Week Five

While looking at the “Equestrian Figure” of the Jenne people(s) of Mali on can see that the man riding the horse is larger than the horse itself. This emphasizes that men are powerful and strong. But the horse could also be small and not have an elongated neck because of the material it was carved from, a wooden log. Horses are also seen as a sign of status. One may find that the rider may be a hero or an important figure in the community. There are multiple meanings that can be drawn from every piece of African art.

The figure on the right was made by the Bamana people(s) of Mali. It is titled “Seated mother and child.” The mother seated with child is wearing a helmet this represents power, and that she is important to their community. The helmet is something the men who are strong warriors and hunters wore. She also is holding a child; this show the importance of fertility to the Bamana people, also the passing down of wisdom and characteristics to the next generation. Women hold a great deal of power in African cultures, sometimes it can look like men take the majority of the roles in African cultures. Women are by no mean forgotten or considered unimportant. Women, especially older women are considered wise and very important. Many people(s) of Africa see a need for balance. Balance being one of needing a male and female to reproduce and grow as a community.

I chose these two figures because its shows representation of both sexes and it equally shows the power held by each sex. Both figures have abstracted idealized forms. The female has large breasts and torso. She also has the classic almond eyes. The male is created larger than the horse emphasizing power. He has almond eyes as well along with a beard. One may represent fertility and the other may represent a hero or important figure but they both represent power and the necessity/importance for each sex.

Week Four

This week was heavily about Masquerades. We learned about the Baule, Bamana, and Bawa people(s). We also read an article by Herbert Cole titled, "Introduction: The Mask, Masking, and Masquerade in Africa". Something that I found to be very interesting in this article was when Cole talked about a hypothesis that, "women first had the secret of masks" (Cole 15). He talked about how the men felt women were very powerful, powerful enough that the men “…avenged this awesome feminine power by forming secret associations and taking control of cults, some of which used masks” (Cole 15). I liked this hypothesis because it does help one try to understand or make sense of why men do most of the dancing and women many times are not allowed to.

I also liked his quote, “Masquerades are probably Africa’s most resilient art form, continually evolving to meet new needs” (Cole 16). I chose to like this quote because it emphasizes the continuing change in African art. It may help some realize that Africa is not a stagnant continent full of multiple countries, but that Africa is as ever-changing as Americans may be in many ways.

An example of change in the masks of the Bwa would be that of the serpent mask. These masks have grown taller and taller because of the belief behind them. In a very short version one village created a serpent mask because it was commissioned by the serpent after the mask was made many of the men found women and were married. Other villages caught wind of this and their spirit diviners told them to make a mask that was taller and that would bring them luck with women. One village can be seen affecting another village.

The Baule people have masquerades that mark change and also celebrate life and wisdom. The Goli is a dance that has four pairs of maskers each pair marks a change in age and maturity.

The Bamana have masquerades that mark change. The Ndomo and the Ci Wara are age grades that are used to make boys men and girls women. Many of the masks represent balance, a balance that is found with women and men. They believe in the need for a man and women to be together to have balance and reproduce.

This article also talked about when these masks are taken and put in museums. Putting these masks in an art gallery may not be the best way to show them to others. Cole talks about how when a masker dances a mask that person becomes the spirit/character the mask represents. The dancer is no longer themself. And it is not just the mask that is important. The audience, drummers, and clothing are equally as important as the mask. When a mask is taken from its surroundings it is a mask, but masks are a part of masquerades and these are so much more important and interesting. Not many people would know this by seeing just a mask. In essence putting a mask on display is not teaching us the real meaning of masquerades. I by reading watching and listening in class this week have only begun to understand masquerades. I know that I would not have learned much of this just by visiting a museum and looking at a mask.

Week Three

This week we read an article titled “The Radiance of the King” by Donald Cosentino. This article was about some contemporary Ghanaian paintings. Donald talked about how earlier paintings were utilitarian and many times about movies. There was a time in the late 90’s when these paintings faded because of other items like the chalkboard or computer. But at the start of the 21st century painting was back in style. It was said that, “these guys paint because they can’t help it. It’s therapy. It’s what they are born to do” (Cosentino). These new paintings were made with a lot of meaning. The artists were free to put their own spin on things, to have their thoughts/beliefs be put into paintings.
Something that I found interesting was that earlier on all they had was cinema movies to paint from, but now they have the television to go off of and that gives them a huge range of media to go off of. This also means that they get information much quicker from around the world.
In the beginning of the article it mentioned that these paintings were, “…ambassador(s) of cross-cultural pollination.” There is a lot of cross-culture in the Obama paintings in the article. Since they were made in Africa and the images are of our type of government and our political leaders it does have a crossing of cultures. Images of the American flag appear many times in these paintings along with other government symbols including the white house. So it is obvious that much of our culture and its ideas are being brought to Africa in some way. After reading this article it would seem that some parts of Africa were infatuated with Obama.
I can also possibly see cross-cultural pollination in some of the Ghanaian textiles. Of course there are the printed textiles of political figures like Roosevelt, Churchill, or Obama. But there is also the cell-phone which eventually got to Africa from another culture. Or there is the idea that Britain’s brought tea to Africa. And then some Africans used the tins to make tin stencils for their textiles. There is also an ethnic group called the Tuaregs that give tea to their guests. This idea of serving tea may have come from another culture. Another example could be the backed chairs for the hene(s). It may have been that it was stools that were used first and then the Portuguese may have brought the backed chair over.
Overall I believe that there is a lot of cross-culture pollination going on at all times. If people have access to visual culture it is almost impossible to not be an object of cross-culture pollination. I think that just based on that fact that I am writing about another culture and how it may have an influence on the way that I think is an example of cross-culture pollination.

