In the mainland Fine Arts world, Polynesian Art students often find themselves looking for 'particular' elements to work with at one point or another. Their culture might be sought out with extreme hunger.
Advisement on where to acquire these cultural elements that are of particular value, can be at first sought out in the wrong places. When an average Joe asks where to seek further education, it’s readily advised from teachers to simply speak with a school counselor or a school adviser.
That might be a helpful thing with discovering wants and needs, but it could be a directional catastrophe when a Polynesian Art student is looking for more serious studies.
"It’s very likely that someone outside the Polynesian community knows nothing or very little at all about the real Pacific culture, and can usually only speculate. It's like trying to learn Japanese language from Russia, or Karate from Canada, or cooking from London, it's just never quite right."
Things that Might Help
1. Find Mentors in some way connected to the Island Art scene or in traditional practice with Cultural Arts. Schools are a great way to meet upcoming Artists, but finding a Mentor will help in keeping your art correct, in other words, you don't want to make a cultural piece and call it a devil, when maybe in Mythology or Theology it was really a guardian. Or maybe something you think is from one island, might really originate from another. A single finger out of place in some cases, might mean you have no idea what you just made.
2. Join Social Polynesian groups online, participate first by taking part in discussion and creating topics that feed more inquiry. If the social group is on Facebook, read through the board posts. Some social groups have calendar events. Finding out the real Polynesian groups from the fake ones, is just part of the process. Groups come and go, its possible to snag some contacts who might be looking just like you.
3. Finding Blogs or Websites from artists that help give resources and insight to community. Fine Artists may use Facebook profile as a mini blog, giving updates by posting events, so befriend fine artists on social networks.
Tips for the New Artists
Be open minded to responses when asking “Nice to meet you, I’m a student of the arts, are you taking on, or willing to take on students at this time?“. Having a Mentor is so very valuable and special when learning things like Polynesian Bone carving and particular sculpture methods. The Polynesian Samoan Tatau designs is one Skin-art that indeed must be supervised when in practice.
Who knows what could happen after your efforts, another legend artist in the making, contributing to community. Even if you don’t get private mentoring you will be better prepared by the research, the community effort, and the possible new art friends along the way. Being apart of the Arts is almost like a second life, a lifestyle and mind-set that only others in the Arts community understand.
Photo by Oni Featherman
Polynesian Bone Carving by Ione K. Birdman
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