Papua New Guinea War Shields
Function and Change
Tribal Shields in Papua New Guinea were used in open conflicts and not in ambush war fare. This is the reason that they were brightly painted with dazzling designs as a form of psycological warfare through tribal intimidation.
Not all Tribal Shields in New Guinea were made as native weapons and some types were used in ceremony. Papua New Guinea shields vary greatly in size as well as design and the following is a visual guide on shields but due to the huge variety throughout the country is not inclusive.
http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com/wp/index.php/2013/02/28/tribal-shields/
Not all Tribal Shields in New Guinea were made as native weapons and some types were used in ceremony. Papua New Guinea shields vary greatly in size as well as design and the following is a visual guide on shields but due to the huge variety throughout the country is not inclusive.
http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com/wp/index.php/2013/02/28/tribal-shields/
Traditional Examples
Draw 6 details of the design elements that appeal to you. You will incorporate these into your own artwork. Draw the outline of a shield that you like. The shapes are all different so look closely.
You then need to brainstorm 10 things about yourself. Include characteristics, interests and attributes. You will need to transform the word your brainstormed into a symbol. As an example, Art can be depicted as a paint brush, paint palette, splash of paint etc.
You then need to brainstorm 10 things about yourself. Include characteristics, interests and attributes. You will need to transform the word your brainstormed into a symbol. As an example, Art can be depicted as a paint brush, paint palette, splash of paint etc.
Cultures very rarely stand still. They evolve, change and adopt other influences.
Contemporary Shields
You will combine elements of the traditional and your own personal symbols to make your own shield. You will follow a three step design to ensure you have thought out your best idea.
The Wahgi people of Papua New Guinea have long made enormous shields from tree trunks, and have continued to make these shields as a form of ritual artwork. In the late 20th century, many of these Papua New Guinea highlanders began incorporating "new ideas" into their traditional works, so that shields bore emblems of football teams, beer brands, and, yes, the Phantom. Western comic books became widely available in the region after World War II, and the Phantom became a particularly popular character.
Art educator and dealer Michael Reid notes that two things in particular made the Phantom an ideal subject for a war shield: he is a hero who protects his home and he is known as "The Man Who Cannot Die." Just as many comic book readers adopt the emblems of their favorite heroes, so too have these artists taken the symbolic power of the Phantom and adapted it to their own traditions.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-does-this-comic-book-hero-appear-on-so-many-new-gui-1621448221
Art educator and dealer Michael Reid notes that two things in particular made the Phantom an ideal subject for a war shield: he is a hero who protects his home and he is known as "The Man Who Cannot Die." Just as many comic book readers adopt the emblems of their favorite heroes, so too have these artists taken the symbolic power of the Phantom and adapted it to their own traditions.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-does-this-comic-book-hero-appear-on-so-many-new-gui-1621448221