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The Editorial of our Winter 2002 issue.
The world of tribal arts is on the move and we are too with a modified format, appearance, and editorial structure. When we founded this publication in 1994, out intent was to create a magazine that would be a central voice for communicating information and issues about the broad field that, for lack of a better term, is called tribal art to the community of collectors, art dealers, and academics whose interest and passion lie there. In the years since, we have produced nearly thirty issues highlighting some of the finest examples of the art traditions of the indigenous peoples of Africa, the Pacific, Indonesia, the Americas, and South Asia.
The tribal art market has changed since we began. Who would have thought ten years ago that Christie’s would have a tribal art sale in Paris, much less one that netted more than 7,000,000 Euros? Or that certain museum shows of tribal art would become blockbusters? Events such as these show an increase in public awareness and appreciation for these art forms. We’ve been overdue for a change as well, and with this issue we’re initiating it. We’ve redesigned the magazine from top to bottom and cover to cover. We’ve changed and expanded our staff in Europe to provide in-depth coverage of the many important events there and to expand our distribution. We’ve added new sections that deal with important legal issues, the fascinating histories of individual masterpieces, and the aesthetics of selected groups of objects or vintage photographs. We’ve revived sections that have fallen by the wayside over the years, such as profiles of important individuals in the field and different perspectives on looking at art.
Some things aren’t changing. We’re still producing definitive articles by leading experts in the field. We’re still providing thorough coverage of art events, museum and gallery shows, auctions, and other key events in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. We’re still representing masterpieces offered by top dealers around the world. Our printing and production standards remain of the highest quality. We are pleased to present a redesigned and revitalized publication to you today and look forward to sharing more vibrant issues with you every three months in the years to come.
Jonathan Fogel, Editor
Alex Arthur, Publisher
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