The "X-ray" tradition
in Aboriginal art is thought to have developed around 2000 B.C.
and continues to the present day. As its name implies, the X-ray
style depicts animals or human figures in which the internal
organs and bone structures are clearly visible. X-ray art includes
sacred images of ancestral supernatural beings as well as secular
works depicting fish and animals that were important food sources.
In many instances, the paintings show fish and game species from
the local area. Through the creation of X-ray art, Aboriginal
painters express their ongoing relationships with the natural
and supernatural worlds.