Introduction to the First Phase of Modernism in Oceania
- The sound of Experiment
- Oct 21, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2024
Aboriginal Art: Yankee Hat Art
Introduction
Oceania is the vast region of the world that includes Australia, New Guinea and the many islands that stretch across the vast South Pacific Ocean (‘Oceania’). Compared to other continents, Oceania is the smallest in area and the second least populous after Antarctica. Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Caledonia and New Zealand, which rank high on quality of life and Human Development Index, to the much less developed economies of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, and the much less developed economies of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu. of Vanuatu and Western New Guinea, and also includes medium-sized economies of Pacific islands such as Fiji, Palau and Tonga. The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, and the largest city is Sydney (‘Oceania’).
Australia is a country and collectivity of different cultures and peoples. Australian art is represented by Aboriginal, Colonial Art, Convict Art, Ateliers, European Influenced Modernism and Contemporary Arts. Notable movements within Australia include the Heidelberg School, the Hermannsburg School, the Western Desert, Modern Aborigines, High Modernism, and Postmodernism. Aboriginal art is sometimes referred to as "the greatest ongoing artistic tradition in the world". Colonialism led to disease and death among native tribes, as did the colonization of the Americas on the indigenous peoples of these continents (‘Australian Art’). Australian Aborigines are best known for stone art, which they continue to practice after coming into contact with Western explorers. Other art forms, however, reflect their way of life that they often move from one camp to another and are utilitarian and portable, though still exquisitely decorated. They used stones and other natural springs mixed with water to make their color (‘Oceanian Art’). The music and dance of Australian Aborigines are important elements of sacred ceremonies that reproduce the mythological origins of tribes and ensure a continuous supply of food through the atonement of totemic plants and animals. Little is known about the internal structure or basic movements of the various Aboriginal dance traditions. However, in general there are often mimetic movements involving the whole body and are used to add a visual interpretive extension to the oral tradition of the tribe (Oceanic Music and Dance | Britannica).
Introduction Melanesia Island
Melanesia, which includes New Guinea and the surrounding islands and the first wave settlers, has perhaps the most impressive art of all of Oceania. Stylistic art is usually highly decorative and depicts exaggerated forms, often of sexual themes. It is mainly done in relation to ancestors, hunting and cannibalism. They will usually be used as part of spiritual rituals, such as creating elaborate masks. However, few examples of Melanesian art exist today on the islands. After 1600, like the other regions of Oceania, it saw increasing encounters with European explorers. What they saw was a thriving tradition of art and culture, such as the first record of the area's elaborate woodcarving. It is only in the second half of the 19th century, however, that Westernization begins to take its toll. Some traditional art forms are in decline, but others such as sculpture survive and thrive even in the region. It is only when more of the islands have been explored by the Western powers that the sheer diversity of Melanesian art begins to show. From the 20th century, Melanesian art begins to find its way to the West and has a profound impact on contemporary artists. However, a major cultural upheaval would follow World War II, and much traditional art would begin to decline or be destroyed. This would be followed decades later by a new appreciation for their domestic art forms (‘Oceanian Art’). The nature of Melanesian music and dance reflects the socio-political structure of the "Great Man" found in many parts of the region. The leader, or Great Man, in many Melanesian societies is often a self-made man. He becomes a leader by creating followers, succeeding because he possesses skills that require respect in his society, such as oratorical talent, bravery, gardening prowess, and magical powers. He deals in goods and has large public donations, often in connection with building a Great Man house or men's house, purchasing higher ranks in secret societies, sponsoring funerals or other religious ceremonies, or installing and sanctifying torn gongs (or torn drums, percussion instruments made from hollow logs, or living tree trunks). These ceremonies elicit spectacular music and dance performances as well as outstanding visual arts displays. Melanesia, including New Guinea, is home to a multitude of regional musical styles, few of which have been thoroughly explored. The diversity, which parallels the linguistic situation, is thought to be the result of both migrations and the relative isolation of ethnic groups due to geographical conditions. Inter-party contacts, including European influences, especially from the late 19th century, have had a clear influence on today's styles. In general, Melanesian music tends to be less defined than Polynesian and Micronesian music. The melody, rhythm and form seem to be shaped by inherently musical principles rather than by the structure and meaning of the accompanying text. In fact, song texts in Melanesia often use archaic or foreign languages and so are often incomprehensible to all participants in a performance (Oceanic Music and Dance | Britannica)
