Australia is a vast continent with many geographic regions. We have grouped artists and art centres in to a few of these easily identifiable areas.
Central Australia / Western Desert
The Central and Western Desert region covers one third of the Australian continent and is home to many Aboriginal tribes including the Pintupi , Warlpiri, Lurita, Pitjantjatjara, Arrernte, Anmatyerre.
It was from this region that the contemporary Indigenous art movement emerged at Papunya in the 1970's. Since then numerous art centres have emerged reflecting an incredible diversity of style from the formal and minimalist Western Desert paintings, the colourful ceramics or distinctive watercolours of Hermannsburg, the exuberant paintings by artists at Yuendumu and Haast's Bluff or the intricate designs created by Keringke painters.
See
West Australia for communities located near the Northern Territory/South and West Australian border area
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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Northern Australia / Arnhem Land
This vast region includes Arnhem Land which encompasses seven communities and was established as an Aboriginal reserve in 1931 although rock art at locations such as Kakadu pinpoints occupation for over 50,000 years.
Aspects of Macassan culture have influenced the art and traditions of coastal communities due to centuries old trade links. Communities include Maningrida, Ramingining, Milingimbi, Elcho Island, Yirrkala and Oenpelli all of which have a long history of bark painting, weaving and carving.
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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South Australia / APY lands
The many communities in the remote area south and south west of Alice Springs have emerged as important art centres. Most are located in the region known as the APY lands.
In the past two years some of the most exciting new talent in the art world has emerged in this region attracting the interest of art collectors and art critics.
The oldest art centre in this region is Ernabella (home to the Pitjantjatjara people) which opened in 1948. In the following years a growing cottage arts industry developed with fibre arts, batik, ceramics and limited edition prints emerging as major art forms. Other art centres include Tjala (formerly Minymaku), Fregon and Maruku the centre for Mutijulu (Uluru) community.
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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Sydney and New South Wales
The state of New South Wales is home to the largest population of Indigenous people in Australia and has coastal, desert and alpine areas. In the greater Sydney area alone there were 29 traditional clans who can trace occupation for 40,000 years.
The artistic community reflects a broad range of diverse practices - from traditional and contemporary abstract painting and sculpture to crafts such as embroidered shell work, glass, ceramics or printmaking.
Visit the website of Boomalli the aboriginal arts collective in Sydney for information on NSW Aboriginal artists
www.boomalli.org.au
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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Located in the Arafura Sea north of Darwin,
Bathurst and
Melville Islands are home to some of Australia's most exciting artistic talent. In recent years they have achieved international recognition for their unique art forms and geometric patterns mainly painted in traditional ochres. On Bathurst Island are Tiwi Design and Ngaruwanajirri while Munupi and Jilamara are located on Melville.
The Tiwi have many ceremonies throughout the year which are celebrated through song, dance and body painting. It is the ceremonial body painting designs that are often the inspiration for contemporary paintings.
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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This state has produced many artists who have been driving forces in the Contemporary Indigenous Art movement. The most famous of these is Rover Thomas who was one of the founders of the historic Warmun art centre.
This area (over 1/3 of the Australian land mass) covers desert, mountain, coastal areas and the Kimberley. It includes communities such as Balgo, Wangkatjungka, Warmun, Tjukurla, Warakurna, Warringarri, Fitzroy Crossing and Kalumburu.
Western Desert artists managed by Papunya Tula are included in the Central Australia/Western Desert folder.
The following Art Centres can be found within this region:
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