SPOTLIGHT ON BARK PAINTINGS: BEAUTIFUL BARKS FROM ARNHEM LAND

Arnhem Land is a diverse and beautiful place with a myriad of dialects spoken and a landscape that traverses rocky escarpments, sweeping wet lands and incredible saltwater systems. The art from the area is known for its fine cross hatched patterns of clan designs that have a visceral connection to the communities ancestry. These cross hatched patterns are known as rarrk in the west and miny’tji in the east. They are produced by layers of fine lines being laid down on the bark with a single brush of human hair, just as they are painted onto the body for ceremonies. The natural pigments are sourced from the earth, as is the bark which is harvested from specially selected trees at particular times of the year. The barks are cured over fire and weighed down to flatten before they are ready for use.

Arnhem Land’s diversity is reflected in the art that is produce in the area. It ranges from figurative animals and beings, to abstract and geometric imagery, to X-ray drawing of internal organs and skeletons, to patterned designs based on clan motifs. These designs often mimic patterns found in nature such as pools of light or eddies of water. Other works combine the two and explore the interplay between figurative and non-figurative imagery creating complex artworks that tell stories that are somehow fixed and fluctuating. The clans in the region maintain an unbroken connection to the land, their ancestors, belief systems, cultural practices and social structures. This is reflected in the quality and integrity of Arnhem Lands artistic community. Short St Gallery is honoured to have worked with many of the great bark painters from Arnhem Land over our 22 years.

Our Viewing Room has a beautiful selection of bark paintings from three art communities that encompass the breadth of this talent; Maningrida, Buku-Larrngay and Injalak. We have included a special preview of our upcoming exhibition with artists from Gunbalanya, including a small selection by feature artist Joe Guymala. If you are looking for more infomation on the history of bark painting we have included a link to the National Museum of Australia Sound & Vision page below. You can also visit our website and look at Arnhem Land under Ochres in our Artworks section to view a larger selection from the area. If you fall in love with more than one work from Arnhem Land, we are offering a 10% discount on multiple purchases from the region until the end of June. 

In our efforts to continue to support and promote the industry we love and the artists we work with during the pandemic, Short St Gallery will be doing Artist Profiles and Community Spotlights regularly, often with a special promotion, so keep your eyes on our emails for that little bit of something special. Free shipping on all Tjarlirli purchases, 10% discount on Yulparitja Artist purchases and our print competition close at the end at the end of May. 
You can access our fun new View on a Wall option by clicking on an image and then selecting View on a Wall. You can contact us via email or phone for all enquiries, to arrange a live chat or have additional images sent to you. We will also be posting videos and still footage of the featured artworks on our social media accounts to bring a little bit of the joy of art to your lounge rooms.