Press and Editorial
Rare art from Vanuatu
25 July 2008Jesse Leary
» View Rare art from Vanuatu exhibition
ELEANOR HALL: A rare art collection from a remote island in Vanuatu is creating a buzz in the art world.
The pieces which include wooden figures, masks and a four metre wooden drum, have never before been seen outside the Pacific nation and already the Australian Museum and the National Gallery are prepared to pay big money for them.
Annandale Galleries' curator, David Baker, has been speaking to Jesse Leary about the collection.
DAVID BAKER: It is stunning art and it is from a culturally sound area but when you look at it, it is contemporary art and so it is unique in that respect.
And I would say up to 40 pieces are examples of an art called temar (phonetic) that really has never been seen outside of that area at all and we've studied the books from the museums and art galleries of the world and we can only see one example of a piece that looks a little bit like it in the British Museum, but nothing in major European museums or American museums.
It's the first time it has come out for an exhibition which is an international exhibition here in Sydney.
JESSE LEARY: These works are traditionally hidden from the outside world. Why is that and why have they become available now?
DAVID BAKER: The art has been hidden because it has been a secret and sacred society but, you know, with the development of Western culture in Vanuatu, the high chief recognised that unless they involve the younger people in the custom and culture, it will die in one or two generations from now and the way of doing that is involving the younger people and then showing the world what the people do believe and have created.
JESSE LEARY: What do you think will happen to the art after the exhibition finishes? Have there been offers from other galleries?
DAVID BAKER: A number of pieces have been secured by the National Gallery in Canberra. The National Gallery of Victoria there is, I believe, 10 pieces there. 10 pieces have gone to the Queensland Art Gallery. The museum here in Sydney, the Australian Museum has plans to acquire a number of pieces so there'll be on an exhibition around Australia.
They are major international pieces, so they will have an important part in their collections.
ELEANOR HALL: David Baker is from Sydney's Annandale Galleries and he was speaking to Jesse Leary about that unusual art collection from Vanuatu.
» View Rare art from Vanuatu exhibition
ELEANOR HALL: A rare art collection from a remote island in Vanuatu is creating a buzz in the art world.
The pieces which include wooden figures, masks and a four metre wooden drum, have never before been seen outside the Pacific nation and already the Australian Museum and the National Gallery are prepared to pay big money for them.
Annandale Galleries' curator, David Baker, has been speaking to Jesse Leary about the collection.
DAVID BAKER: It is stunning art and it is from a culturally sound area but when you look at it, it is contemporary art and so it is unique in that respect.
And I would say up to 40 pieces are examples of an art called temar (phonetic) that really has never been seen outside of that area at all and we've studied the books from the museums and art galleries of the world and we can only see one example of a piece that looks a little bit like it in the British Museum, but nothing in major European museums or American museums.
It's the first time it has come out for an exhibition which is an international exhibition here in Sydney.
JESSE LEARY: These works are traditionally hidden from the outside world. Why is that and why have they become available now?
DAVID BAKER: The art has been hidden because it has been a secret and sacred society but, you know, with the development of Western culture in Vanuatu, the high chief recognised that unless they involve the younger people in the custom and culture, it will die in one or two generations from now and the way of doing that is involving the younger people and then showing the world what the people do believe and have created.
JESSE LEARY: What do you think will happen to the art after the exhibition finishes? Have there been offers from other galleries?
DAVID BAKER: A number of pieces have been secured by the National Gallery in Canberra. The National Gallery of Victoria there is, I believe, 10 pieces there. 10 pieces have gone to the Queensland Art Gallery. The museum here in Sydney, the Australian Museum has plans to acquire a number of pieces so there'll be on an exhibition around Australia.
They are major international pieces, so they will have an important part in their collections.
ELEANOR HALL: David Baker is from Sydney's Annandale Galleries and he was speaking to Jesse Leary about that unusual art collection from Vanuatu.