Aboriginal Motifs

Functions and Philosophies:
The very first principle and protocol when it comes to using Indigenous cultural material and interacting with Indigenous artists/communities is respect; "The rights of Indigenous people to own and control their heritage, including Indigenous images, designs, stories and other cultural expressions, should be respected". Indigenous Australians, who are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, are the original and native inhabitants of Australia, therefore they hold a very strong direct link to the country itself. To effectively show respect to the native Australians it would be suggested that you seek advice from the Indigenous community on the preferred manner of acknowledgment and for the relevant groups to be acknowledged. Additionally, It is common practice for any artist to seek approval from the Indigenous community for public art-based projects, in doing this it ensures the art/concept/project is not offensive to the local community. 


The second principle and protocol is Interpretation; this refers directly to how the art/design would be perceived by the public, whether the concept or the message delivered is authentic and how it affects the integrity of the local, indigenous community. Today, as local communities across Australia are slowly re-gaining control of their own cultural heritage. As we know the artist should be given the opportunity to interpret and present his or her own works, however as a principle and protocol of visual arts you must ensure the work reflects the cultural value of the subject matter, does it expose confidential/personal/sensitive material or if it reinforces negative stereotypes.


Moral Rights and Issues:

"The Moral Rights Amendments to the 

(ICMR's) 

Copyright Act 

for Indigenous Communal Moral Rights 

were introduced in 2000 a

nd provide some new ways to 

challenge inappropriate treatment of 

Indigenous artworks". 

Existing moral rights are individual rights only, t

his ensures that many severe moral rights issues are clearly outlined and enforced to ensure that designers and artists alike are aware how to use or reference Aboriginal motifs within their artwork. When incorporating Indigenous motifs (such as Rainbow Serpent and earthly dots) into your own work it is important to accurately fulfill the style itself to avoid misinterpretation. The ICMR states that before beginning the work there must be a mutual agreement between the artist and the Indigenous community or representative and there must be acknowledgment of the Indigenous communities association with the work.