ARNHEM LAND<BR> <BR> In Western Arnhem Land, in the north of Australia, a great sandstone plateau is located. Here we find many caves with rock paintings. According to archaeologists, some of these images have been there for 18.000 years. Apart from images of plants, animals and people, also the mythological ancestral creators are depicted in the shape of the Rainbow serpent, the Crocodile and Mimi spirits. Images painted in the X-ray style date back 3.000 years.<BR> <BR> The images that are painted nowadays still have the same subjects as the prehistoric creations. During the wet season, bark is peeled from the trunk of the Eucalyptus tree. It is subsequently treated and then painted with natural paints like red and yellow ochre, chalk or white clay and charcoal, mixed with a binder. The background of the artwork is painted in one uniform colour or in geometric patterns. The images are painted in x-ray style: not only is the visible outside painted, but the skeleton skeleton and the internal organs as well. Parts of the painting are filled in with cross-hatched patterns, which correspond to the pattern of the body painting used during ceremonies.<BR> <BR> Mimi spirits often play a part in these paintings. They are match-thin magical beings who used to inhabit the land during the Dreamtime and passed on their knowledge to the first Aborigines. They are timid and shy and during the day they hide in crevices. Together with their playmates, the goanna (lizard), echidna (hedgehog) and the file snake they appear at night to go hunting, fishing, to sing and dance and to hold ceremonies.<BR> <BR> <BR> BARK PAINTING, ARNHEM LAND<BR> The first bark paintings probably were made on the inside of rain shelters. Lengths of Eucalyptus bark were attached with their smooth insides to simple frames of branches. People then would decorate the bark during periods of forced idlenesss. 19th century explorers reported that bark paintings were an important factor in rituals and ceremonies. Today this is still the case in Arnhem Land. The choice and treatment of subjects was limited by cultural and religious traditions. Some of the paintings could only be exposed to initiated people.<BR> <BR> The wet season is the best time to harvest because it is then flexible and easy to remove. Two rings are cut into the trunk with a sharp axe. These are are subsequently connected with a vertical cut. As the bark is flexible and damp it is easy to peel it off. The loose bark on the outside is chopped away. Subsequently, the remaining bark is put on a steady burning fire face down. Because of the heat the bark flattens and moisture evaporates. Weighed down with stones the bark is left for a few days. To keep the bark from warping there are sometimes later sticks attached tot he top and bottom.<BR> <BR> Arnhem Land artists rarely use colours other than the basic red, yellow, black and white. Red and yellow are derived from the ochres that are found in the ochre pits. Black derives from charcoal. White is made from plaster or pipe clay. The material is finely ground and mixed with water, then mixed with a binder. The simple throw-away brushes are made of bark fibres, human hair, chewed twigs and thin shoots. Subjects portrayed are related to daily life. On the coast, for example, the hunting of turtle, dugong, crocodile and all kind of fish are depicted. Inland, the hunting of kangaroos, fresh water crocodiles and birds. Other images have to do with personal totem stories and Dreamtime histories.<BR> <BR> Within Arnhem Land art there are distinct regional styles. The famous x-ray style is mostly found in the western part. Not only the outside of a human being, animal or spirit is painted, but also important organs and the spine. These painting often have a plain background and one or two figures, one of them being a Mimi spirit. The most important parts of the work are covered with cross lines. These patterns are individual, every artist having his own pattern. <BR> When we look at the choice of subject and technique, there is a strong resemblance to the old rock paintings in this area. The art in the northern and eastern part of Arnhem Land is more colourful and intricate. Often, the whole bark is covered with figures and abstract, geometric patterns. Frequently, there is a border around the painting and the work is divided into segments representing different stories. In Arnhem Land there is more of an exchange between different groups. Art there is open to change. The composition is more than the intricate attention to details and thus acquires greater vitality.<BR> <BR>