Aboriginal art has survived the colonial period to become a major feature of contemporary Australian culture. In this book, one of the world's foremost experts on the subject surveys the great variety in Aboriginal art, from ancient rock paintings to powerful modern works in acrylic on canvas. The patterns and symbols of Aboriginal art, although they may appear to be abstract, are laden with meaning, and the book explains the social contexts in which art was made and its religious significance-as a manifestation of the creative forces of Dreamtime and as a means of expressing individual and group identity. It is the first book to use a contextual approach to show the interrelationships between such diverse art forms as body painting, dance, the decoration of weapons and utensils, and painting on bark, board and canvas. It is illustrated with many outstanding examples, many published here for the first time, and provides a splendid overview that will be welcomed by the growing international audience for Aboriginal art. (Kirkus UK)