Acknowledgement of Country

This education resource has been produced on the Country of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. We pay respect  to Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge Aboriginal connection to material and creative practices on these lands for more than sixty thousand years.

About this Education Resource

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in Australia is part of the continuing story of the oldest living culture in the world. Every contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist has their own style, technique and unique way of telling stories about Country, culture and place. Some artists embrace the continuity and revival of traditional cultural practices, while others work with digital and emergent technologies. Some artists choose to do both! Whatever the medium or approach, all Aboriginal art tells a story. This resource brings together the diverse viewpoints of a number of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists represented in the Monash University Collection as they share insights about their sources of inspiration and practice.

How to Use This Resource

Deadly Learning is designed to help art teachers and school students see the world from the point of view of some of Australian’s leading contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The starting points for discussion and practical learning activities within this resource provide opportunities for students to learn as both viewer and artist. The resource is broadly aimed at students from levels 4-10; however teachers are invited to modify the level of the learning activities to suit students at other levels.

Terms of Use

This resource is for education purposes. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced or communicated to the public by any process without prior written permission. Enquiries should be directed to Monash University Museum of Art. © 2020 Monash University Museum of Art and the artists.

Protocols and Considerations

Teachers must follow protocols when teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. These protocols are designed to protect the integrity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expressions in ways that allow all Australians to engage respectfully with them and feel connected to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Below you will find a selection of relevant protocols and resources that have been developed for the Victorian education community:

Koorie Cross-Curricular Protocols

Protocols for Koorie Education in Victorian Primary and Secondary Schools

But Can They Paint Dots?

Aboriginal Perspectives within the Victorian Curriculum

The Victorian Curriculum provides the opportunity for all students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest living culture. Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art promotes reconciliation. As students learn about Australia’s First Nations people, they gain the knowledge to be culturally respectful. As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students see their cultural identity reflected within the curriculum, a sense of pride and belonging is nurtured.

There are opportunities for students to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures across the Victorian Curriculum, including within the Visual Arts and Cross-curriculum Priorities.

Cross-curriculum Priorities: Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures (F–10)

Visual Arts (F–10)
Levels 1 and 2
Respond and Interpret
Respond to visual artworks, including artworks by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, by describing subject matter and ideas.
(VCAVAR024)

Levels 3 and 4
Explore and Express Ideas
Explore ideas and artworks from different cultures and times as inspiration to create visual artworks.
(VCAVAE025)

Levels 3 and 4
Respond and Interpret
Identify and discuss how ideas are expressed in artworks from a range of places, times and cultures, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
(VCAVAR028)

Levels 5 and 6
Explore and Express Ideas
Explore visual arts practices as inspiration to create artworks that express different ideas and beliefs.(VCAVAE029)

Respond and Interpret
Identify and describe how ideas are expressed in artworks by comparing artworks from different contemporary, historical and cultural contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
(VCAVAR032)

Levels 7 and 8
Explore and Express Ideas
Explore how artists use materials, techniques, technologies and processes to realise their intentions in artworks.
(VCAVAE034)

Respond and Interpret
Analyse how ideas and viewpoints are expressed in artworks and how they are viewed by audiences.
(VCAVAR038)

Levels 9 and 10
Explore and Express Ideas
Explore how artists manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and express their intentions in art works.
(VCAVAE041)

Respond and Interpret
Analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of visual artworks from different cultures, historical and contemporary contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to explore differing viewpoints.(VCAVAR046)