Australian Arts & Culture

Australian Arts & Culture Related Information:

Australia's arts are as unique and diverse as the society and continent they come from. They reflect an ancient landscape that is home to the world’s oldest continuous cultural traditions and also to a rich mix of migrant cultures. Australia has a vibrant artistic and cultural scene and all forms of the performing arts, including music, theater and dance have strong followings.

Australia has a long tradition of Aboriginal art, which is thousands of years old. Aboriginal art is the most internationally recognizable form of Australian art. Australia's Aboriginal artists use a considerable variety of materials and techniques. These materials are strongly rooted in tradition such as the use of pigments in the Kimberley and bark from Arnhem Land. Some artists use modern media and work with acrylic paints on canvas archival paper or other surfaces. A recent development in Aboriginal art has been the growth in pottery and ceramics.

Australia has a long history of visual arts starting with the cave and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in Australian art has been the Australian landscape. Australian literature has also been influenced by the landscape. Australian English is a major variety of the language - its grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English.

The original culture of Australia can only be surmised. Much of Australia's culture is derived from European and more recently American roots. Australian features have evolved from the environment, aboriginal culture and the influence of Australia's neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia are achieving international recognition. Sport is also an important part of Australian culture. Australian's over the age of 15 regularly participate in organized sporting activities. At national and international levels, Australia has strong teams in many sports and has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era. Australia has ranked among the top five metal-takers since 2000.