Asante and Textiles

We learned more about the Asante people and their beliefs this week. We also looked at various types of textiles of the Ghanaian peoples. We studied kente (woven), adinkra (stamped), akunitan (embroidered), and batik (wax-resist) textile styles.

We also were able to get hands on experience with the batik (was-resist) style. Nani Agbeli an Ewe came to show us how to batik. One thing he mentioned today when we were finishing our batik textiles was the idea of possession. He said that when we feel and urge to dance/paint/draw etc it is a spiritual possession that comes in to guide us and help us and then leaves us when we are done. He mentioned that he will not paint unless he feels the urge. People will ask him to come paint and he will say "its not time". He has to feel the urge in him to paint.

I find this fascinating because I am so intrigued by the beliefs and the spirituality of some African peoples. They are constantly looking for guidance from other beings or being. I believe they think little of being self driven but believe they are more guided and or seeking for guidance throughout their lives. But this is my belief.

Something that I found to be very interesting this week about the Asante people was the Aku'ba figurines they have. As we learned about the Asante people we found that they are a matralineal culture and make these Aku'ba figurines. These Aku'ba figures are always female and have spiritual meaning to them. (The Aku ma are always female because the Akan people preferred female children.) These are pieces that women will carry with them believing that they will become pregnant, have healthy babies, and have an easy birth. These figures are consecrated by religious figures before they are carried. After the birth of a child the child sometimes used the Aku'ba as a toy, like a doll.

Women carry these based on a story about a women Akua that was told by a priest to have a figure commissioned that was a child and she would then have to carry this figure and treat it just as she would treat a child. And in doing this she would become pregnant.

I found these figures to be so interesting because of the belief and spiritual meaning behind them. And the detail in the figures themselves showing a perfected image of a child. The figures have flattened foreheads a symbol of beauty in this culture. They also have marks of scarification and long necks.

I keep thinking that we do similar things in America to our children as well. I have heard of many stories of women reading and singing to their babies before they are born to " make them smart". Some women even prefer to have c-sections so their babies have rounder heads. Some Americans try to perfect their child even before they are born. Some Americans also pierce children's ears when they are young possibly being a symbol of beauty. We are constantly dressing up children in "cute" clothes to make these small humans stylish and adorable. I'm not saying any of this is bad, I am just bringing to light some similarities we have in the American culture of perfection.

Misconceptions turning to Wow

I found this weeks reading assignments to be interesting and valuable. I say this because some of my previously held misconceptions about Africa and African Art came to light this week.
Our first assignment was to read the intro in our textbook, "A History of Art in Africa" the second edition. After reading the intro I decided to turn what the "I thought I knew" about Africa into what I have "heard" about Africa.

While reading about the Dogon people and learning about their masquerades and how they will almost "perform" for tourists and then do their cultural masquerades with current masks and not the "traditional" masks ,as we like to call them, I was taken back. I had always thought of the people of Africa as tribal and not necessarily as communities that are changing just as communities in America are constantly changing. This is just one of the misconceptions that I found I had about Africa this week.

Among many things from this weeks lectures I am very interested about the textiles and the weaving process. I have no concept of what a heedle, weft-face or float-weave patterns, and single heddle or double heddle looms are so I went searching and came up with bits of new information. Here are little bits of what I found.

A heddle(right) is a frame that holds needles that have eyes that you guide separate strings through. I like to think of these like I would whales teeth. Whales have bristles that sort through everything so only what needs to come in comes in. One may also think of a heddle as a bristle brush as well.

A weft-face loom (right) is one that the main

design comes from the string that runs the shortest distance (usually left to right)

I also found out that the boat like tool that holds the thread, that goes from left to right or vice-versa is called a shuttle(right).

I am nevertheless interested to learn about the many types of African textiles including weaving.