OAS responds with flexibility during COVID-19
The worldwide virus lockdown has hit all aspects of art and culture particularly hard. Cultural spaces and gatherings are often run on a low budget and it is hard to …
OAC Journal Cover Stories
Hongi Hika: The Legacy Continues
Modern research continues to reveal secrets long held in uncatalogued documents and artefacts in rich archives. The centrepiece of this edition is the story of current research to identify which …
Curiosity Remains a Driving Force
Image: Mathias Kauage ‘Independence Celebration 1999’, Andrew Baker Collection. Image by Mick Richards. The desire to know – curiosity – has long been a motivating force in human endeavour. In …
The Story Keeps Unfolding
With so much information available in the modern digital age it sometimes feels that we know, collectively, almost everything. In this edition Professor Ian McNiven shows us that this is …
Times Are A Changing
In this issue of the of the OAS Journal we are fortunate to have Dr Maia Nuku, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, chart the evolution of …
Collectors and Collections: OAS Forum 2019 a Triumph
The 2019 Oceanic Art Society Forum was an intellectual and emotional odyssey. Oceanic art represents and encompasses many things: sublime beauty and irresistible mystery; cultural treasure; markers of colonial dispossession …
A Successful Year – President’s Report on 2018
The Oceanic Art Society’s Annual General Meeting was held on 10th November at the Middle Harbour 16ft Skiff Club, Mosman NSW – a lovely venue on a sunny day. Twenty-one …
The Art of Collecting
By Jim Elmslie Oceanic Art means different things to different people. Made by indigenous peoples for traditional cultural and utilitarian practice, artefacts are now prized by many people far removed …
Different Ways of Seeing
by Jim Elmslie Oceanic art creates fascination on many levels. In this edition of the OAS Journal we look at two quite different ways of seeing traditional artefacts. To Dr. …
Art of the Prince Alexander Ranges at the NGA
by Crispin Howarth The Prince Alexander Ranges in northern Papua New Guinea are home to a number of cultures. The largest group are the Abelam with a population of some …
The Savage Club OAS Forum a Stunning Success
The OAS Forum, held at the Melbourne Savage Club on October 21st, was a fantastic success and the Victorian members of the OAS, especially Dr. Michael Martin, are to be …
Fijian Gods, The Fair and The Forum
After a very successful Tribal Art Fair Sydney, eyes, minds and tastebuds are turning eagerly toward Melbourne. This year’s OAS Forum is to be held at the iconic Savage Club, …
Oceanic Encounters Through Time and Space
This edition of the OAS Journal once again traverses through time and space exploring aspects of Pacific cultures, from the first contact made by Captain James Cook in Hawaii to …
While Admiring the Ancient the OAS Also Embraces the New
The OAS has shifted gear under the energetic leadership of our new president, Bill Rathmell, who has revitalised the main OAS committee and various sub-committees working on the website, the …
A New President as Oceanic Exhibitions Thrive
The Oceanic Art Society is very pleased to announce the election of a new President, Dr. Bill Rathmell. Bill, and his wife, Noelle, have had a long association with the …
A new era begins online for the OAS Journal
After some years in the making, the Oceanic Art Society website is now up and running. This will change the nature of the organisation. While to date the primary mode …
No End to the Splendid Diversity of Oceanic Art
However much Oceanic art one sees it will never be the case that there is not something new to discover. The vast array of Oceanic art that has graced this …
Knowledge Grows Through the Work of a Few
In this edition of the OAS Journal we read the story of George William Mostyn, the third in Barry Craig’s series of short biographies on early collectors for the South …
A mystery resolved
The world is becoming ever smaller, driven mostly by the increasing interconnectivity provided by the internet. People anywhere can research and access the most obscure and idiosyncratic alleyways of human …
OAS Journal Goes Online
It is with great satisfaction that we can announce that the OAS Journal is finally to join its peers in cyberspace. The OAS Committee, after protracted discussion, has decided to …
A New Chapter Begins for PNG’s National Museum
This edition of the OAS Journal celebrates the opening of the exciting new exhibition, “Built on Culture: the Art of Papua New Guinea, celebrating 40 years of PNG Independence” on 14th September this year at the National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea.
NGA’s Sepik Exhibition a Stunning Success!
Myth + Magic: The Art of the Sepik River, the new exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, in Canberra, is all that it was promised to be. A very …
Myth & Magic: Art of the Sepik River
The long anticipated opening of the National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition, Myth & Magic: Art of the Sepik River.
Myth & Magic: Sepik Art Coming to the NGA
The countdown for the National Gallery of Australia’s landmark exhibition, Myth & Magic; Art of the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea, has started with the grand opening date set for …