vra 2013, documenting african art, pawloski
DESCRIPTION
Presented by Carole Pawloski at the Annual Conference of the Visual Resources Association, April 3rd - April 6th, 2013, in Providence, Rhode Island. Session #09: Documenting the Art of Africa: Creating New Vocabularies ORGANIZER: Karen Kessel, Sonoma State University MODERATOR: Carole Pawloski, Eastern Michigan University PRESENTERS: Debra Klein, Bard College Jennifer Larson, Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, Metropolitan Museum of Art Carole Pawloski, Eastern Michigan University Endorsed by the Education Committee Over 100 years ago, artists like Picasso and Gauguin found novel inspiration for their art in the creative works of art from exotic places like Africa and the South Pacific. Digital technology has created the ability to more widely share the resources that we manage yet our vocabulary in describing them is limited. Most Western cultures still view traditional arts of the African continent with a Western aesthetic. People are more interested in how the work is formally viewed than its original function or how and why it was created and how it is displayed. There is often much lacking with record descriptions, cataloging and display that would both enhance the work and give viewers a more accurate understanding of each object. More complete records would enhance the usefulness of object records for multiple disciplines. The influence of African art on the work of Western artists could be documented in the object records. This session will strive to provide these missing elements and further cultural understanding by presenting some of the concerns about the documentation of objects being addressed by current scholars in African art history and related fields. It will touch on the evolving standards and codification of traditional African art, the multiplicity of functionality within objects, and how to better convey meaning through the documentation and contextual display of objects. At the same time, we need to be aware that these cultures may express a need to limit the sharing of information about works that have special significance to their own cultural communities or ethnic groups. Thursday April 4, 2013 1:35pm - 2:55pmTRANSCRIPT
Documenting the Art of Africa: Creating New Vocabularies
Carole Pawloski Eastern Michigan University
Yaëlle BiroMetropolitan Museum of Art
Debra Klein Bard College
Visual Resources Association Annual Conference 2013 Providence Rhode Island
Endorsed by the VRA Education Committee
What is Missing:When Aesthetics Leave the Contextual
Behind
Carole Pawloski [email protected]
Visual Resources Librarian, Professor of African ArtEastern Michigan University
April 4, 2013
Session: “Documenting Art of Africa: Creating New Vocabularies.”
Norfolk State University Art Gallery. Traditional display.
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concerns
Ghana. Ashanti group. Akua ba doll. Wood, beads. Height. 10 inches
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concerns
Charnelle Holloway. “Fertility Belt for the Career Woman.” 1995. repoussé metal, cowrie shells, raffia
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concerns
Mali. Bamana group. Hunter’s shirt. Amulets, cotton, animal skin, claws, horns
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concerns
Mali. Abdoulaye Konaté. Gris Gris Blanc (white gris gris)2006. 90 x 196 ¾ inches, cotton.
Mali. Dogon group. Dama masquerade. 2008.
Mali. Dogon group. Kanaga mask (on left). 2008.
Nick Cave. Soundsuit. 2009. fake fur, height. 70 inches
Nigeria. Yoruba group. Egungun mask. Fabric, wood. Height. 72 inches
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concerns
accumulation, animism, codification, visual canonical abstraction, performance,
ceremony, community, anonymity, nyama (life force), ritual, secrecy, symbolism,
multiplicity, and interaction
Traditional African ArtStylistic Characteristics
Ghana. El Anatsui. Earth’s Skin. 2007. aluminum bottle caps, copper wire
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concerns
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, MI
Traditional African Art examples
Image removed due to copyright
concerns