feeling.
Ceremony painting is not for everyone to see.
Top business you can't see it.
Go through your body
and give you knowledge, Dreaming.
You might dream.
Good one.

--Bill Neidjie, Bunidj clan, Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Generally, the act of painting was more important than the painting itself. At many sites in Kakadu images have been painted over each other: the artist was not concerned about preserving an image for posterity but simply wanted to paint to tell a story.

The stories and knowledge associated with many paintings often have a number of levels. Younger people and non-Aboriginal people are told the first level, known as the 'public story'. Access to the 'full story' depends on an individual's progression through ceremonial life, their interest, and their willingness to take on the responsibilities that go with that knowledge.

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