Liminal Songlines is guided by my vision to respectfully and creatively explore the traditional culture and spirituality of the Australian Aboriginal peoples, to consider the significance of their knowledge to our contemporary lives, and to come more fully in contact with our shared humanity.
Traditionally songlines, also referred to as dreaming tracks, are woven across the Australian landscape and sometimes the sky. These lines are followed by specific creator spirits that are local to certain areas. Songlines are recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance and paintings. By singing the song in appropriate sequence, indigenous people could navigate vast distances. I envision us creating new songlines or dreaming tracks, but this time not only across the land or sky, but also across cultures to build pathways of understanding and to support culturally sensitive action.
As part of my journey, I will share my artwork, some of which is inspired by Aboriginal symbolism and techniques. This is a completely different genre from the Aboriginal art made by Aboriginal people about their Dreaming, their Story, and their connection to their Land. Using art making as a process of cultural inquiry and self-expression brings me in touch with facets of the Aboriginal culture I would otherwise not be able to access or comprehend.
Journeying into another culture, I find, cannot be done without learning about oneself. How one works with one’s own cultural background, personal experiences and assumptions can open doors into another culture or close them. While this blog is intended to bring us closer in touch with the aboriginal tradition, in the end it may also bring us closer to ourselves. Being changed, perhaps even transformed, by cross-cultural experiences is at the core of my intent in offering Liminal Songlines.
Recent Comments