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Australia
Art & Culture
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Australia's Art and culture is a fine
reflection of both contemporary and traditional societies
dating back to the era of the Aboriginal Islanders. The
indigenous inhabitants of Australia known as the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders were a diverse group of people
with varied cultural beliefs, practices and traditions and
spoke many different languages. The foundation for all art
in based on Aboriginal traditional culture. Modern
Australia's art and culture derives much of its inspiration
from the Anglo-Celtic Australians, the Aboriginals and also
the various migrant cultures.
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Performing Arts
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The performing arts of Australia are full
of vitality, variety, enthusiasm and originality. Famous
companies like Circus Oz and the Australian Chamber
Orchestra as well as the Indigenous groups such as Bangarra
Dance Theatre and the Aboriginal and Islander Dance Theatre
are popular throughout the world.
The various forms of performing arts include music, dance,
literature and cinema.
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Music |
Aboriginal music : an integral part of
the Aboriginal culture is the aboriginal song and the most
renowned feature of their music is the didgeridoo, a wooden
instrument popular among the Aboriginal clans of Australia,
now adopted by non-Aboriginal performers too.
Australian music comprises of an amazing range of music
genres. While guitarist Slava Grigoryan explores the
Argentinean tango and Brazilian bossa nova, the Australian
Art Orchestra composes masterpieces in collaboration with
master musicians from South India. Australia's symphony
orchestras of Australia have carved out a niche for
themselves in the cultural history of Australia. Some of the
internationally acclaimed Australian composers are Larry
Sitsky, Peter Sculthorpe, Percy Grainger, Richard Mealle and
Ross Edwards.
The Opera Australia, the third busiest opera company in the
world is the national company of Australia and is resident
of the spectacular Sydney Opera House.
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Dance |
Famous companies like the Australian
Ballet and Sydney Dance Company tour quite frequently with a
diverse range of international and Australian work.
Australian Choreographers and dancers are discovering new
audiences for their cutting -edge work at various nightclubs
and other unconventional venues.
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Literature |
Australian literature contributes
significantly to the definition and appreciation of
Australian culture. Australians have won many literary
international awards ever since Patrick White was awarded
the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1973.Some of the
prize-winning prose writers are Helen Garner, Elizabeth
Jolly, David Malouf, Archie Weller, and Tim Winton.
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Cinema |
Since the 1940s, the Australian films and
actors have been winners of the highest industry accolades
like the Academy Awards and nominations. The Piano (1993),
Babe (1995), and Shine (1996) are some of the more recent
Academy Award winners. Actors like Nicole Kidman, Cate
Blanchett, Mel Gibson, Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush are now
big names in the global film Fraternity.
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Visual Arts |
Visual Artists play a significant role in
shaping the image of Australia. In the 1970s the elders of
Northern Territory Pintupi people transferred the
mythological Dreamtime designs from sand paintings to
canvasses and boards. This was one of the many initiatives
that developed new associations between the indigenous and
non- indigenous Australians. Artworks created by the
indigenous Australians continue to attract international
attention.
The paintings of artists like Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts,
and Sidney Nolan remain an integral part of Australia's
Cultural landscape and offer a link to the country's past
whereas contemporary artists like William Robinson, Rosella
Namok, Tracy Moffat create work that mirror contemporary
Australia.
Thus, art and culture of Australia has definitely reshaped
the inherent identity of Australia in every aspect.
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