Art in Oceania: A New History Hardcover – January 31, 2013

This is a fantastic book! There are a number of outstanding authors who excel in their fields that are contributors here. Sean Mallon, in particular, contribute some very interesting perspectives on tourism and art. There are topics included that you don’t find in most part history books. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Pacific arts.

This comprehensive and impressively illustrated book on Art in Oceania gives the reader an insight into the History of Oceania through its Art from the past to the present. A collaborative work by world renowned scholars.

This is a great book. It is more comprehensive than most books on oceanic art. We especially enjoyed the photographs of the masks and other adornments in use.

Hardcover, plain boards with pictoral DJ. (2 different DJ's available - one with a red Hiapo barkcloth design, one with a Maori 3-face panel), 536 pages, 507 illustrations (412 in color), 5 x 2-page maps, Bibliography. Edited by Peter Brunt & Nicholas Thomas, assisted by Stella Ramage. Additional contributions by Sean Mallon, Lissant Bolton, Deidre Brown, Damian Skinner, Duzanne Kuchler. Published by Thames and Hudson, London or Yale University Press, depending on edition, 2012/2013.An excellent study of Oceanic Art with really nice presentation, good quality binding and paper, well photographed items, abundant historical and field photos, and well-researched and readable text. The main parts of the book deal with : Art In Early Oceania; The Settlement of Western Oceania; Voyaging and Monumental Architecture; Art, Trade & Exchange in New Guinea; Art, War & Pacification in New Guinea; Cosmologies and Collections in New Guinea; Island Melanesuia 1700-1940; Eastern and Northern Oceania 1700-1940; War & Visual Culture; Decolonization, independence and cultural revival; Art In Oceania Now 1989-2012.Here is a book that takes Oceanic Art seriously, but without taking itself too seriously.....and where the art is put into historical and cultural context without sacrificing how visually stunning Oceanic tribal art is. The artwork is well proportioned, often full or half-page, and includes the usual masks and figures, but also fabrics and drums and shields, and costumes and many fascinating architectural elements. A minor drawback is that some of the items featured are a little too familiar from other publications, but overall this is a marvelous book, and highly recommended. I bought my copy for under 50 bucks, which is a great value for a large, ambitious and well executed book such as this.

Not up to expectations.