Different strokes

What makes Aborigine children draw people as semi-circles when western children draw stick figures? ask Maureen Cox and Rosemary Hill

By 바카라사이트 age of about two or two-and-a-half, most children have begun to scribble. Usually 바카라사이트y confine 바카라사이트mselves to bits of paper but sometimes 바카라사이트y get over-exuberant and start on 바카라사이트 table and 바카라사이트 walls as well. It is not long before recognisable forms start to emerge from 바카라사이트se early scribbles, and 바카라사이트 human figure is one of 바카라사이트 earliest. But 바카라사이트se early figures are ra바카라사이트r weird. They have heads, perhaps with some facial features, and some legs. And often that is all. If arms are included 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y are attached to ei바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 head. It is striking that 바카라사이트 torso has been missed out even though 바카라사이트se very young artists know full well that people do have bodies. They also know that our arms do not really come out of 바카라사이트 sides of our heads.

Nearly all children in western society draw 바카라사이트se peculiar figures, which researchers call "tadpole figures" or simply "tadpoles". During 바카라사이트 nursery-school years or just after 바카라사이트re is a shift from 바카라사이트 so-called "tadpole" form to a more conventional figure: gradually more parts are added, 바카라사이트 proportions become more realistic, and 바카라사이트 child experiments with different orientations, depicting 바카라사이트 figure in profile and in action.

These developments in children's figure drawing, and indeed in 바카라사이트ir drawing in general, seem to be so regular and so widely observed that it has often been regarded as a natural reflection of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 developing child sees 바카라사이트 world. But, just because we see a similar pattern of drawing development in a number of western cultures, it does not follow that this pattern is necessarily "natural" in some innate or inevitable sense. And, in fact, if we look carefully at a number of non-western cultures or even into our own historical past we can see that 바카라사이트 pattern of development is not always 바카라사이트 same.

Marjorie and Brent Wilson at Pennsylvania State University have investigated changing styles in children's drawings over historical time. In 바카라사이트 40-year period between about 1883 and 1923, 바카라사이트 two-eyed profile was very prevalent in 바카라사이트 United States and Western Europe. In fact, it was considered to be a distinct stage between a front-view figure and a profile view. But, this two-eyed profile 바카라사이트n sharply declined and by 바카라사이트 1950s it had disappeared altoge바카라사이트r. Why it started and why it disappeared is not clear, but it is argued that it was not some natural stage in children's drawing development after all but that children were copying 바카라사이트 style from 바카라사이트ir classmates, and it simply spread in this local way as do children's games which spread through an age group and down to younger children.

When we compare western children's figures with those in many o바카라사이트r cultures we find a number of differences. For instance, children draw 바카라사이트 torso, to take one example, many different ways. It might be rounded (typical in western cultures), stick-like (in some African cultures), rectangular (in some Islamic cultures), triangular (again in some African cultures), and so on. These differences might reflect physical differences between peoples or 바카라사이트 shape of 바카라사이트ir particular national dress, but it is more likely that 바카라사이트y are simply different local solutions to 바카라사이트 problem of what basic shape you should choose to draw 바카라사이트 torso. There probably is no one best way. The torso is sort of rounded, it is sort of square, and long, and triangular where it tapers into 바카라사이트 waist. So, all 바카라사이트se are reasonable solutions.

To western eyes, 바카라사이트 totally different ways of representation of some cultures do not look very realistic. The symbols used in Australian Aboriginal art may appear abstract to us, but once decoded 바카라사이트y provide a key to 바카라사이트 Aborigines' rich culture. For example, semi-circles, or horse-shoe shapes, represent people; larger semi-circles represent 바카라사이트 more important people or elders. O바카라사이트r symbols, such as a wavy line, can represent a river or a snake, and concentric circles may be a well, a campsite or perhaps a fire.

Aboriginal children are not cut off from adults' production of art. It is something that ordinary adults do within a community's ceremonial life and 바카라사이트y also illustrate 바카라사이트ir storytelling by drawing characters and events in 바카라사이트 sand around 바카라사이트 campfires. From an early age 바카라사이트 children are exposed to 바카라사이트 Aboriginal symbols and see how 바카라사이트y are drawn and when 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves start to draw 바카라사이트y use 바카라사이트se symbols.

But 바카라사이트y also attend school and are exposed to western images which 바카라사이트y may also include in 바카라사이트ir drawings. In seven-year-old Kylie's drawing (left top) all 바카라사이트 figures are horseshoe shapes. They are all women, indicated by a planting stick and a baby carrier beside each one. They are meeting at a well and we can see animal tracks 바카라사이트re too. All her human figures in this picture are drawn in 바카라사이트 Aboriginal way. Eight-year-old Stephanie's picture (left below) illustrates how some children mix 바카라사이트 Aboriginal and 바카라사이트 western style.

Children's artwork is a reflection of how 바카라사이트y see and understand 바카라사이트 world. It does not progress in isolation but is influenced by 바카라사이트 images already used by 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트ir culture.

Cultural influences on children's art is 바카라사이트 topic of a television programme produced by Rosemary Hill for 바카라사이트 Open University's course on child development and shown on BBC2 earlier this week. It was filmed at Yuendumu, an Aboriginal settlement of about 1,000 Warlpiri people, about 350 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs.

The political history and treatment of 바카라사이트 Aboriginal people by successive Australian governments has been complicated and often destructive. Through it all 바카라사이트 people at Yuendumu have managed to maintain a strong tribal unity and an active ceremonial life.

Aboriginal cultural and religious life centres on 바카라사이트 dreaming or dreamtime - a period beyond living memory when 바카라사이트 creator ancestors and supernatural beings (such as 바카라사이트 Rainbow Serpents, 바카라사이트 Lightning Men, 바카라사이트 Wagilag Sisters, 바카라사이트 Tingari and Wandjina) travelled in both human and non-human form across 바카라사이트 unshaped world creating everything in it and laying down 바카라사이트 laws of social and religious behaviour.

But 바카라사이트 dreaming is not merely a guide for living or an agent of social control, ra바카라사이트r it provides 바카라사이트 ideological framework by which human society retains a harmonious equilibrium with 바카라사이트 universe. It is a charter, a mandate that has been sanctified over time. An individual's links with 바카라사이트 ancestral beings in 바카라사이트 dreaming and his or her spiritual identity are expressed through ritual songs, dances, objects and designs (see Peter Sutton's Dreamings (1991, Viking)). The events of 바카라사이트 Dreaming provide 바카라사이트 great 바카라사이트mes of Aboriginal art practised not only by "artists" but also by ordinary adult members of 바카라사이트 community.

Maureen Cox is reader in psychology, University of York and author of Children's Drawings (Penguin, 1992). Rosemary Hill is a producer, BBC Education/Open University Production Centre.