Oceanic Art

World of Art

by Nicholas Thomas

The dazzling colors and patterns of the art of the Pacific Islands have long entranced Western audiences, including artists such as Gauguin and Picasso. The tendency has been to regard Oceanic art as "primitive," mysterious, shrouded in taboo, but Nicholas Thomas looks beyond the familiar, stunning surfaces of spears and shields, carved canoe prows and feather capes to discover the significance of art, past and present, for the people of the Pacific. He shows how each region is characterized by certain art forms and practices - among them Maori ancestral carvings, rituals of exchange and warfare in the Solomon Islands, the production of barkcloth by women in Polynesia - even as it is shaped by influences from within the Pacific and beyond. The dynamism and diversity of the art are reflected in the illustrations accompanying this revelatory text, from works that evoke the most deep-rooted customs to those that address contemporary political issues.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Reference, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

Reviews

[Wendelle]

The book emphasizes that we can not approach Oceanic art equipped with only a Western lens, but instead respect the unfamiliarity of the context in which Oceanic art is produced. Whereas Western art is intended to be produced and contemplated in a singularly aesthetic domain, Oceanic art has more utilitarian purpose, such as aggrandizement of the chief, display of power, religious or ceremonial rites, or parades of masculinity. Rather than religious representation, carvings could be ancestral embodiment. Other purposes could include practical tools and arraignment in warfare, in societies where fighting is reification of male prestige, absorption of others' life energies, and access to slaves, tribute and sacrificial victims. Further differences between Oceanic Art and Western Art include the materials used as canvas for art. There is greater use of fabric, bark, and practical wooden materials such as boat prows, door posts, lintels, shell carvings, petroglyphs and dendroglyphs, masks and shields, paddles and clubs, quilts and mats and of course tattooing and body art, rather than usual ceramic pottery. There is also a difference in construction, as men and women fulfilled separate roles and types of art.