Art in Oceania: A New History

Art in Oceania offers great statues, daunting tattoos, dynamic carving, dazzling woven and painted fabrics, intricately carved weapons, and a bewildering variety of ornaments, ritual objects, and utilitarian but beautiful everyday items -astonishing in both visual beauty and historical intrigue.
This landmark book breaks new ground by setting the art of Oceania in its full historical context and capturing an up-to-date understanding of the field.

As one of the last regions of the world to be affected by the West, the art of its peoples allow us to understand the rich history of tradition and spirituality in the region, and see the consequences of war, colonialism and tourism on Oceania.
Journey through the archaeological findings of prehistoric art, see the impact of Captain Cook and his colonial contemporaries and understand the influences of migration, trade, missionaries, pacification, tourism, nationalism and contemporary market factors on the pacific nations in this stunning collection of illustration, photography and objects - many of which have rarely been seen nor published.

Factors that have been largely neglected until now, including the role of museums, the significance of colonial photography and indigenous modernisms, are covered alongside the familiar canon. Finally, a focus on contemporary pacific art gives voice to the urban art and popular culture scarcely seen outside Oceania.
‘Features’ and ‘Voices’ boxes throughout provide first-hand accounts of early trade, traditional ceremonies and stories of loss and survival.
This beautifully illustrated volume will appeal to general readers interested in world art, collectors, university students, scholars and museum professionals… and anybody with an interest in the history and stories of our region.

Art in Oceania explodes previous assumptions on Oceanic art – be immersed in stories of:

Cannibals,  Maori tattooists and head hunters
Cosmology, tradition and the Birdman Cult

Rock art in North Australia and the Easter Island statues

The colonial impact on art and architecture and textiles

The ‘war art’ biscuit postcards from WW2 troops in Papua New Guinea

Christianity  to Kitsch

No Nukes in the Pacific – the political art of the mid-20^th century.

T-shirts as wearable art and the tourist market – read about Cannibal Tours!

Protest and rebellion – the Polynesian Panthers, Mongrel Mob and King Cobras

Urban art and street culture, typography, tagging and territory

Contemporary Pacific art and the politics of representation and identity

 The authors

                        Dr Peter Brunt is Senior Lecturer in Art History at Victoria University of Wellington.

                        • Prof Nicholas Thomas is Director of the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Professor of Historical Anthropology at Cambridge University.

                        • Sean Mallon is Senior Curator, Pacific Cultures, at the Museum of New Zealand/Te Papa Tongarewa.

                        • Dr Lissant Bolton is the Keeper of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, at the British Museum.

                        • Dr Deidre Brown is Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, at the University of Auckland.

                        • Dr Damian Skinner is a scholar and curator, Auckland Museum.

                        • Prof Susanne Küchler is Professor of Anthropology at University College London.

Thames & Hudson Australia

RRP$130.00 until Jan 1 2013

RRP$155.00 after Jan 1 2013