Traditionally Most Pieces of Oceanic Art Had Some Relation to the Religion of the Culture

Oceanic art or Oceanian art comprises the creative works made by the native people of the Pacific Islands and Australia, including areas as far apart every bit Hawaii and Easter Island. Specifically it comprises the works of the 2 groups of people who settled the area, though during two unlike periods. They would in time even so, come up to interact and together reach even more remote islands. The area is often cleaved downwards into four divide regions: Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia. Australia, along with interior Melanesia (Papua), are populated by descendants of the commencement waves of human migrations into the region by Australo-Melanesians. Micronesia, Island Melanesia, and Polynesia, on the other hand, are descendants of later Austronesian voyagers who intermixed with native Australo-Melanesians; more often than not via the Neolithic Lapita culture. All of the regions in later times would be greatly affected by western influence and colonization. In more recent times, the people of Oceania accept plant a greater appreciation of their region's creative heritage.

The artistic creations of these people varies greatly throughout the cultures and regions. The subject thing typically carries themes of fertility or the supernatural. Art such as masks were used in religious ceremonies or social rituals. Petroglyphs, Tattooing, painting, wood carving, rock carving and textile work are other common art forms. Contemporary Pacific art is alive and well, encompassing traditional styles, symbols, and materials, but now imagined in a diversity of contemporary forms, revealing the complexity of geographic, cultural and individual interaction and history.^[1]

Overview [edit]

Art of Oceania properly encompasses the artistic traditions of the people indigenous to Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island and Lebanon Dahia. The ancestors of the people of these islands came from Southeast Asia by ii dissimilar groups at split up times. The first, an Australo-Melanesian people and the ancestors of modern-day Melanesians and Australian Aboriginals, came to New Republic of guinea and Australia about 40,000 to 60,000 years agone. The Melanesians expanded as far as the northern Solomon Islands by 38,000 BC. The 2nd wave, the ocean-voyaging Austronesian peoples from Southeast Asia, would non come for some other xxx,000 years. They would come to collaborate and together reach even the most remote Pacific islands.^{[2] [3]} These early on peoples lacked a writing system, and made works on perishable materials, so few records of them exist from this time.^[4] Oceanic peoples traditionally did not see their piece of work in the western concept of "art", but rather created objects for the practical purpose of use in religious or social ceremonies, or for use in everyday life.^[5]

Past 1500 BC the Austronesian Lapita culture, descendants of the second moving ridge, would brainstorm to expand and spread into the more remote islands. At effectually the same time, fine art began to announced in New Guinea, including the earliest examples of sculpture in Oceania. The period from 1000 BC on, the Lapita people would consolidate and begin to create the contemporary Polynesian cultures of Samoa, Tonga, and Republic of the fiji islands. They would from in that location venture further out into the Pacific and settle the Marquesas and Northern Melt Islands between 200 BC and 1 Advertising. Additionally from about one thousand BC, trade between the Pacific Islands and mainland Asia was growing, and starting 600 BC, works of the Dongson civilization of Vietnam, known for their bronze working, tin can exist found in Oceania, and their imagery has a strong influence on the indigenous artistic tradition. Records to 1000 AD go on to be few, however nearly artistic tradition are connected to this point, such as New Guinea sculpture and Australian rock art, although the period is characterized by increasing trade and interaction as well as new areas existence settled, including Hawaii, Easter Isle, Tahiti, and New Zealand. Starting around 1100 Advertising, the people of Easter Island would begin construction of nearly 900 moai (large rock statues). At almost 1200 Advertising, the people of Pohnpei, a Micronesian island, would embark on another megalithic structure, edifice Nan Madol, a urban center of artificial islands and a system of canals. Past 1500, the beginning European explorers begin to reach Oceania. Although previous artistic and architectural traditions are connected, the various regions would brainstorm to diverge and record more singled-out cultures.^{[half-dozen] [vii]}

Prehistoric [edit]

The rock art of Australian Aborigines is the longest continuously good artistic tradition in the world. These sites, found in Arnhem State, Australia, are divided into three periods: Pre-Estuarine (c. 40,000?–6000 BC), Estuarine (c. 6000 BC–500 Ad), and Fresh Water (c. 500 Advertizing–present). They are dated based on the styles and content of the art. Pre-Estuarine, the oldest, is characterized by imagery in a red ocher pigment. However, by about 6000 BC, increasingly elaborate images begin to appear, marking the showtime of the Estuarine menstruation. These rock paintings served several functions. Some were used in magic, others to increase animal populations for hunting, while some were simply for amusement. I of the more elaborate collections of rock art in this area is the site of Ubirr, a favored camping ground during wet seasons which has had its rock faces painted many times over thousands of years.^[eight]

