Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
ThROUGhTheeYeSOFOURANCeSTORSAFRICANARTFROMTheJAMeSANdMARJORIel.WIlSONCOlleCTIONMAY192011JUNe2011ATTheQCCARTGAlleRYQUeeNSNYThisexhibitionplacestheartofvariousAfricanculturesnearertoitsoriginalcontextwheresculptureisonlypartofalargerensemblethatcreatesacompletecharacteranancestororaspiritualentity.Withoutallitscomponentsthatentitycouldnotexist.Africanartwastraditionallymadewithinastrictandcomplexsocialcontext.Workshopsandcarverswereoftensecludedastheyrenderedspirituallyresonantobjectsandcontinuedtraditionsoftenwithsurprisingchangesinformordetailtokeepupwithdemandsofchangingsocieties.Withineachculturesecretsocietiesandorroyalcourtsdecidedwhenwhereandhowanobjectwasmade.CurrentlyinAfricanculturesmanypeoplecontributetothecreationofamasqueradeensemblewhetherincurrencyorinkind.Aceremonialmaskorfigureiscommissionedfromacarverandthemaskconsecratedwithinputfromafetisheurwhoempowersitandcostumemakerswhohelpcreateitsidentity.Ultimatelyoveritslifetimeamaskorensembleundergoeschangewhetherthrougherosionrepairorrefurbishment.Additionssuchastextilesmetalmedicineamuletsandpigmentsaffectboththewoodandthecostume.AndthatofcourserevealsthehistoryoftheobjecttopeoplewithinthesocietyandtoWesterncollectorsaswellseeSurfaceseditedbyDonnaPageLeonardKahanandPascalImperato.IntheWestourrecognitionofdifferentcomponentswithinAfricanarthasevolvedovertime.ContemporaryartintheWesthasmovedbeyondtheabstractstageandisnowinapolymorphicphasewhichopensustootheraspectsofAfricanartisticproduction.MovingthroughCubismtoAbstractionandthroughMinimalismtoConceptualismrequiresacceptanceofchangeinourownviews.Thesearttrendschangedassocietalvaluestechnologytradeandcontactschangedanddeveloped.Whatwasrecentlyacceptedasexcitingratherquicklybecomesdoctrinaireandantiquatedasnewtechniquesimagesandvaluestaketheirplace.WerenotsuggestingthatallthesefastchangestookplaceinAfricanculturesalteringtheirartdrasticallyfromonegenerationtothenextthoughchangeoccurredtheretoo.RatherweresuggestingthatwearepredisposedtoseeandacceptourowncurrentperceptionswithinAfricanartandcanpullfromitsnumerousstylesandexpressionsthosethatappealtousmostgivenourcurrentwayofseeingandthinking.NeitherisAfricanartconstant.Therearemanytypesofexpressionrepresentingavarietyofinstitutionstraditionsanddeities.WeoftenpickthatwhichwethinkrepresentsAfricanartaccordingtothestateofourowncurrentknowledge.ThenwheredowestartBeforeandduringthe19thcenturywithonlyfewexceptionsEuropeansseeingthroughthelensofcolonialismracismandhierarchicalcomparisonsofculturesselectedartifactsthatbestexpressedtheirvisionoftheso-calledprimitivemanAlternativelytheyadmiredobjectssuchascarvedivorieswhichfittheirdefinitionofart.ThatlimitedvisionexpandedasmoreattentionwasgiventoexaminingtheplasticvaluesofAfricansculptureandknowinglocalhistoriesoftheobjects.AndeventuallyCubismwasoneofthemainyardsticksbywhichonecouldseeandappreciatesomeoftheintenttechniqueandprofoundvaluesystemsinAfricanart.ThereductionofrepresentationalformtoitsbasicswasappealingtoEuropeanartistsandeventuallytocollectorsaswell.InpastgalleryexhibitionsandpublicationswehavepersonallyexaminedotheraspectsofAfricanartsuchasminimalism---theabilitytoreduceformtoitsmostessentialwithanefficiencyandpurityofformandlinecomparabletothatfoundincontemporaryWesternart.InotherpublicationsweinvestigatedAfricanartfromthestandpointofgesturescolorsurfacesandmetamorphosis---thecombiningofhumanandanimalimagesonartifacts.AswecontinuedinvestigatingartfromtheAfricancontinentwefoundmoreandmoreparallelsinAmericanarthistory.Asonewouldfindinanyartoflongstandingthatofbothcontinentsservedtheneedsofonegenerationafteranotherhelpingeachsocietycarryandpreservethemessageshistoryandvaluesoftheirpeoplesandinstitutions.TodayintheWesttherehasbeenatendencytocollectAfricanartbyfocusingonsuchqualitiesasraritycreativitycubisticformalstructureperfectionofformandawell-developedpatinathatshowssocietalusageandthusreverencefortheobject.TheageofanypiecethoughnotnecessarilyacriterionforgoodartdoesallowustoknowthatthesculpturewascreatedgenerationsagowithfewerWesterninfluencesorcommercialism.Suchanobjecthasanunderlyingrarityasobviouslyfewersuchobjectscannowbefound.12