SHARING WITH ME

I wonder what images you conjure up when the word Australia is mentioned? Mine are space, colour and star lit skies. The country originally belonged to the Aborigines and it wasn’t until the 1600s that explorers came in touch with the continent. There were other explorers before James Cook arrived and even noted that the «aboriginals were far happier than we the Europeans...» They had a close contact with their country. In fact when Cook dropped anchor in Botany Bay in 1770 and claimed Australia to be British he confronted mankind’s oldest continuous culture and disembarked on the most ancient land on earth. It’s not surprising that the indigenous art is so captivating and tells us all the stories of the dreamtime. We were cruel and destructive toward the aborigines. It’s not so long ago since the Australian Government asked to be pardoned. Today, I often ask myself if the Aboriginal tribes are happy - how much have they lost of their traditions? - are the artists painting for th