Introduction Polynesia
As far as Polynesia is concerned, the most famous example of art and sculpture are the Moai statues of Easter Island. These megalithic statues are made of giant stone heads on smaller bodies that are representations of the deified dead. Much of the art of the Polynesian people is supernaturally inspired and in fact, people once believed that certain works of art were inhabited by spirits who had influence on world events. When Christianity came to the islands, sculpture declined significantly as a result, as previous beliefs of its magical nature were no longer supported. However, they continued to work on a smaller scale in secular art, such as textiles such as tapa and kava bowl sculpture (‘Oceanic Art Definition, Paintings, Sculptures and Artists | Art History’). Polynesian art is characteristically elaborate and often intended to contain supernatural power or mana. Polynesian artworks were thought to contain spiritual power and could influence change in the world. In the 19th century, the depopulation of the regions due to slave raids and Western diseases disrupted many societies and cultures. Missionary work in the region caused conversion to Christianity and in some cases the destruction of the traditional cultural and artistic heritage of the region, especially sculpture. With the end of colonialism, however, the Polynesians increasingly sought to assert their cultural identity (‘Oceanian Art’). New Zealand Maori art is known for whakairo, a traditional technique of carving on wood, stone or bone. Hawaiian Island art is notable for its wood carvings and fabrics with geometric shapes and vibrant colors (by Piña Chan) (Oceanic Music and Dance | Britannica).
Arts
Ocean art or ocean art includes the creative works made by the natives of the Pacific Islands and Australia, including areas as far away as Hawaii and Easter Island. In particular, it includes the works of two groups of people who settled in the area, albeit in two different periods. Over time, however, they will come to interact and reach even more remote islands together. The region is often divided into four distinct regions: Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia. Australia, along with inner Melanesia (Papua), is inhabited by descendants of the first waves of human migrations to the region by Australian-Melanesians. Micronesia, insular Melanesia, and Polynesia, on the other hand, are descendants of later Austronesian travelers who mixed with native Australian-Melanesians. mainly through the Neolithic Lapita culture. All areas in later times would be greatly affected by western influence and colonization. In more recent times, the inhabitants of Oceania have found a greater appreciation of their region's artistic heritage (‘Oceanian Art’). Oceanian art includes objects created by the indigenous peoples of a geographical area that spans nearly a third of the world's surface, from Tonga and Tahiti in Polynesia to the scattered islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. Consisting of some 20,000 Pacific islands and nearly 1,800 cultures and languages, Oceania is one of the most diverse regions on the planet. The art of Oceania falls into two major categories, corresponding to the years before and after Western contact. Australian Aboriginal rock paintings and engravings, believed to be more than 40,000 years old, are the oldest surviving works of ocean art. The sheer scale of Oceania makes the stylistic categorization of its art a complex undertaking: objects vary in size and form according to the islands from which they originate, and their materiality, texture and grandeur differ according to function, whether ritual or otherwise. "It's important to find a style that resonates with you," says Victor Teodorescu, an expert in African and Oceanic Art at Christie's in Paris. "Some young collectors may react to the quaint and, at times, dreamlike quality of Melanesian art, while others may react to the simple shapes and geometric forms of Polynesian art." Made for ceremonial purposes, a large percentage of ocean art is associated with spiritual qualities and is made from both hardwood and softwood, depending on its geographical origin. It can also be elaborately decorated with detailed carving, feathers, beads or shells. Clay, ivory and stone are among the other most commonly used materials in Ocean Art (The Art of Oceania — a Guide for New Collectors | Christie’s). Australia has an art history that is completely unique anywhere else in the world. With a deep indigenous history and a strong colonial past, the country's inhabitants have had to embrace their isolation from the rest of the world and adopt their own identity. This journey of national self-discovery is reflected in Australia's art history (‘Australian Art’).
