Bradshaw Art of the Kimberley
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:23 pmDuring my trip to the Kimberley earlier this year, a local kindly offered to show us some Bradshaw art he discovered. Bradshaw art is named after Joseph Bradshaw who found it while lost on an Kimberley expedition in 1891. It is quite distinct from Aboriginal art, predating it by thousands of years. Interestingly, much of it seems to depict ceremonies and gatherings rather than the more recent Aboriginal art which often depicts hunting and food. This suggests that the artists lived in a time when food was plentiful.
Here is a typical ceremonial figure. Note the elgongated body, divided mop headdress, comb hands and what appears to be a cord in their right hand. This figure is extremely faint, but I have tried to reproduce the colours as accurately as possible.
Here is a typical ceremony. This seems to be two paintings in once. Note the blunt stovepipe headdress on the figure on the left. This figure is also carrying double boomerangs, has a waist pom pom and some shoulder tassles. The lighter figures are quite a different style, called clothes-peg figures. These are much older than the darker figures.
The work below has been systematically defaced by scratching out the faces of the figures. It is believed that some Aboriginals thought the figures were spirits in the rock and could be kept imprisoned in the rock by stratching out their faces, hands and/or feet. Others Aboriginal elders have dismissed the art as "rubbish" and not worthy of discussion. Yet other Aboriginals are claiming the art as their own. So basically it's a giant mystery on our doorstep.
If you'd like to know more about Bradshaw Art, see http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/bradshaws I am considering a return visit there with some decent photographic equipment to more fully document this amazing art.
Here is a typical ceremonial figure. Note the elgongated body, divided mop headdress, comb hands and what appears to be a cord in their right hand. This figure is extremely faint, but I have tried to reproduce the colours as accurately as possible.
Here is a typical ceremony. This seems to be two paintings in once. Note the blunt stovepipe headdress on the figure on the left. This figure is also carrying double boomerangs, has a waist pom pom and some shoulder tassles. The lighter figures are quite a different style, called clothes-peg figures. These are much older than the darker figures.
The work below has been systematically defaced by scratching out the faces of the figures. It is believed that some Aboriginals thought the figures were spirits in the rock and could be kept imprisoned in the rock by stratching out their faces, hands and/or feet. Others Aboriginal elders have dismissed the art as "rubbish" and not worthy of discussion. Yet other Aboriginals are claiming the art as their own. So basically it's a giant mystery on our doorstep.
If you'd like to know more about Bradshaw Art, see http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/bradshaws I am considering a return visit there with some decent photographic equipment to more fully document this amazing art.