Oceanic Art

By Nicholas Thomas

Book Overview

The dazzling colors and patterns of the art of the Pacific Islands have long entranced Western audiences, including artists such as Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso. In Oceanic Art, Nicholas Thomas looks beyond the familiar, stunning surfaces of spears and shields, carved canoe prows and feather capes to discover the significance of art, past and present, for the people of the Pacific.

In this second edition, which includes a new chapter on globalization and contemporary art, Thomas shows how each region is characterized by certain art forms and practices--among them Maori ancestral carvings, rituals of exchange and warfare in the Solomon Islands, the production of barkcloth by women in Polynesia--even as it is shaped by influences from within the Pacific and beyond. The dynamism and diversity of the art are reflected in the illustrations accompanying this revelatory text, from works that evoke the most deep-rooted customs to those that address contemporary political issues.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500204403
• ISBN13: 9780500204405
• Release Date: October 2018
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Oceanic Art - Nick Thomas

Anybody wanting to know about art or material culture from Oceania needs to read this book. Your life will be greatly improved, birds will start singing, and people in the street will probably come up to you to give you a pie or ask you on a date. But seriously, Thomas draws upon his vast knowledge-base in this subject area to provide necessary, informed and critical context to objects so often dismissed as 'merely' art. Read it, read it now.

An insightful book into Oceanic art and culture

In his book Oceanic Art, Nicholas Thomas goes beyond the eye's view of the artwork produced from Oceania, giving the reader the background information and reasons why the distinct works of art were created. Thomas goes through each culture, giving and explaining examples to match the history of each respective culture. I was impressed by the thoroughness of Thomas, not only showing ancient artwork, but photos from Oceania today, as the respective cultures are being preserved. His analysis of the artwork was very well done as he not only explains the artwork, but gives the reader a sense of the culture also. Having studied art, I was impressed with all the examples and pictures in the book, then relating art with history. I would highly suggest this insightful book.