Oceanic art on the rise

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Suddenly, it seems, Oceanic art is a hot topic. And you don’t have to look beyond Southern California to see what’s catching the attention of collectors, curators and museum directors nationwide.

The San Diego Museum of Art recently opened ‘Oceanic Art: A Celebration of Form,’ a major exhibition of about 100 objects from the collections of Valerie Franklin and Edward and Mina Smith. The display includes figurative sculpture, masks, bark cloth, jewelry, baskets, ceramic containers, musical instruments, weapons and shields from the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

As guest curator George Ellis says in my Sunday Arts & Books story, ‘This is not art for art’s sake. This is art that serves religious purposes and societal needs in a very real way that, for me, gives it a soul. It speaks of people, their fears, hopes and aspirations -- the same concerns we have, but reflected in different forms. It’s exciting, wonderful art from a part of the world that we know very little about.’

But the mainstream art audience is learning about the historic art of Oceania -- the collective term for about 25,000 Pacific islands that are home to hundreds of artistic traditions. And more opportunities are coming soon.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art filled a big gap in its collection last summer with the purchase of 46 works of Oceanic art, to be installed in August. The Fowler Museum at UCLA and the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, which have quietly amassed large Oceanic holdings over the years, will present exhibitions of South Seas art in the next few months. And Long Beach is about to get a permanent showcase of Oceanic art. Conceived and endowed by the late Robert Gumbiner, who founded Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art, the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum will open its doors this summer, across the street from MoLAA.

-- Suzanne Muchnic

Above: Oceanic artworks at the San Diego Museum of Art. Credit: Sean Masterson / For the Los Angeles Times