Leif Birger Holmstedt, Torso Publishing, 2021, 158 pages.
Review by Jim Elmslie
The strength of this book is in its excellent images, many previously unpublished. The images are mostly of high quality from a range of photographers: besides the author himself this book features images by Hughes Dubois; Kevin Conru; Michael Hamson; Richard Aldridge; Chris Boylan and Paul Uvgaard, as well as images from the National Gallery of Australia and the Nationalmuseet Copenhagen. These are big names in the small world of Oceanic art and represent the global spread of contacts that Holmstedt has built up over several decades of writing on and exhibiting Oceanic art in Denmark.
The Denmark connection is important as this is the first book published by a Danish author on this subject for more than 70 years. Holmstedt’s interest in things Oceanic was piqued through his research into the expeditions of Danish adventurer Axel Bojsen-Møller, who made five trips to Oceanic, particularly New Guinea, between 1934 and 1956. He collected extensively and many of his pieces are subsequently in the collection of the Nationalmuseet. Holmstedt’s lengthy recounting of these expeditions comprises the bulk of the text in the book and is a good reminder that it was not only Anglo adventurers who were drawn to the mystic allure of New Guinea. The text is written in a light vein but nevertheless creates a reasonable portrait of the then Australian colony during these years.
The other substantial essay is by Lars Berglund and can be considered a reflection on what Sepik art actually is. In some ways it makes familiar reading as Berglund grapples with what it is that makes outsiders with no connection to Oceania so fascinated by their works of art, or more accurately the physical culture of the region. Holmstedt then proceeds to survey this physical culture with chapters on: Shields; Agiba, Suspension Hooks and Yipwons; Masks and Figures. These chapters are short on text but rich in lavish images of many fine pieces supplied by some of the top dealers and collectors in Europe, America and Australia.
One criticism of the book is a lack of dimensions for the objects portrayed and a lack of attribution for many pieces of who actually owns the pieces. While some works are clearly from the National Gallery of Australia and the Nationalmuseet it appears that many others are from the collections of the dealers previously mentioned. This is actually quite a positive as it means many fine pieces are published for the first time: certainly a plus for avid connoisseurs of Oceanic art.
Holmstedt is to be congratulated for pursuing his passion for Oceanic art in his homeland of Denmark and extolling the impact that it has had on the development of modern art in Europe through its influence on painters such as Pablo Picasso and sculptor, Robert Jacobsen. Magic Masks and Figuresreminds us that the influence of Oceanic art is truly global and that its profound power and mystery has had an enduring impact.
