Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Let me first say that this is a impressive photo essay that contains very impressive photographs, but the majority of these photos are of tattoos and not moko in it's truest sense.If someone is looking for a book thatdocuments contmporary moko and not contemporary tattooing by Maori thenthis may disappoint you.Moko is not just tattoo and not all tattoo areelevated to that of moko.The moko not only consist of the laying of adesign in the skin but also of the relationship of the individual to his orher geneology, tribal affiliation, and spirituality.The facilitator ofthis is the Ta Moko, tattooist for lack of a better word.There is no partof the book in which the tattooist are interviewed and allowed to sharethis paramount aspect of the culture.
The begining of the book starts offvery well with some impressive moko kanohi and moko kauwai.The inclusionof the individuals tribal affiliations is very important and is a credit tothe authors and planners of this book, but then the book diverges, in myopinion, and shows many facial tattoos and not moko.These tattoos areworn very proudly by gang members, predominately Black Power and MongrelMob, and Rastafarians as an expression of their individual beliefs andcommitments and not necessarily reflective of the strict cultural tapu ofthe moko.This is not to challenge these individuals Maoritanga, butmerely to point out the difference between the beginning of the book andthe rest of it.
I was also dissapointed with was the fact that the Puhoroand Rapa are not really represented in the photo essays.With theexception of one moko kanohi that is done in the puhoro style the rest ofthe moko is done in the mataora style.
I would recommend this book onlyto those that have a basic understanding of the moko and contemporary Maoriculture or to those that appreciate well done photos.
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