Bradshaw Rock Paintings - Bradshaw Art

Bradshaw Art

The Bradshaw paintings are highly distinctive when compared to the Wandjina art of the same region. The art predominantly depicts human silhouette figures that appear to be suspended in the air or in a dynamic style that suggests running, hunting or dancing. While gender is rarely portrayed in the paintings, limb, arm and shoulder muscles are often well defined in addition to stomach paunches. Furthermore, the figures are ornamented with a diversity of objects such as belts, headdresses, bags and tassels while other material culture is sometimes depicted, such as boomerangs and wands. While Bradshaw’s initial description described the colour of the art as having shades of pale blue and yellow, most figures have a deep purple-red hue, mulberry colour or a red to yellow-brown colour. However, Donaldson notes that there are rare examples of multi-coloured figures that retain some yellow and white pigment. The height of the art is variable; most are between 40 and 50cm in length with some examples up to 2 metres in height. Due to the fine detail and control found in the images, such as strands of hair painted in 1-2mm thicknesses, it has been suggested that feather quills may have been used as a technique to apply the paint to the rock walls, an imprint of a feather found at one site may support this possibility.

Based on stylistic characteristics, Walsh categorised two individual styles of ‘Bradshaw paintings’ that he named ‘Tassel’ and ‘Sash’ with two variants which he named, ‘Elegant Action figures’ and ‘Clothe Peg figures’.

• Tassel figures: identified by their characteristic tassels hanging from their arms and waists, various other accessories can be recognized, such as arm bands, conical headdresses and Boomerangs.
• Sash: while similar in appearance to the Tassel figures, the Sash body is depicted more robust and the accoutrements depicted are slightly different, with the appearance of a three pointed sash or bags attached to their belts.
• Elegant Action Figures: quite different from the Tassel and Sash figures, these figures are almost always shown running, kneeling or hunting with multi-barbed spears and boomerangs.
• Clothes Peg Figures: were named by Walsh after their resemblance to old wooden clothes pegs, but also referred to as Straight Part Figures by Welch. These figures are depicted in a stationary pose and painted with red pigment. Segments of their bodies are missing such as their waists, arms and feet which is the result of different colour pigment such as whites and yellows fading overtime. The material culture depicted with these figures includes multi-barbed spears, spear-throwers and woven bags.

The distribution and stylistic range of these paintings is quite distinctive and contrasts with the Wandjina tradition. While more common in some areas, such as the sandstone regions of the west and central Kimberley, isolated examples have also been found in several scattered locations in the east such as the Napier Ranges and at the far eastern boarder of the Kimberley. The art is primarily painted where a suitable rock shelter is found; in contrast with Wandjina art which has a limited distribution restricted to isolated sites. Unlike Wandjina, Bradshaw art is rarely found on ceilings, rather vertical rock surfaces are used, high up in escarpments in shallower rock shelters with small overhangs and with irregular rocky floors not suitable for occupation.