Aboriginal Art (World of Art) [Paperback]

Wally Caruana (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500202648 | ISBN-13: 978-0500202647 | Publication Date: May 1993 | Edition: 2nd

Aboriginal artists today practise in one of the world's longest continuous tradition of art - and perhaps the last to be generally recognised. Widely sought after, aboriginal art has now taken its place in the collections of leading museums and galleries. This concise survey looks at the work of Australia's indigenous visual artists from all parts of the continent: from Arhem Land and the desert, the Kimberley and northern Queensland, to modern towns and cities. Building on traditions that stretch back at least 50,000 years, many of the artists have worked in a variety of contexts, from the sacred and secret realm of ceremony to more public spheres, and in media including painting, sculpture, engraving, constructions, weaving and - most recently - photography, printmaking and textile design. Beliefs embodied in the Dreaming are expressed with many layers of meaning which reflect a unique world-view.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The semi-abstract images ....display an eerie beauty that is alternately fascinating, inspiring and disturbing. -- Los Angeles Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Wally Caruana is a former Senior Curator of Aboriginal Art at the National Gallery of Australia. He is now an advisor to Sotheby's on Aboriginal Art. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 2nd edition (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500202648
• ISBN-13: 978-0500202647
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,277,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but there are better..., March 24, 1998

By 

Patrick Carroll "Winebibber. Java/JEE Develo... (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aboriginal Art (World of Art) (Paperback)

This book is ok, I guess, but I have few criticisms. First, there are too many black-and-white photographs, making it hard to appreciate the pictures. Second, the text often gets out of sync. with the pictures, so you have to flick back and forth between text and pictures. Third, the book is just too small for the pictures it displays. I recommend "Songlines."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, complex, covers a wide range of Aboriginal Art, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Aboriginal Art (World of Art) (Paperback)

I found this book useful, rich and varied, covering many aspects of this beautiful artwork, intermixing the Dreamtime stories with information about the many different geographical regions, artists and forms of art with (admittedly) small but powerful reproductions.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing, October 9, 2007

By 

Victor A. Grauer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aboriginal Art (World of Art) (Paperback)

This is a truly great book about a truly mind blowing development in the otherwise tepid (and too often phoney) world of contemporary art. Most of the artists represented are in my view among the greatest I've ever encountered, from any time or any place, anwhere. The fact that their work projects ancient traditions in a manner both faithful to those traditions and at the same time so original and vital is truly mind bending. Caruana's discussion of the work and explication of so many interesting and important details is highly instructive and enlightening. I recommend this book unequivocally to anyone with an eye and mind open to the possibilities of art and the power of symbolism.