GEOFFREY BARDON!

Geoffrey Robert Bardon AM was an Australian school teacher who played a large role in the creation of the Aboriginal art of the Western Desert movement. Bardon was born in 1940 and passed away in 2003. Bardon originally studied law at the University of Sydney but eventually switched to his calling card, art. He studied at the National Art School of Sydney as graduated in 1965. He hopped from high school to high school teaching art until 1971 when he took a teaching post at a primary school in Papunya. Papunya is a small indigenous territory in Australia. This led to the start of the Western Desert Painting Movement. One important painting is the Honey Ants painting. This painting is on the side of the school at which Bardon taught. He had encouraged the elders of the village to paint a mural on the side of the school in order to preserve the dreaming, and encase the stories permanently. But his time in Papunya was not all smooth sailing. He had encouraged many aboriginal art to be created and authorities were not pleased with this. Bardon often faced indifference, neglect and criticisms from government departments towards his work. He worked closely with the Aboriginal painters who became the founders of the papunya painting movement during 1971 to 1973, and devoted many years after this to documenting and promoting the Aboriginal art he so admired. For his life achievements and influence on aboriginal art, Bardon was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1988 and that is why he has the AM after his name.

Honey Ants- this is the painting on the side of the school that Bardon encouraged the elders of the village to paint a mural. It showed the men that they had something of value to offer to the world.

contemporary aboriginal art

indigenous Australian Art

contemporary Indigenous Australian art is part of the oldest continuing tradition of painting in the world. Jeoffrey had encourged elders to use Western materials such as acrylic paint to paint traditional designs as a way of expressing themselves spiritually. He felt that the sale of this work could give the artists economic freedom and bring Indigenous art to the attention of the wider community.