The first prints by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists were not produced until the late 1960s, and it was not until the 1970s that a sustained interest in this 'new' technique developed. Originally the impetus for experimentation was from non-indigenous art advisors, and later, publishers of limited edition prints.

For many Aboriginal artists the use of printmaking methods was like an extension of traditional practise. The engraving of wood and linoblocks is a similar process to the incising of designs on stone or the surfaces of wooden sculptures and utilitarian objects. The sequential overpriting of colours in screenprinting is paralleled in the way traditional bark paintings are realised, and the same chalky opaque colours can be obtained.

Concurrently with this development in traditional homelands was the emergence of a generation of urban-based Aboriginal artists who had trained in Western art traditions and techniques. Art schools and print workshops also began to invite Aboriginal artists to participate in their programmes. More recently print workshops have been established by a number of Aboriginal communities.

Prints by Aboriginal artists are now recognised as being the most dynamic art being produced in Australia.

Roger Butler,
Senior Curator of Australian Prints,
National Gallery of Australia