How the Indigenous art recognised by Unesco draws us into Australia's real history | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on Wed, 08/02/2017 - 4:27pm

The inclusion of the Warlpiri drawings in a Unesco collection links thousands of years of pre-colonial Australia to the modern desert Indigenous art movements

Indigenous Australian art, from the magical barks of the Yolngu to the mesmerising dot paintings of the Western Desert, grace the walls of opulent homes and legislatures, galleries and boardrooms from Sydney to New York City and beyond.

But I’ve often wondered when I’ve viewed beautiful Indigenous cultural material on the walls of offices and private homes, whether those who’ve procured it have ever been anywhere near the communities that produce it. Sure – it’s not a prerequisite to meet an artist before buying their work. But in the case of non-Indigenous people acquiring pieces created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists the disconnect – cultural, economic, social, geographical – between buyer and creator can be profound.