by Jishi Santos

Created on: May 03, 2009

WE DREW WHAT WE SAW.(AND FELT).

In terms of ancient art, the rock art of the Kimberley area of far north-west, Western Australia, is amongst the most unique in the world for expressing spirituality. The Wandjina are white paint depictions of a people who came to this area in the dream time from the stars. The Australian aborigines drew what they saw and these people have either shining halos around their heads or what looks like some sort of helmet. The Dreamtime, or the dawn of Creation was spiritually the most important time for these people, some 40,000 years ago, and much of their art is depicting the spiritual process by which the various geographical forms and animals were created. Although complex in its depiction, there is an explanation for each dark or light color or shape in the painting. To me this is the most down to earth art related to a supernatural Creation theme anywhere in the world. The great beauty about it is that the colors are so rich and are usually derived from ochers in clay or natural products, such as tree gum or colors taken out of bark. The linking of the natural world to the art of a nomadic people, who were constantly traveling, made for a great variety of composition.

The art of the European Renaissance era certainly depicted religious spirituality, rather than that born of the Creation period of earth's history as outlined above. The works of Michelangelo and Raphael are connected to a world after Jesus death and resurrection and when the Bible was printed and read. His crucifixion and resurrection seem to be themes which dominated this period. There was of course the fascination with angels and many winged ones are shown in painting and sculpture, as well as cupids. So here you have art works commissioned by the very wealthy of the Italian city states, such as the Medici, who were linked to the Vatican, whose religious doctrines outlined the course of religion. This was a direct contrast to the free flowing spirituality, born of the skies and seasons and landscapes, of the yet undiscovered great southern continent of Australia. Religion was a system which used spirituality in such almost crude terms as Heaven and Hell and retribution for sinners and money to be made out of indulgences. So, much as a lot of this particular art work is beautifully painted, it represented a generally held notion rather than a spiritual color kaleidescope, ever changing and living, as was on the rock faces of the Australian outback thousands of

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