"Art for art's sake is the philosophy of the well-fed"
—Frank Lloyd Wright
Mark Blackburn
As a dealer, I’m very proud to offer interesting, carefully vetted, objects at a fair price with a 30-day money back guarantee. After more than 40 years in the world of Tribal Art – mainly as a collector – I have assembled what may be one of the most important and largest collections of Polynesian Art in private hands. During this time, I have logged countless miles around the planet, gaining expertise through visits with collectors, dealers, academics, museums and auction houses worldwide.
I have been very fortunate to build a strong knowledge base through being mentored by many experts who all became personal friends. Among them, Terence Barrow, Adrienne Kaeppler, David Simmons, Thor Heyerdahl, Edmund Carpenter, Bengt Danielsson, Alan Wardwell, Maui Pomare, Roger Neich and Bill Holm stand out, among many others. It’s been my great pleasure to know numerous legendary dealers and private collectors, like Ralph Nash, Alan Mann, Mert Simpson, John Hewett, George Ortiz, Freida and Milton Rosenthal, Saul Stannhoff and Samuel Josefowitz. As an appraiser, I have been contracted by several prominent museums and art institutions, including the Bishop Museum, Honolulu Art Museum, Mission House Museum, Metropolitan Museum and LACMA. I have also consulted with, and built important collections for, serious collectors and museums worldwide.
The tribal art scene is rife with misleading information and can be difficult to navigate. In my 40 years of collecting and selling objects, I have found the tribal art market can be as difficult as the rug trade where I also spent 40 years. The market is notorious for "tin eyes", an abundance of fakes and a glut of unreliable information. By calling this out, it is not my intention to turn people away from the joy of collecting. Rather, I hope to offer a word of caution to those interested in learning about the fascinating cultures that have produced so many wonderful works of art.
I hope you enjoy the offerings here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I will get back to you with a cheery and informative response in a short period of time. Please note that all prices include shipping to anywhere in the world along with a descriptive invoice and guarantee.
— Mark Blackburn