I complained in this recent post Vaka Moana – in sombre tones of the low light and strange wall tones at the gallery and was interested to see this recent Culture Monster post Oceanic art on the rise about a show at the San Diego Museum of Art. Oh no, those same wall colours again!
(I’m gritting my teeth linking to Culture Monster; did they nick their name from the already well-established, funny and very informative C-Monster?)
Thanks to the new D700, and its ability to take good pictures almost in the dark, here are some of my own images, from the Vaka Moana exhibition, of pieces deeply embedded in culture. Apologies for the less than ideal photos, no flash used…
Wasekaseka, whaletooth ivory necklace. Fiji.
Laoniasi – clam shell necklace. Malaita, Solomon Islands.
Cowrie shell breast pendant. Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea.
Kapkap, turtle shell fretwork on clam shell disc. Malaita, Solomon Islands.
Dafe, pearl shell neck cresent. Solomon Islands.
