4.6
Oceania and Highland Asia
Allison Wightman
Briana Lambert
Breana Watts
Where you at?
Part ONE.
Totemic Symbols & Meaning.
• There are many symbols and
motifs found in this totemic
blanket. The alligator is a
common theme found in
oceanic art. The bird that is
illustrated in the form of an
army helicopter symbolizes the
modern day issues that this
area is dealing with. As
indigenous people have come
into contact with modern
technology their artwork has
reflected new subject mater.
• Totemic: an animal or natural
object which symbolizes a clan
of family.
Bird/helicopter
Alligator
and fish
Part TWO.
• In the oceanic area
people wear masks that
resemble their ancestors
to worship them. The
masks are 3 inches to 3
feet tall and are decorated
with bright colors. The
brownish-red paint that is
most commonly used
represents blood and
continued existence of the
soul of the deceased.
KNOW THIS!
Ancestral Figure
n.d., Sepik River, Papua, New Guinea
wood with colored pigments
Part THREE.
• Melanesian wood
carvings differ from
Polynesian wood
sculptures in many ways.
The most important
difference is the fact that
Polynesian objects of
worship stress the grain of
the wood while
Melanesian carvings
focus on bright colors.
^^Polynesian
^^Melanesian
Part FOUR.
• There is a very unusual type of art found on
Easter Island that has become very well known
around the world. Monumental stone carvings
of ancestral images are made out of volcanic
rock.
Part FIVE.
• Body art has become a
common trend among
people in the oceania and
highland areas. Tattoos
originated in the
Marquesas with an under
the skin dyeing process
that took years. Bodies
are covered in traditional
geometric designs that
are symbolic and mystical.
Part SIX.
• Animals are a big part of
artwork in this area because
they are very symbolic.
Common animals that are
painted on bark by Australian
Aborigines include kangaroos,
birds, fish, snakes, tortoises,
and alligators.
• Artists show two views of the
animals by using the x-ray
effect which depict internal
organs and bones.