1. Decoding Art
Totems Lesson 10

2. WALT WILF How art is used as a visual language.
That you have begun to identify key elements of aboriginal artwork.
That you have suggested what at least one piece of artwork might be about.
That you have begun to find out about one piece of artwork.

3. Tasks Use the sheets with aboriginal artwork on them.
Work with a partner.
Go around the room to find key words that relate to the artwork.
For example if you think Perspective is a key word then write it down.
For each key word you find write down how the artwork matches the key word.
For example if colour is a key word you would then list the colours used. If a key word is pattern, what patterns are used?

4. Half term Homework Go to the following web site:
Each of the artworks is there. Find out about one artwork of your choice. Write down what you find out. Add a copy of the artwork to what you write.
Write a short account of an event or place of your choice.

5. Guess the artwork
Which artwork do you think the following description is about?

6. Aboriginal art Water dreaming
The site depicted in this painting is Puyurru, west of Yuendumu. In the usually dry creek bed are the water soakages or naturally occurring wells. Two Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. It travelled across the country, lightening and striking the land. This storm met up with a storm from Wapurtali, to the west. It was picked up by a bird and carried further west until the load became too heavy for it to bear and it dropped that storm at Purlungyanu, where it created a giant soakage. At Puyurru the bird dug up a giant snake, Wanayarra, the snake carried water with it that created a giant lake, Jillyiumpa. There is an outstation there that Shorty’s family lives at today. The artist in this painting has used straight lines to represent the ngawarra (flood waters) running through the landscape and the bars joining the long lines represent mangkurdu (clouds).