Dr. Pearlie Johnson Curator
Margaret and Frederick Merida
Acknowledgments Former gallery director John Begley introduced me to the Meridas and their collection during the summer of 2012. Since then, Dr. Covi and I have spent a great deal of time accessioning, researching and preparing for this exhibition. We are sincerely grateful to Dr. Bess Reed for her sound advice during the accessioning of this collection. Historical and cultural content for this exhibition draws from the scholarship of a number of experts in the discipline of African Art, especially the writings of Monica Visona and Susan Vogel. I am especially indebted to Dr. Visona, who generously gave her time and wisdom in reviewing my work for this study.
Pearlie M. Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pan-African Studies and Fine Arts at the University of Louisville. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Art History and Sociology. Johnson’s academic background is interdisciplinary, combining methods and principles in art history, sociology, ethnography, race and gender studies, feminist and womanist theories, and applying them in the analysis and interpretation of African and African American visual arts. Her research also involves an Africancentered perspective, which examines possible retentions and adaptations, as well as contemporary reinterpretations of African signs, symbols, and traditions in African American cultural productions. Recent publications include: Re-accessing the Power of Art in the Discipline of Pan-African Studies and Reinterpretations of African Cultural Traditions in African American Fabric Arts. Johnson is a member in the Arts Council of African Studies Association.
Dr. Dario Covi, Curator of Collections Dario Covi is a highly respected scholar of Italian Renaissance art history and Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts.
We graciously thank Margaret and Frederick Merida for their donation of African Art. We also wish to thank Ying Kit Chan, Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Ricky Jones, Chair of the Department of Pan-African Studies, for their encouragement and support of this project.
A native of Livingston, Illinois, Dr. Covi first joined the A&S faculty in 1956 after studying at universities in the United States and Europe. He earned his doctorate in Art History from New York University.
Pearlie M. Johnson
At the University of Louisville, Dr. Covi curated the University Collection and Exhibitions from 1958-1963; was Acting Chair of the Department of Fine Arts from 1960-1963; and was Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Director of the Allen R. Hite Art Institute from 1963-1967. In 1970, he left UofL to teach at Duke University where he served as Chair of its Department of Art. But in 1974, he returned as the Allen R. Hite Professor of Art History and served in a variety of leadership positions over the following decade including Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Director of the Hite Art Institute from 1976-1979, as well as Chair of the Division of Humanities for one year. Dr. Covi once again became curator of the university’s art collection in 1977 and continues to maintain the large quantity and variety of art objects more than two decades after his retirement.
Schneider Hall University of Louisville Louisville, KY 40292
Phone: 502-852-6794 http://louisville.edu/art facebook.com/Hite.Art.Institute
Gallery Hours Mon. - Fri. 9 - 4:30 Sat. 10 - 2; Sun 1 -5
African Art
from the Margaret and Frederick Merida Collection July 25 - September 13, 2014 Schneider Hall Galleries Hite Art Institute | Department of Fine Arts University of Louisville
Curator’s Statement The Merida Collection includes various works of art that represent eight sub-Saharan countries and nineteen different ethnic groups. The art objects among these cultures are created for kings and other leaders, for healing practices and for the men’s associations who educate young boys and who oversee the funerals of their members. The most common of these are “initiation societies.” This exhibition is organized according to geographical origin, beginning with Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Art objects are displayed according to place of origin and sub-grouped according to cultures represented within those countries. A historical synopsis of each culture and more information describing the works of art are given in each section. My interest in African Art is linked to the ways in which African American artists reinterpret ideas related to African cultural traditions. Whether it is quilts, sculpture or assemblage, I adhere to Sankofa, a term symbolic of the method in which one must return to their roots in order to discover and reclaim one’s history - a history that has been distorted and denied as a result of the trade in human cargo and colonialism. Some of the works in this collection are referred to as “traditional art” that have been consecrated for particular uses, resulting in power and authority. Traditional art is produced by artists who have undergone intense apprenticeships and who create art within their respective villages to serve unique functions of chieftainship, cultural unity and various rites. Works of art considered to be “authentic” are extinct works that slumber in the collections of museums. Due to the powerful impact of this type of art on modern and contemporary society, African artists have continued replicating historical forms that serve as symbols of political identity and social and cultural unity, as well as to address contemporary issues in the continuously evolving societies.
