Developing a greater understanding and hence appreciation of Oceanic art is surely the aspiration of all readers of this Journal. The place from which each reader and viewer commences this voyage of discovery and enlightenment is the result of their lived and learned experiences.
The highly successful 2022 OAS Forum held in the Pacific Galleries at the South Australian Museum was an occasion for attendees to be transformed in understanding through two days of world class presentations surrounded by precious cultural objects. Some of that rich information shared at the Forum is presented in this edition for further contemplation. Further presentations will be published in following editions.
A highlight of the Forum were the presentations from scholars, curators and artists with a First Nations heritage, bringing their deep lived experiences of culture to provide rich and important insights to both traditional and contemporary art and also contemporary museum practice.
This edition of the Journal provides the first hand experience of Oceanic artist and Tolai woman Lisa Hilli who contributed during the pandemic from the southern hemisphere to three inter-related exhibitions in Europe focussing on aspects of the Die Brücke (The Bridge) a German Art expressionism movement, in particular the art practices of artists who travelled to the former Protectorate of German New Guinea. She provided Papua New Guinean cultural and curatorial perspectives regarding colonial and indigenous histories as well as new art.
We were privileged to be provided with a very valuable and unique history of the development of the Contemporary Australian Aboriginal art market by long-time collector and dealer Adrian Newstead – he has been a player ‘in the room’ for much of this history.
Stan Florek from the Australian Museum has reviewed Leah Lui-Chivizhe’s recent book Masked Histories: Turtle Shell Masks and Torres Strait Islander People while Pierre Laffont has reviewed the recently published French publication Ma’ori, a catalogue raisonné of the Polynesian collection of the Muséum d’Histoire naturelle in La Rochelle, France, written by Elise Patole-Edoumba & Helene Guiot.
Papua New Guinea diaspora leader and associate curator Steven Gagau has generously shared his speech on launching the Ömie barkcloth: Pathways of nioge exhibition currently on at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney. This exhibition also highlights the role of the Oceanic Art Society in the promotion of the art from this community with former art dealer and OAS president David Baker and founding and long-time OAS member Todd Barlin both acknowledged. Well worth visiting.
Margaret Cassidy