Sculpture in Oceania start appears on New Guinea as a serial of stone figures found throughout the island, but mostly in mountainous highlands. Establishing a chronological timeframe for these pieces in about cases is hard, but ane has been dated to 1500 BC. The content of the sculptures fit into three categories: mortars, pestles, and freestanding figures. The tops of many pestles contain images, often of birds or human heads. Mortars show similar imagery, or sometimes geometric patterns. Freestanding figures once more portray like themes: humans, animals, and phalluses. The original significance of these pieces however, are unknown, but were perhaps used in the context of rituals.^[9]

Another early culture with an artistic tradition are the Lapita, dating from nearly 1500 BC to 500 BC, who are thought to be the ancestors of the modern day cultures of Polynesia and Island Melanesia. The civilisation was formed by the second wave of Oceanic settlers. The name comes from the site of Lapita in New Caledonia, which was amongst the starting time places its distinctive sculpture would be found. It is debated exactly where the civilisation developed, only the people themselves originally came from Southeast Asia. Their art is best known past its ceramics, which include elaborate geometric motifs and sometimes anthropomorphic imagery. It is thought some of the designs may be related to modern Polynesian tattoos and barkcloths. They were created by firing a comblike tool that stamped the designs on to wet dirt. Each stamp would have i design and would be layered until an elaborate pattern was created. Their usage was primarily, in cooking, serving, and storing food.^[10]

Regional [edit]

Micronesia [edit]

Micronesia comprises second-wave settlers of Oceania, encompassing the people of the islands northward of Melanesia, and has an artistic tradition attested to early Austronesian waves from the Philippines and the Lapita culture.^{[ii] [3]} Amid the most prominent works of the region is the megalithic floating urban center of Nan Madol. The urban center began in 1200 AD, and is still being built when European explorers begin to arrive around 1600. The urban center however, undergoes a turn down by effectually 1800 forth with the Saudeleur dynasty, and is abased altogether by the 1820s. The 19th century would see the region divided up amongst the colonial powers, however art continued to thrive. Wood carving by men in particular flourishes in the region, creating richly busy formalism houses in Belau, stylized bowls, canoe ornaments, formalism vessels, and sometimes sculptured figures. Women on the other hand created textiles and ornaments like bracelets and headbands. Stylistically, Micronesian fine art is streamlined and of a practical simplicity to its function, only is typically finished to a high standard of quality.^[xi] This was more often than not to make the all-time possible use of what few natural materials they had available to them.^[12]

The first one-half of the 20th century saw a downturn in Micronesia's cultural integrity and a strong strange influence from both western and Japanese Imperialist powers. A number of historical artistic traditions, especially sculptural, simply ceased to exist skilful. Withal other art forms continued, including traditional architecture and weaving. Only by the second half of the century, independence from colonial powers allows their traditional arts to find a renewed involvement and respect from inside the region, and a new generation are taught these art forms. There is likewise a notable movement of contemporary art inside Federated states of micronesia toward the cease of the 20th century.^[13]

Polynesia [edit]

Polynesia, like Micronesia, stretched back to Lapita cultural traditions. Lapita Culture included parts of the western Pacific and reached as far e as Tonga and Samoa.^[fourteen] However much of Polynesia, like the islands of Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Easter Island, had only relatively recently been settled by indigenous peoples. The virtually famous Polynesian art forms are the Moai (statues) of Rapa Nui/Easter Island. Polynesian art is characteristically ornate, and often meant to incorporate supernatural power or mana.^[15] Polynesian works of art were thought to incorporate spiritual power and could affect change in the world.^[16] However the period across 1600 AD had seen intense interaction with European explorers, in addition to continuing before cultural traditions. The collections of European explorers during the catamenia show that classical Polynesian fine art was indeed flourishing. In the 19th century, depopulation of areas due to slave raiding and Western diseases disrupted many societies and cultures. Missionary work in the region caused the conversion to Christianity, and in some cases the destruction of traditional cultural and creative heritage of the region, specifically sculpture. However more secular art forms continue, such as carving not-religious objects like kava bowls and textile work such every bit tapa making. With the stop of colonialism all the same, Polynesians increasingly attempted to assert their cultural identity.^[17]

Australia [edit]

