Dots were used to in-fill designs. Dots were also useful to obscure certain information and associations that lay underneath the dotting. At this time, the Aboriginal artists were negotiating what aspects of stories were secret or sacred, and what aspect were in the public domain.
Because Aboriginals had a deep knowledge of the land they had been walking for generations, it is believed that they were simply representing these 'landscape dots' of the land by painting them onto the canvas.
Dots were used to hide secret information: Dot painting in the main, began when the Aboriginal people became concerned that white man would be able to see and understand their sacred and private knowledge. The dots (sometimes called 'over-dotting') were used to obscure the secret iconography (symbols) underneath.
Within the Dot painting style, Aboriginal artists may overlap or 'enclose' dots within other larger dots, or they may be closely joined to give the appearance of lines, and even dotted so densely that they create a flat coloured area - however to be a 'dot' painting, the dotting method must still be visible.
A circle or a set of concentric circles usually signify places where people come together. They can represent a meeting place, fireplace, campsite, a waterhole or a ceremonial site. Waterholes are critical to survival in the desert and for that reason they feature frequently in Aboriginal art.
The Sacred Circle is a “traditional symbolic circle” that incorporates the spiritual beliefs of many Indian tribes of North America, including Dakota Nations, Blackfoot Confederacy, Cree, Saulteaux, and Assiniboine nations in Canada.
At this time, the Aboriginal artists were negotiating what aspects of stories were secret or sacred, and what aspect were in the public domain. The dot painting technique gave some protection, allowing some elements of stories that should not be seen by the uninitiated to remain concealed.
Dots symbolise stars, sparks, burnt ground etc. as the base of an Aboriginal painting is the organisation of the earth and the ancestral connection with it. In the last 30 years of the Western Desert movement, Johnny Warangkula was the first to use dotting in his paintings as a background.
A dot marks the beginning and the end of a line. Artists have also used the dot in their painting techniques, such as Pointillism, a painting method developed by the French artist Seurat. A line is a series of dots. There are many different types of lines: thick, thin, straight, curved, zig-zag etc.
Bindi is a girl's name of Australian origin. In the Aboriginal language of Noongar, this name means "little girl" or "butterfly.” Today, this sweet name is commonly associated with Bindi Irwin, the daughter of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.
pointillism, also called divisionism and chromo-luminarism, in painting, the practice of applying small strokes or dots of colour to a surface so that from a distance they visually blend together.
These pioneers of western desert art relied on a range of basic colours, often gouache or water-based paints, using black, white, yellow, red and brown tones. These colours were the ones most like the ochre earth pigments that had been used for ceremonial painting and rock art for thousands of years.
Dot paintings are now internationally recognised as unique and integral to Australian Aboriginal Art. The simple dot style as well as cross hatching maybe beautifully aesthetic to the eye but has a far more hidden meaning and deeper purpose; to disguise the sacred meanings behind the stories in the paintings.
Polka dots once symbolized the plague. This pattern once represented moral uncleanliness and supernatural potency. This negative association with spotted fabric started during the Medieval period and continued through the Renaissance. The modern polka dot came from the polka dance craze.
Of the noble dot, Kusama has this to say: “A polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots become movement…
Present in virtually every Native American tribe, the feather symbol is universally recognized as a representation of trust, strength, wisdom, freedom, and honor. Incorporated into many sacred pieces of Native American wear, the feather is easily one of the most respected symbols.
The eagle feather is the symbol of peace, friendship and good luck.
There is no written language for Aboriginal People so in order to convey their important cultural stories through the generations, it is portrayed by symbols/icons through their artwork. It is imperative to pass on information to preserve their culture. Indigenous art is centered on story telling.
Example 1: Copying Aboriginal symbols
Because these symbols (concentric circles made with dotting, U shapes, etc) have many meanings, are sometimes sacred and are specific to Western Desert cultures, it is considered cultural sacrilege and theft to use them.
The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, God ('God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere' (Hermes Trismegistus)).
The seed of life is formed from 7 circles through the genesis pattern. The genesis pattern is that of how God created earth in 6 days. The first circle is not part of the 6 circles representing the days of creation, but rather represent consciousness.
The circle is a universal symbol of connection, unity, harmony, wholeness and eternity. In a circle all parts are equal (Kainai Board of Education et al 2005, 87). The circle is an important symbol, because the First Nations' belief system holds that everything is circular.