The Disputed Value of Contemporary Papua New Guinea Artists and Their Work by Pamela Sheffield Rosi

The work of Urban artists in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have received little attention regarding their work, which has been called a "decoration without meaning or social function," in contrast to the traditional village arts of PNG. These ignored artists have found themselves "being professionally adrift, their artwork devalued or unnoticed."
This article analyzes the factors that have contributed to PNG's modern art system, pinpoints the hardships and conflicts that urban artists have had to face socially and economically, and also focuses on the challenges that these artists have had to face in the art market. The institutionalization of art in PNG was started by Georgina Beier and Tom Craig, two art teachers. Although universities started their own art departments, funding and support was not always available.
Rosi included great detail in this article about the completely different system of values and obligations in PNG in order to live as or become an artist. "Managing the wantok system" is very important to the artists, along with having a modern career. They send remittances to fulfill their kinship obligations, and host village relatives or unemployed kin. When the artist's own future is uncertain, much like that of artist Larry Santana, not only is it hard for him to help sustain himself and his immediate family, but it becomes hard to uphold his obligations to the wantok system.
The role and fate of females in PNG seemed extremely dreary. High rates of pregnancy cause many female art students to drop out of school, and physical and verbal violence is a huge problem. After reading this article, it seemed as if the problems that exist in PNG exist everywhere, but here are brought out in the open, and exacerbated because of the small population and close research and examination.
Art in rural India has seen some similar changes. The Shantal tribesmen and women lead similar struggling lives because their entire livelihood depends solely on their artwork, which many places label as outdated or inferior.