African Art Works (el. knyga) (skaityta knyga) | knygos.lt

Aprašymas

This stunning tribute to African art features more than 200 photos, paintings, sculptures, and textiles from the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art's collections

This marvelous volume is dedicated to the African art collection of Michigan state legislator Jack Faxon (1936-2020) bequeathed to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. While eclectic, these pieces are united by the work that Africa's historical arts are called upon to do--serving a utilitarian purpose, simulating action, fostering respect for the natural world, honoring the spiritual domain, and more.

Spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, these pieces reveal that traditional African art has carried on through the decades. African Art Works places Faxon's collection in conversation with mid-20th to 21st-century works from the museum to draw connections between shared themes and issues across traditional art and art more typically considered "modern and contemporary," such as:

• Cultivating healthy relationships with the environment A 20th-century crest mask used in performances that honor the Ijo community's relationship with water is paired with a 2016 statue Tree Woman depicting a body intertwined with nature
• Conserving scarce resources an early to mid-20th-century milk pail used by a Zulu community paired with a 2013 haute couture dress that serves as a powerful statement about the richness of Africa's resources and the violence they can spark
• Calling community together in danger an early 20th century slit gong that can carry powerful sound over long distances and could help notify a community of threat paired with a 1970 etching depicting the fear and anxiety during Nigeria's civil war

Essays reflect on the role of art as a call to action, the act of collecting African art, and Jack Faxon's legacy driven by his work in the arts, education, and public service. Stunning and enlightening, African Art Works explores how artists, communities, and collectors have sought to make change in their lives and the world through art.