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POWeRINCARNATeAllANSTONeSCOlleCTIONOFSCUlPTUReFROMTheCONGOMAY142011SePTeMBeR42011ATTheBRUCeMUSeUMGReeNWIChCTTheBruceMuseuminGreenwichConnecticutpresentsitsnewestexhibitionPowerIncarnateAllanStonesCollectionofSculpturefromtheCongoopeningonSaturdayMay142011andonviewthroughSeptember42011.TheworksaredrawnfromTheAllanStoneCollection.AllanStonewasthenotedartdealergalleryownerandcollectorwhodiedin2006attheageof74.PerhapsbestknownforhisexpertiseinAbstractExpressionismMr.StonescollectionofAfricanartisanextraordinaryassemblageinitsownrightadecidedlypersonalcollectionandamonumenttoaparticularartisticvision.GuestcuratorfortheexhibitionisKevinD.DumouchelleAssistantCuratorfortheArtsofAfricaandthePacificIslandsattheBrooklynMuseum.TheexhibitionissupportedbytheCharlesM.andDeborahG.RoyceExhibitionFund.TheprevailingregionrepresentedintheexhibitionistheCongoandaparticulartypethepowerfigurearethelargestgroupamongthesesculptures.FoundintheKongoandSongyeculturesbothofwhichhistoricallyproducedfiguresintendedtoprotecttheircommunitiesthesepowerfiguresoftencallednkisiornkishialongwithotherconceptuallyrelatedsculpturesfromtheCongobasinarethefocusoftheexhibition.Theworksbelongtoaseriesofhighlycomplexchargedandsubtlepoliticalandcosmologicalinstitutionsbroadlydatingfromthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturies.Smalldifferentiatedsocialsegmentsblacksmithcarversanddivinersorngangasthatspecializedininterveninginwildernessonbehalfofcivilizationcreatedandusedthesesculpturestoharnessspiritualforcestoaidthecommunity.Tothatendtheseworksarevehiclesforhumanityscontrolofnaturenotthereverse.Thesculpturesarenottoolsorrepresentationsofspiritualforcesassociatedwiththeancestralrealmbutthroughtheinformedselectiveapplicationofadditionalmaterialstotheirsurfaceslayeredovertimethesesculpturesbecomepowerincarnate.PowersculpturefromtheCongohasalongstandingcross-culturalformalappealwhichledtoitsproliferationinearlytwentieth-centuryWesterncollections.AtthatearlymomentcollectorsappreciatedAfricansculpturenarrowlyasformalsolutionstoissuesinmodernistfiguralsculptureandoftenremovedtheaccumulatedlayersofpowermaterialswhichtheyregardedasimpedimentstoaestheticappreciation.Westernaudiencesnowappreciatethatthevariedsurfacesoftheseworksnotonlyoffertracesofthehistoryoftheirusebuttheaccumulatedevidenceoftheiroriginalintentionasvesselsforanimatingspirits.Powersculpturesserveasindicesnotonlyofthesespiritsbutalsooftheagencyoftheiroriginalartistsandpractitioners.ThedenselayersofappliedmaterialscreatewhattheKongoreferredtoasngitukuluorastonishment.Asvesselsofpowerthesesculpturescontinuetoactonustoday.Theseartworksmaintainaclosevisualandintellectualrelationshiptotwentieth-centuryartfromthewildstrokesofWillemdeKooningandFranzKlinetotheassemblagesofJosephCornellonwhichAllanStonemadehisnamesaidKevinDumouchelletheexhibitionsguestcurator.IndeedtheStonecollectionsfiguresfromtheCongoshareavisualandintellectualrelationshipwiththeassemblagesculpturethatStonechampioned.WhileWesternsculpturetookitsforcefromitsvisualorconceptualimpacttheCongoleseworksaddakeyingredient-activepoweritself.TheBruceMuseumislocatedat1MuseumDriveinGreenwichConnecticutUSA.Generaladmissionis7foradults6forseniorsandstudentsandfreeforchildrenunderfiveandBruceMuseummembers.FreeadmissiontoallonTuesdays.TheMuseumislocatednearInterstate-95Exit3andashortwalkfromtheGreenwichCTtrainstation.MuseumhoursareTuesdaythroughSaturday10a.m.to5p.m.Sunday1p.m.to5p.m.andclosedMondaysandmajorholidays.Groupsofeightormorerequireadvancereservations.MuseumexhibitiontoursareheldFridaysat1230p.m.Freeon-siteparkingisavailable.TheBruceMuseumisaccessibletoindividualswithdisabilities.ForinformationcalltheBruceMuseumat203869-0376orvisittheBruceMuseumwebsiteatwww.brucemuseum.org.IMAGeS1.KongoFigurPowerFigureNkisi.DemocraticRepublicoftheCongoorAngola.Woodglasstextilefiberspigmentorganicmaterials.11x512x512inches.2.KongoFigurPowerFigureNkisi.DemocraticRepublicoftheCongoorAngola.Woodglasstextilefiberspigmentresinorganicmaterials.7x3x212inches.3.KongoFigurPowerFigureNkisi.DemocraticRepublicoftheCongoorAngola.Woodmetalglassfibersraffiapigmentorganicmaterials.1514x6x4inches.4.SongyFigurPowerFigureNkishiwithBishishiMetalStuds.Woodmetalfiberanimalhidefeatherssnakeskin.35x13x15inches.5.SongyFigurPowerFigureNkishiwithMambeleCowrieShells.Woodmetalcowrieshellsfiberbeadsanimalhideorganicmaterials.21x6x512inches.6.SongyFigurPowerFigureNkishiwithBishishiHoeBlade.Woodmetalfiberanimalhidefeathersbeadsorganicmaterials.3612x12x15inches.