I have been working with graphic designers in Australia as part of a design mentorship program. In thinking of them I began to look up some parks in Australia. Kakadu National Park is the largest in Australia 20,000 square kilometers of waterfalls and rainforests. One of the most special things about this park is the ancient rock painting of the indigenous people who still reside on this land. Much of this land is owned by the Aboriginals who manage the park jointly with the government.
I learned:
"Burrunguy (Nourlangie Rock) and Nanguluwur are internationally recognized as outstanding examples of Aboriginal rock art. Some of the paintings are up to 20,000 years old, which makes them one of the longest historical records of any group of people on earth."
I think of how we like to make marks as artists and designers, but also we like to make marks to tell a story and to communicate. To think of how so much time can pass and so much can remain the same. We are more alike than different.
My abstract minimalistic design of Kakadu, now finished, shows prominent a figure in the center that mimics the rock art of the Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) rock art site. The story of the people is an integral part of what makes this landscape special so I made this the overriding design element and the most prominent part.
The backdrop color is based on sandstone rock. The two blue lines indicate the "Jim Jim Falls" one line for the trickle in the dry season and one for the tropical season when there is so much water the road is closed.
The line behind the figure is a contour of an escarpment and the green line below indicates the lush foliage of the rainforest.
My niece met her significant other in AU. I am afraid that's about as close as I come but who knows! It's fun to dream of beautiful places.