My goal for this exhibit is not only to present the audience with examples of African art objects, but to introduce our students and local communities to some of the cultures of Africa and provide insight to their practices and traditions. This exhibition coincides with the “Survey of African Art” course that I teach, thus students will have an opportunity to engage first hand with many of the art objects studied in class. Even greater, this exhibition will be on display for students and viewers across artistic and academic disciplines, offering a visually and historically complex perspective of our global community. About the Collection: Many of the objects found in the collection have been used in male initiation societies. The Pende, Yaka, Mumuye, Igbo, Dan, Senufo and Bamana are cultures regulated by male secret societies, which adhere to strict initiation procedures that young boys must pass through in order to enter into manhood. For example, among the Pende people of Democratic Republic of Congo, masks are worn in initiation rites known as Mukunda. Three popular masks among this culture include the Mbuya, the Antelope and the Giwoyo. The Mbuya, with its downcast expression and turned up nose, is used in plays that address behaviors, such as buffoonery and female flirtatiousness; the Antelope , which features tubular eyes, horns, and scarification across the face, are used to teach young men respect and honor of the antelope - which the Pende recognize as being one of the first animals on earth; and the Giwoyo, with elongated neck and raffia beard, appears at dusk with the setting of the sun. It is considered both sacred and profane and is associated with the living and the dead. Another important initiation mask can be found among the Bamana people from Mali. The Bamana are organized around six male secret societies. Chi Wara (also recognized as Tyi Wara) is a male initiation society that focuses on developing skills as
husbands and fathers, as well as the agricultural skills necessary to provide a living for the family. The Chi Wara Headdress is carved to represent the antelope, which the Bamana culture believes descended from heaven to teach people how to cultivate soil, plant crops and harvest food. Thus, Chi Wara is honored during planting season and again during harvest festivals. This headdress can be vertical or horizontal, male or female, and the cap is typically made of raffia or burlap and trimmed with cowrie shells- which are symbolic of abundance. The Kore is another important male initiation ceremony, which honors the Bamana god of rain and thunder. Young men undergo seven years of initiation rituals that honor Kore, where they experience a symbolic death as a boy and rebirth as men. Kore masks are carved in shapes that represent hyenas, antelopes and monkeys, whose primary roles are concerned with exposing human frailties and reinforcing common values in society. Most of these works have additionally been used in the worship of religious deities and spiritual beings. Objects are generally placed in community shrines and on personal altars. In this exhibition, examples of such practices can be found among the Igbo and Yoruba. The Yoruba make up one of the largest cultural groups in Africa. Most of their art serve as religious relics. Their religious pantheon is ruled by Olodumare, their creator god of heaven and earth. Olodumare governs hundreds of deities, known as orisha, and a number of nature spirits that live among the rocks, trees and rivers. Nearly all art created by the Yoruba is made to honor these orisha. Among the most popular are sculptures made in honor of Shango, the Yoruba deity of thunder and lightning. These objects often appear as a figure holding the double-edged axe, or a dance wand symbolic of the double-edged axe. Colors associated with Shango are red and white and his numbers are three and six. The Shango Dance Wand bears three markings on the forehead, three markings on each cheek of its face and three markings on the right side of the wand. The left side of the wand exhibits ridges, which
indicates that it has been used many times. Objects like the Shango Pedestal are placed in shrines dedicated to Shango – and used to support other objects that serve as repositories of Shango’s ashe – which is a god-like substance. Works displayed also highlight a third major custom, which are objects used in divination and various rituals. These traditions are presented in the Baule and Baga cultures. The Baule people are a part of the Akan language group who are said to have migrated to the eastern region of Cote d’Ivoire from a homeland in Ghana. The Baule are one of the largest cultures in Cote d’Ivoire and are well known for their masks and divination figures. For the Baule, human experience is connected to the world of ancestral spirits, which have power and control over the living. Baule healers, who have been selected and anointed by asye usu, the spirits of the forests, use objects recognized as divination figures. These objects are imbued with spiritual powers transmitted from asye usu and used in sacred divination practices. Whether standing or seated – their elongated torso, raised scarification specific to their identity, arms to the side with hands resting on the abdomen or knees, elaborate coiffures and markedly carved facial features are distinct characteristics of Baule art. These divination figures are rendered in honor of the male and female and their sacred connection as spouses. Alongside the dominant narrative of masculine ritual life and its representation through this display of artworks, are a number of equally significant social, cultural and aesthetic concerns and expressions that are presented in order to inspire further research and study. For instance, the function and qualities of masks used by women, specifically the Yoruba Gelede Mask, the Asante Akuabe Doll and the Mende Sande Helmet, and the role of performance as entertainment and masquerade used to honor and celebrate the spiritual world within Kuba, Chokwe, We, Dan, Bamana and Yoruba cultures.
Bamana Culture, Chi Wara Headdress, wood, raffia, metal & cowries, 16” x 25.5” x 3” , mid-20th century.
Asante Culture, Akuaba Doll, Wood, 16” x 5.75” x 1.75”, mid-20th century
Baule Culture, Seated Female Figure, wood, 20.25” x 4.25” x 3.75”, mid-20th century. Baule Culture, Standing Female Figure, wood, 35” x 6.5” x 6”, mid-20th century. Baule Culture, Standing Male Figure, wood, 19” x 4” x 3.75” mid- 20th century.
Igbo Culture, Mba Double Crest Mask, Wood & Pigment, 14” x 18” x 8”, mid-20th century.