During our trip to San Francisco, we had the good fortune of attending one of the infamous ‘pre Art Fair’ tribal parties hosted by the generous & entertaining Singers. Although we were privy to view their superb collection, we were having such a good time that we did not take one single photograph. Thank you for a terrific night, Sharon and Sam.

Michael Hamson’s exhibition – Art of the Massim and Collingwood Bay was one definitely NOT to miss!
The art was beautifully showcased in all corners of Michaels San Francisco loft; specializing in a variety of fine quality spatulas with a broad range of other pieces from the Milne Bay region. A copy of the glossy catalogue from the exhibition is available from Michael’s website and makes for a solid reference to Massim material. Well done Michael & Richard.

The JOLIKA collection on ‘permanent’exhibition at the De Young Museum, donated by John and Marcia Friede, was one of the highlights of our trip.

This sublime collection is best if visited on several different occasions, allowing plenty of time to soak it in, otherwise it can be a little overwhelming.

Impressively; all pieces; from the largest imposing figure to the smallest amulet encompassed an overwhelming sense of presence. John recently mentioned to me the following about his pieces which put them into context, and well described the JOLIKA exhibition;

“These New Guinea pieces are so much more powerful than any other art I know. They make people accustomed to the more gentle and familiar styles very uncomfortable. Perhaps that is because their roots emerge from 50,000 years of isolation and separate development from the rest of mankind….a dynamic human culture that was also, in a way, extraterrestrial.”