Art in Australia
Australian Art does not refer only to Aboriginal Art but as well as to the Post Colonial Art. The School of Heidelberg is often associated with the beginning of Australian Arts. This school had been built in the year 1880’s. Achieving a truer account of Australian condition had been the main focus of the School of Heidelberg; a truer account unlike ever before.
The creation of Australian Art had been greatly influence by the Australian culture and practices including their sense that made a big influenced in the Australian art creation. The dynamism and originality of the arts of Australia includes film, play, theatre, crafts, painting, opera and music that were made during those times.
Art history is the study of historical development of objects of art including stylistic context which includes design, the appearance, the arrangement and the variety. It also searches for the artist and their contributions whether culturally or socially. Most of the time, the term history of art refers to the study of works of art. History of art just like any other sciences uses a method and in this case, history of art uses historical method. Their concern is on how the art work had been made; the way the artwork is made, the patrons and even the teacher of the artist. These things are significant in the study of art history.
Australian Dance
[1]One of the most dynamic parts of the performing arts culture in Australia is the art of dancing or dance. Dancing uses and combines different skills form the choreographers, designers, dancers, composers and even the musicians. The Australian dance is said to be diverge in such a way that it ranges from the restless dance company to the Australian Ballet.
[2]In 1965, Adelaide-based Australian Dance was founded by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman .Dalman wanted to make opportunities for Australian artist to work together in order to generate a new work. In 1975, Dalman was removed from the company. Because of this, the Australian Dance Theatre takes a break for about 18 months. Under the directorship of Jonathan Taylor, the company resumes their operations. Taylor had been able to dance with the English Company Ballet Rambert. He was brought back from England in order to direct and to reform the company.
Australian Music
[3]There are many things that can be reflected from the music of a certain culture. The rhythms of speech, noises in the environment, intonation of language and other aspects of life can be reflected through the music of that particular culture. All of which are considered culture based.
Australian musical sound is characterized by rhythmic pattern from their environment. Also it can be derived based on the sense of place and as well as the ethnically diverse and indigenous aspects of Australian existence. The environment itself is being used as a part of creating indigenous music in Australia. These objects from the environment are used in order to produce and generate unique sounds and rhythms. Large migrant population had also made a great contribution influencing how Australian music is being defined.
Patronage on the Art of Australia
Patronage of the art had been very important in art history even down to the beginning of the ancient world and truly it had been important in the Australian Art history.
[4]The Impressionist landscape painting had dominated the Australian art until the first years of the 19th century. This landscape painting had been made popular by the Heidelberg School in the 19th century
There had been exhibitions of local landscape scene in Australia which had been brought due to the sponsorship of the Society of Artist in Sydney and Melbourne. International modernism’s impact had only been seen after the First World War. By the year 1930’s, institution for new Australian art had been established which includes both abstract and representational. The Modern Art Centre and Contemporary Art Society found in Sydney and Melbourne are also included.
[5]The beginning of Australian Art Exhibition was established by the year 1930. By that year Australian had established new institutions for the sake of the art. Among these institutions are the Contemporary Art Society and the Modern Art Center. Both of these institutions are for abstract and representational. Also by the same year, there had been some painters who had employed the formal devices of the Aboriginal Art. Formal devices had also been employed. Aboriginal Art uses a wide medium for art making. Some of which are wood and rock carving, ceremonial clothing, sculpture, even painting on leaves and the likes. Aboriginal Art had been also used in order to disrupt the arts of our modern time.
The adoption of formal devices and pictorial motifs of Aboriginal art had also been used during the end of the 30th century. These had been used by contemporary landscape painter interpreting them through modernist eyes.
By the year 1940’s and up to the 50’s, there had been a tension between the representational and non representational art proponents. Representation originates from the literary theories of Plato and also of Aristotle. Through time, representation evolved and had become a significant component not only in the field of arts but in language and communication studies as well in the contemporary world.
The tension reaches its peak throughout 1940’s and 50’s. This happens when a group of figurative artist which called themselves the Antipodeans square off with the Sydney 9 group of abstractionist. There had been a series of provoking exhibitions. However, the Australian art had been continuously dominated by abstract painting for the next decade. The color and form of Australian landscape had been represented by the abstract works of artist including Ian Fairweather (1891-1974), Janet Dawson (born in 1935) and Fred Williams (1927-1982). The year 1968 marked the launched of new generation artist which uses color field abstraction. There had also been an exhibition for this new generation artist titled “The Field”.