Music
Ocean music and dance, the music and dance traditions of the indigenous peoples of Oceania, especially Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. Music and dance in Polynesia and Micronesia are acoustic and visual extensions of poetry, while in Melanesia they aim more at spectacular projection in times of life crises and as part of secret society rituals (Oceanic Music and Dance | Britannica). Australia's indigenous music includes the music of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, intersecting with their cultural and ceremonial ceremonies, through the millennia of their individual and collective history to the present day. Traditional forms include many aspects of performance and musical orchestration that are unique to specific Australian Aboriginal regions or groups. And certain elements of musical tradition are common or widespread across much of the Australian continent, and even beyond. The music of the Torres Strait Islanders is related to that of neighbouring parts of New Guinea. Music is a vital part of the cultural preservation of Indigenous Australians. In addition to these indigenous traditions and musical heritage, since the European colonization of Australia began in the 18th century, Indigenous Australian musicians and performers have adopted and performed many of the imported Western musical styles, often updated and combined with traditional instruments and sensibilities. Similarly, non-Indigenous artists and performers have adapted, used and sampled indigenous Australian styles and instruments in their works. Contemporary musical styles such as rock and roll, country, rap, hip hop and reggae have all featured a variety of notable Indigenous Australian performers. Some of the main musical instruments used are the Didgeridoo, Clapsticks, Gum leaf, Bullroarer and Rasp. The didgeridoo is a kind of musical instrument that, according to the Western musicological classification, falls into the category of aerophone. It is one of the oldest instruments to date. It consists of a long tube, without finger holes, through which the player blows. Sometimes it is equipped with a mouthpiece made of beeswax. Didgeridoos are traditionally made of eucalyptus, but modern materials such as PVC piping are used. In traditional situations it is played only by men, usually as an accompaniment to ritual or entertaining singing or, much more rarely, as a solo instrument
Notable Compositions
Piano Trio in A minor – Hill (1890)
Alfred Francis Hill CMG OBE (16 December 1869 – 30 October 1960) was an Australian-New Zealand composer, conductor and teacher (‘Alfred Hill (Composer)’). The Trio for violin, cello and piano in A minor, Stiles 1.2.2.1 TrA,[1] is one of five compositions by Alfred Hill for such an ensemble. Its approximate duration is 20 minutes. This Trio was reworked by Hill in his Violin Sonata No. 3 between 1906 and 1910 (while the Sonata itself was later arranged for flute and piano - Flute Sonata No. 2). The Trio consists of three movements, all in A minor. I. Allegro Conbrio II. Wyata Aroja. Antantino III. Finale. Allegro moderato (‘Piano Trio in A Minor (Hill)’).
Ruth - George Tolhurst
George Tolhurst (5 June 1827[1] – 18 January 1877) was an English composer who resided in Australia from 1852 to 1866 (‘George Tolhurst’).
Music Of The Night - Hooper Brewster-Jones
Hooper Josse Brewster-Jones (1887–1949) was a musician, composer, teacher and music critic, born near Orroroo, South Australia ('Hooper Brewster-Jones').
Il Barbiere (overture) - Thomas Bulch
Thomas Edward Bulch (30 December 1862 – 13 November 1930) was an Australian musician and composer (‘Thomas Bulch’).
Murmure d'amour, Opus 9 - Alice Charbonnet-Kellermann
Alice Loentine Charbonnet (12 October 1858 – 1 June 1914) was a French-Australian composer of romantic and classical music ('Alice Charbonnet-Kellermann').
New England - George H. Clutsam
George Howard Clucham (26 September 1866 – 17 November 1951) was an Australian pianist, composer and writer. Clutsam posted over 150 songs (‘George H. Clutsam’).
Song of the islands - Charles E. King
Charles Edward King (January 29, 1874 – February 27, 1950) was a Hawaiian educator, territorial legislator, and songwriter, best known as the composer of "Ke Kali Nei Au". King was inducted into the Hawaii Music Hall of Fame in 1995. Music historian George Canachele regarded King as the "Dean of Hawaiian Music", although this sobriety is more associated with John Camealoja Almeida (‘Charles E. King’),
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