SPOTLIGHT ON OCHRES: Natural Pigments From The Stockroom

Ochre or natural pigment is a valuable resource that has been quarried and used by Aboriginal Australians for millennia.The word ochre comes from an old French word that has been adopted into the English language to refer to any pigment derived from the earth. Every language group has a different name for each colour mined from their land, for instance the Yawuru people of the Kimberley call yellow ochre gumbarri.

Ochre is used in a myriad of ways; for trade, to make art, to tell stories, to practice ceremony and as a medicine. Once the pigment is extracted from the earth it is then mixed with different liquids to form a fixative so it can be painted onto rock, weapons, ceremonial objects, or the body.

Natural pigment in contemporary art practice is still widely used particularly across northern Australia from the Kimberley through to Arnhem Land. This sacred natural medium is a tool to connect past, present and future through symbolism and visual communication. Artworks created using ochres are specific to the artist and the clan they come from, they show a clear and ongoing connection to the artists land and cultural heritage. Short St Gallery has worked for many years with exceptional art communities and artists whose use of natural pigment informs their contemporary art practice. Today's Spotlight focuses on a selection of diverse and exceptional artworks from our stockroom utilising this ancient and sacred resource.