Trucanini Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trucanini Art - Essay Example The Trucanini image is one woman who is trying to come to terms with the frequent changes in the world which to her she cannot manage to change them. On the face the woman appears to have given up but the youthful beauty is still evident. The image depicts her as seated looking at the viewer with a traditional shell necklace and on her shoulders is the kangaroo skin. The photographic images were limited in the sense that by the time, the era of photography arrived in Tasmania in 1858 most of the population was dead a reason that explains why it was difficult to retrieve records. To add to this, during the colonial period there were a few artists and therefore the paintings were rare to find since they were not free to settle near the culture of civilized individuals. There were only two portfolios of Tasmian Aborigines that were known to these artists. The water color paintings would indicate women who had their hair shaved and only a circle of hair was left round the head while for the men they were bearded, unshaven hair and had no necklace. Given the poor rate of photography the power of the image of Trucanini was not portrayed well. For instance in the first portfolio, it was an amateur painting and sketch which were photographed in a squalid condition where the Trucanini are depicted as being comfortable with no hesitation. They have resigned to submit to the idea of imprisonment that was presented to them by the European colonies. No effort has been made by the photographers.