The colours and patterns of the art of the Pacific Islands - spears and shields, carved canoe prows, feather capes or tortoisehell ornaments - have interested Western audiences since the voyages of Captain Cook and Bougainville. Oceanic art in particular, had an influence on the development of the European modernist movement, influencing artists such as Gauguin, Picasso, Giacometti and Kirchner. Until recently, the tendency in the West has ben to view the art of Oceania as "primitive", mysterious, shrouded in taboo. Nicholas Thomas, in this survey, goes beyond this view to discover the meaning and significance of art for the people of the Pacific. While each region has certain art forms and practices that characterize it - the ancestral carvings of Maori and Sepik ceremonial houses; rituals of exchange and warfare in the Soloman Islands; body art in Polynesia; and women's art forms, such as barkcloth - Oceanic art as a whole is continually being shaped by cross-cultural stimuli within the Pacific and beyond, combining local motifs and materials with new styles and techniques. The illustrations cover the works that evoke the most deep-rooted customs to those which address contemporary political issues.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful book into Oceanic art and culture,
By
This review is from: Oceanic Art (World of Art) (Paperback)
In his book Oceanic Art, Nicholas Thomas goes beyond the eye's view of the artwork produced from Oceania, giving the reader the background information and reasons why the distinct works of art were created. Thomas goes through each culture, giving and explaining examples to match the history of each respective culture. I was impressed by the thoroughness of Thomas, not only showing ancient artwork, but photos from Oceania today, as the respective cultures are being preserved. His analysis of the artwork was very well done as he not only explains the artwork, but gives the reader a sense of the culture also. Having studied art, I was impressed with all the examples and pictures in the book, then relating art with history. I would highly suggest this insightful book.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A tough topic,
By A Customer
This review is from: Oceanic Art (World of Art) (Paperback)
To my mind, this volume treats too many topics to permit a meaningful discussion of any of them. The result is a discursive discussion supported by very selective use of examples. There is no systematic overview of the material culture of any of the areas discussed, and there is only a loose connection between the narrative and the illustrations. The book might have been greatly improved by a more detailed discussion of the geographic and demographic background of the area(s) to be treated, together with a more systematic treatment of the extent material cultural of each area or the region in general. As it is, the chapters seem to have no clear beginning or end. They leave you wondering how what you've seen fits into the bigger picture of the artistic output of the area and oceanic art in general. To be fair, however, this may not be the fault of the author. This is a tough topic to treat in a book of this length, intended for a general audience. The publisher might have done better to break the topic up into separate volumes.
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oceanic Art - Nick Thomas,
This review is from: Oceanic Art (World of Art) (Paperback)
Anybody wanting to know about art or material culture from Oceania needs to read this book. Your life will be greatly improved, birds will start singing, and people in the street will probably come up to you to give you a pie or ask you on a date. But seriously, Thomas draws upon his vast knowledge-base in this subject area to provide necessary, informed and critical context to objects so often dismissed as 'merely' art. Read it, read it now.
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