Abstract painting had dominated the Australian art scene for the next decade. Other than the used of traditional forms of painting and sculpture, experiments in media had also been used by the year 1970’s. The use of media had been due to the influence of activism. Political activism and women’s movement had motivated the painters to create community-oriented and socially engaged work by producing banners and posters that are to be used in protest activities.
Through the development of Neo-expressionism by the end of the decade, paintings once again recover its reputation as a main form of Australian visual art. Australian history and earlier Australian art had also gain the interest of some painters. [6]One of these painters is Bea Maddock (born in 1934) who incorporates the Australian history and earlier art in to their own work. Bea Maddock unites the themes and as well as the characteristics of Modernist and Aboriginal art. She combines the layers of written language and landscape imagery.
The growth of contemporary Aboriginal painting had been witnessed in the later decades. It had been known as an important part of the 20th century art.
Australian Theatre
[7]In 1780s, the Australian theatre had been influenced by Western traditions brought by the European settlers. Traditions had been the basis for the production of Australian art theatre. Through time, the Australian theatre had gone several changes and development which were brought by both local and international artistic movements as well events and trend.
In the Australian theatre history, the stories of many actors, entrepreneurs and other people that had worked behind the scenes and across many cities and towns had been incorporated. There had been countless performances that had different effects and feedback from the audience. Some have entertained and enchanted the crowed while others have bored Australian audiences.
Australian Opera
Australian opera had gained the respect of other countries as well. It is surely a significant place for the world of opera. It is composed of wonderful characters, talented singers and organizations that put the Australian Opera on top with other large countries.
[8]The Australian opera made its impact in performing arts by the early 19th century but in the year 1840’s, English semi operas had also been introduced. By the year 1850’s large theatres had been built. This allowed bigger productions and to the rise of the first star in Australian opera, Anna Bishop, a English singer that is touring the country.
[9]In 1861 William Lyster set up his very own opera company. This gives the audience a full scale of European opera production. Successfully, his company had been known as the very first opera company that gives a total of 1459 performances from the 1861 up to 1869.
10By the year 1878, J.C. Williamson secured the rights for all past and future operas including both Australia and New Zealand. On November 15, 1879 Williamson himself played Sir Joseph Porter when the H.M.S Pinafore was opened at the Theatre Royal in Sydney wherein the original costumes and scenery had been painstakingly done.
11In 1956, the Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company made its first performance. This performance is consisting of four Mozart operas. It was also by this year that the company made its first television broadcast of Tosca. This included Tito Gobbi, Marie Collier, Donald Smith and other renowned opera stars. The company had changed its name to The Australian Opera by the 1970’s. In 1972, the company had produced a War and Peace opera in the newly established Sydney Opera House, One of the most famous opera houses today. The first overseas tour happened in 1976.
A genre of aerial landscape is also produced in the ancient times by Australian aboriginal culture. It is like a map that shows the desert landscape from the view of a birds-eye and is usually meant fir telling a traditional story, a dreaming story.
Through time, Australian art had gone through many changes and development. Australian art has evolved through time and it is able to adapt to the changes and challenges of satisfying the taste of each generation. Truly, Australian art is one of the most remarkable and fascinating art there is.
Works Cited:
Aborinal Art Online. (2005). Aboriginal Paintings Gallery. Retrieved September 6, 2007
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Art of Australia. (No date). Retrieved September 4, 2007 from
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Australia 1600-1800 A.D.. (2007). Retrieved September 6, 2007
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Australia Dancing. (no date). Australian Dance Theatre (1965). Retrieved September 6, 2007
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Australian Music culture.gov.au. (2007). Retrieved September 6, 2007
From http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/music
Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal. (No date). Retrieved September 6,
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[1]Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal. Australian Dance, no date, 6 September, 2007 <http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/dance/>
[2] Australian Dance Theatre (1965), no date, 6 September 2007 <http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/4.html>
[3] Australian Music culture.gov.au., 2007, 6 September 2007 <http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/music>
[4] Michael Delahunt. (2007), 6 September 2007 < http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/h/heidelbergschool.html>
[5]Australia, 1900 A.D-present, 2007, 4 September 2007 < http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/oca/ht11oca.htm>
[6] Australia, 1900 A.D-present, 2007, 4 September 2007 <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/oca/ht11oca.htm>
[7] Australia 1600-1800 A.D., 2007, 6 September 2007 < http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/09/oca/ht09oca.htm>
8Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal, No date, 6 September 2007 <http://culture.gov.au/articles/music/opera/.>
[9], 10, 11 Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal, No date, 6 September 2007 <http://culture.gov.au/articles/music/opera/.>
