Songlines Travelling to America

The ReDot Fine Art Gallery is very proud to announce its first ever exhibition in Portola Valley, California, with a collection of rare Australian Indigenous art, the oldest living art tradition in the world, devoid of ego and construction but seeped in spiritual knowledge and truth.

Characterised by its regional diversity and by the different historical experiences various groups of Indigenous people have had, Songlines Travelling to America aims to bring a top quality survey show of the absolute best that has emerged from the most important community art centres across Australia over the last 25 years.

Indigenous art relates to stories of the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is the Creation Period in Aboriginal belief, when Ancestral Beings formed the land and created the people, the plants and the animals. The particularities of the Dreamtime vary between different Indigenous groups which inhabit Australia. Often depicted in the art, these Ancestral Beings may take human, animal, plant or combined forms. They taught the people their laws and ceremonies. The Dreamtime stories depicted in Aboriginal art reveal centuries of history, and demonstrate a respect and passion for their culture, as well as a detailed knowledge of the land which often occupies a very sacred place in the hearts of many Indigenous people.

These canvases give direct access to part of the artist’s conceptual world. Each individual painting tells a story, which represents a particular song, dance, ancestral site, or territory and its land resources. The paintings tell of a harmony between Indigenous people and nature, and the importance on ensuring human survival without destruction. One of the great advantages of Aboriginal art is the diversity within and between regional traditions. It is therefore impossible to see a single direction of its movement, which is what makes it so interesting and unpredictable. Different groups and individuals have their own geographical boundaries, traditions, and cultural practices which their art draws on.

Aboriginal art has started to commanded global attention, and this will hopefully lead to the greater appreciation of these people and their incredible skill, as well as allow further insight into Aboriginal culture. It has paved the way for a greater understanding of the Indigenous Australian way of life, and has created a sustainable means for the social and economic empowerment of these people, which can enable them to share with the world their unique and ancient culture.

The exhibition opens on Saturday, 1st February and runs till Monday, 31st March 2014 and it is a must-see for anyone interested in following the development of modern contemporary Indigenous art and the best the modern Indigenous art movements has to offer, thousands of miles from its original home.