澳洲土著与大地建立了一种独一无二的共生关系，并将这种关系与自然精神、道德联系在起。他们通过各种象征手法表现这种关系，并称之为“梦创”。

“梦创" 是对宇宙及相关神话的描述，这些绘画运用丰富的象征手法为描绘人类与自然的和谐共处提供了一个意识流框架。梦创时代的绘画不仅仅是一幅画作，而且是系列作品反映出一整套错综复杂的社会架构。这种框架表现出大自然、种群及个体之间的关系。

祖先的起源

梦创时代在澳洲土著文明中被认为是世界的伊始，天地万物皆生于此。后来这世上有了第一批的生物它们出现后便开始创建地球。它们四处活动，走了很长时间，到过很多地方，最后终于令这个世界有了雏形。这批生物可以变幻形态，最后其中些变成了人类，另外一些则成为动物、树木等其他生物。当它们做完这一切之后便回到建在云端或海洋的岛上,或是回到地下休眠。今天，地球上所有自然现象及自然生物都见证了这些人类祖先的活动山洞是它们进入这个世界的入口;山脉与河流则是它们在地球上游荡时留下的足迹。大地，或“土地”是澳洲土著文化的核心内容;澳洲土著认为，土地和人一样有着各种感觉，可以听到响声闻到各种气味，也会感到恐惧。大自然不断地提醒人类不要忘记祖先。在澳洲土著文化中，艾尔斯岩便是这片神话大陆的象征性中心。

丰富的遗产

人类的祖先在各地云游，他们弹奏着音乐，唱着歌、跳着舞，讲着故事。他们还在岩石上雕刻，在洞穴的石壁上绘画，这些传统如今已成为澳洲土著的信仰不可分割的部分。 在澳洲所有古老而生动的人类文明发展范例中，岩画和岩刻被澳洲土著视为人类祖先的杰作，亦或是对祖先的描述。这些充满活力、在宗教仪式上被一遍遍地反复描绘过的岩画，成为种象征性释放精神力量的崇拜形式。

这些岩画不仅仅表现了地球是怎样被创造出来的。同时也反映了种基于对这片土地的尊敬而形成的道德规范和社会准则。今天，这种古老的绘画艺术依然存在。树皮画、身体彩绘、岩画、岩刻等艺术表现形式都从不同的角度反映了澳洲各个土著部落对于“梦创时代”的理解。

几乎所有“梦创时代”的艺术作品中都出现了代表自然形态的象征符号。例如，虚线代表雨水，弯曲的线条代表彩虹，脚印代表旅程;动物的脚印则代表不同的动物;椭圆形代表盾牌，同心圆则代表营地或水坑。

数千年来，这样的艺术形态成为种外在表达方式，通过表现艺术家的内心世界与外部环境之间存在怎样的联系，反映出今天的土著和他们祖先之间悠久而独特的血脉传承。

Dream Creation Era

Australian Aborigines have established a unique symbiotic relationship with the earth and have linked this relationship with the spirit and morality of nature. They express this relationship through various symbolic means, and call it "dream creation".

"Dream Creation" is a description of the universe and related myths. These paintings provide a stream of consciousness framework for describing the harmonious coexistence of human beings and nature with abundant symbolic techniques. The painting of Dream Creation Age is not only a painting, but also a series of works reflecting a complex social structure. This framework shows the relationship between nature, population and individual.

The Origin of Ancestors

The Dream Age is regarded as the beginning of the world in Australian Aboriginal civilization, where all things are born. Later, there were the first creatures in the world. After they appeared, they began to create the earth. They moved around, traveled for a long time, visited many places, and finally made the world take shape. These creatures can change shape, some of them become human beings, others become animals, trees and other creatures. When they have done all this, they return to islands built on clouds or oceans, or to underground dormancy. Today, all natural phenomena and creatures on Earth have witnessed that the caves of human ancestors were the entrance to the world; mountains and rivers were the footprints they left when they wandered around the earth. Land, or "land" is the core of Australian Aboriginal culture; Australian aborigines believe that land, like people, has all kinds of feelings, can hear sounds, smell odors, and fear. Nature constantly reminds humans not to forget their ancestors. In Australian Aboriginal culture, Ayers Rock is the symbolic center of this mythical continent.

Rich Heritage

Human ancestors traveled around the world, playing music, singing, dancing and telling stories. They also carved on rocks and painted on the walls of caves, traditions that are now an integral part of the beliefs of Australian aborigines. Among all the ancient and vivid examples of human civilization in Australia, rock paintings and carvings are regarded as masterpieces or descriptions of human ancestors by Australian aborigines. These vigorous rock paintings, which have been repeatedly depicted in religious ceremonies, have become a form of worship that symbolizes the release of spiritual power.

These rock paintings not only show how the earth was created. It also reflects the moral and social norms based on respect for the land. Today, this ancient art of painting still exists. Bark paintings, body paintings, rock paintings, rock carvings and other forms of artistic expression from different angles reflect the Australian indigenous tribes'understanding of the "Dream Creation Age".

Almost all the works of art in the "Dream Creation Age" have symbols representing the natural form. For example, dashed lines represent rain, curved lines represent rainbows, footprints represent journeys, animal footprints represent different animals, ellipses represent shields, concentric circles represent camps or puddles.

For thousands of years, this artistic form has become an external form of expression, reflecting the long and unique lineage between today's indigenous people and their ancestors by showing how the artist's inner world is related to the external environment.

Example

▲树皮绘画   Bark painting

沃德基尼精灵象征降雨和暴风雨。它们头上的光晕象征云和闪电。

Wardkini elves symbolize rain and storms. The halo on their heads symbolizes clouds and lightning.

▲透视画   Perspective painting

透视画有着悠久的历史。透视画即绘制动物或人类的骨骼结构。今天我们在岩石或洞穴中依然可以看到它们。这些图案可能是某种仪式。

Perspective painting has a long history. Perspective painting

draws the bone structure of an animal or human being. We can still see them in rocks or caves today. These patterns could be some kind of ritual.

▲体绘   Body painting

体绘是澳洲土著庆典仪式中不可缺少的一部分。体绘所创造的象征意义大多与一种被认为是人类相关的特殊生物有关。体绘图案还可以表现一个人的地位或在某个部落的职位或他的出身。

Body painting is an indispensable part of the Australian Aboriginal celebration. Most of the symbolism created by body painting is related to a special creature considered to be related to human beings. Body patterns can also show a person's status or position in a tribe or his origin.