Old Masters | National Museum of Australia

Exhibition catalogue

Essays from key scholars of Australian Indigenous bark painting, including Howard Morphy, Wally Caruana and Luke Taylor, present new research on the bark paintings in the Museum’s collection and the role and significance of bark paintings in the broader cultural context.

A new feature of this edition is a section on reading bark paintings, which explores the iconography of and stories behind many of the paintings from the show. The book also includes information on the styles and aesthetics of the paintings, and biographical information about the artists.

Sample spreads

An image of page one from the Old Masters catalogue. It includes an Indigenous bark painting and text. - click to view larger image

An image of page two from the Old Masters catalogue. It includes an Indigenous bark painting and text. - click to view larger image

An image of page six from the Old Masters catalogue. It includes Indigenous bark paintings and text. - click to view larger image

Publication details

ISBN: 978-1-921953-34-7
310mm high x 205mm wide, 256 pp, full colour
National Museum of Australia Press, July 2018

Front cover: Mimih Hunting, about 1980, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Art collection, collected at Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) 106 x 58.5 cm. Photo © the artist’s estate, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency

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