Australian Aboriginal people are most known for their rock art, which they continue to practice afterward their contact with Western explorers. Other forms of fine art nevertheless, reflect their lifestyle of ofttimes moving from i army camp to another and is utilitarian and portable, albeit still highly decorated. They used rocks and other natural sources mixed with h2o to make their paint. Often using sticks to make their famous but recent (from 1971) dot paintings. Fifty-fifty today we still see Aboriginals making these. When dancing, they paint their bodies with white "paint" and apply information technology to their body in patterns and meaningful shapes and lines. Their dancing uses native Australian animals as inspiration.^[18]

Melanesia [edit]

Melanesia, comprising New Guinea and the surrounding islands and people of first wave settlers, has perhaps the most hit art of all Oceania. Stylistically art is typically highly decorative and portrays exaggerated forms, often of sexual themes. Information technology is by and large made in connection with ancestors, hunting, and cannibalism. Ordinarily they would be used in the context of spiritual rituals, such as the cosmos of elaborate masks. However, few examples of Melanesian art be on the islands today.^[v]

After 1600, like the other regions of Oceania, saw increasing encounters with European explorers. What they witnessed was a flourishing tradition of art and culture, such every bit the first record of the region'due south elaborate wood carving. Information technology isn't until the latter half of the 19th century, withal, that westernization begins to takes its toll. Some traditional forms of art go into decline, simply others like sculpture survive and even thrive in the region. Not until more of the islands were explored by the western powers that the sheer diversity of Melanesian art begins to be seen. Past the 20th century, Melanesian fine art begins to find its mode to the W and has a profound bear on on contemporary artists. All the same a great cultural disruption would follow the second Earth State of war, and much traditional art would begin to refuse or be destroyed. This would be followed decades later by a newfound appreciation for their native art forms.^[nineteen]

See also [edit]

• Oceanian civilisation
• Austronesian culture
• Tribal art
• Overmodelled skull

Notes [edit]

1. ^ Brunt, Peter (2012). Art in Oceania: A New History. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 410–497. ISBN978-0-300-19028-1.
2. ^ ^{a b} Gray, RD; Drummond, AJ; Greenhill, SJ (2009). "Linguistic communication Phylogenies Reveal Expansion Pulses and Pauses in Pacific Settlement". Science. 323 (5913): 479–483. Bibcode:2009Sci...323..479G. doi:10.1126/science.1166858. PMID 19164742.
3. ^ ^{a b} Pawley, A. (2002). "The Austronesian dispersal: languages, technologies and people". In Bellwood, Peter Due south.; Renfrew, Colin (eds.). Examining the farming/language dispersal hypothesis. McDonald Found for Archaeological Inquiry, University of Cambridge. pp. 251–273. ISBN978-1902937205.
4. ^ Met Timeline of Fine art History, Oceania, 80000-2000 B.C.. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
5. ^ ^{a b} Hutchinson Encyclopedia. Oceanic art Archived 2006-05-xv at the Wayback Automobile. Retrieved on June 23, 2006.
6. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, Oceania, 1000-1400 A.D.. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
7. ^ Met Timeline of Fine art History, Oceania, 1400-1600 A.D.. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
8. ^ Met Timeline of Art History Ubirr (twoscore,000?B.C.-present). Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
9. ^ Met Timeline of Fine art History, Prehistoric Stone Sculpture from New Guinea. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
10. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, Lapita Pottery (ca. 1500-5000 B.C.). Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
11. ^ Met Timeline of Fine art History Micronesia, 1800-1900 A.D.. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
12. ^ "Oceanic fine art", The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2006.
13. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, Micronesia, 1900 A.D.-nowadays. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
14. ^ D'Alleva, Anne (1998). Arts of the Pacific Islands . Abrams. p. 14. ISBN0-8109-2722-five.
15. ^ Kaeppler, Adrienne (2008). The Pacific Arts of Polynesia and Micronesia . Oxford University Printing. p. v. ISBN978-0-19-284238-ane.
16. ^ Hooper, Steven (2006). Pacific Encounters: Art and Divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. p. 28. ISBN978-0-8248-3084-7.
17. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, 1900 A.D.-present. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
18. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, Commonwealth of australia, 1800-1900 A.D.. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.
19. ^ Met Timeline of Art History, Melanesia, 1900 A.D.-present. Retrieved on June 22, 2006.

Further reading [edit]

• Goldwater, Robert; et al. (1969). Fine art of Oceania, Africa, and the Americas from the Museum of Primitive Art: an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine art . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Fine art.
• Kjellgren, East.; et al. (2001). Excellent isolation: art of Easter Island . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN9781588390110.

External links [edit]

• Grafico Topico'due south articles on art from the Pacific region
• Oceanic Fine art Society
• Tribal Fine art Magazine
• Rayond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanian_art

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