#modernancient

The contemporisation of Traditional Cultures is a greatly under-appreciated and broadly unrecognised component of Modern Aboriginal Life. As Peoples who’ve received an immense (understatement) amount of pressure from European Colonialist society to conform, assimilate, and adapt within a veritable heart-beat of time, we’ve managed to (often unknowingly) keep many of our ancient Traditions alive. Tribal life was all about pitching-in and playing your part; Doing your personal bit to keep the Family ticking along, on a daily basis. An example of a contemporised Cultural activity can be seen in our New Songmen/women. Where once there were specific entertainers and story tellers within Clans, we now see the continuation in modern forms. Contemporary music genres are being appropriated by modern Blacks who carry the Old Spirits in their songs and stories; Briggs - hip hop, Dan Sultan - Rock n Roll, Jess Mauboy - RnB, plus a stack more. Other forms of storytelling are constantly being continued from a once solely-oral rhetoric, to books, plays, movies, and the swarm of Aboriginal blogs of which I’ve recently become a member. Other key daily Cultural Traditions are found in the home. The parents who care for, not only their own offspring, but the children of other Community members too. The Cooks. The Counsellors. The Police. The Warriors. All the vital roles that were once played in Traditional Life, are still there. Still here. Have a close look at your own family and place them into this context. I bet you can see all the fishermen, dancers, storytellers, and the rest. One specific Cultural pastime that I choose to consciously retain is body marking. My tattoos are tantamount to the scarification seen on the bodies of the Old Ones. There once was a time, when Aboriginal people had individual and specific markings inscribed into their skin to convey their personal identity, their standing in the Social Hierarchy, and their personal milestones (for example, a warrior might choose to add to his Scars after winning another fight, or losing a close friend in battle). Obviously, the contemporary method of tattooing is far more refined, and detailed, than the old snapped scallop shell and ash method, but I honestly believe that as an Aboriginal man, living in the modern world, I am actually doing the exact same thing. If you’re ever lucky enough to see me with my clothes off (pool party? fuck yeah! POOOOOLLL PAAAARRRTEEEE!!!), you’ll be able to see all my family names, my Mob, my Country, my totems, my milestones, MY IDENTITY clearly emblazoned across my entire body in full vivid colours and patterns. If I’m walking down the beach, everybody can see clearly exactly who I am, where I come from, and just how serious I am about being proud of my Identity. I have tattoos that represent loss, victory, and pride. I have tattoos that are simply reminders of special occasions and/or experiences. I have no regrets about having all the things I love and cherish permanently published on my body.

I chose to start collecting tattoos when I was 18. I got a big red cross put on my back, between my shoulders, to memorialise my father. Since then, I’ve never stopped. I’ve even started getting dedication pieces for people while they are still here to see them, because people need to know who they are to me, and who I am to them. I don’t want any trophies or medals for having so many cool tattoos. It’s not a cool thing. It’s a Black thing. And I’m not the only one. Where our boys used to go through Bora ceremony to reach manhood, we now get a tattoo gun (or even a pin or needle) and commence our new Initiations. We can all have a laugh at the poorly-drawn eagles, or the misspelt script (both of which I’ve seen on one particular bloke. A cartoonish eagle on one arm, and “HUSLER” on the other) but you can’t deny that in the context of Culture, marking your body to tell the world who you are, is pretty fucking great.

As part of my History of Western Dress course, we were required to find modern designer interpretations of historic elements throughout the years. Looking for Egyptian, Grecian, and Roman influences was a breeze, but the lesser known Minoan, Assyrian, Scythian cultures. (And by lesser known, I mean lesser known to me.) It was harder to find examples, so I turned to Mira's closet for inspiration of inspiration.

(photo source: Classical Myths in the Arts - Minoan Culture, http://minoanage.blogspot.com/)

As luck would have it, I found a dress that references the tiered layers of ancient Minoan skirts. Since the focus of the look is the dress, I kept the styling simple. As for the fitted bodice with the open bust, I'm not touching that.

MaxStudio black tiered dress

MaxStudio mint gladiator heels

Goldtone cuff and chandelier earrings