Baule African Art/Western Eyes

Abstract

The sculptures of the Baule people of the Ivory Coast have long been recognized in Europe and the United States as one of Africa's most significant traditions. The work of many modern artists - Amedeo Modigliani in particular - refelects the direct influence of Baule invention and forms. This text explores for the texture and details of Baule life and art. Illustrations include field photographs showing artworks in the intimacy of daily lives and public performances, and museum photograophs of Baule sculptures. Susan Vogel focuses on the creation and uses of Baule works of apart from their definition as art in western eyes. She establishes a means for understanding Baule expressive culture from the perspective of the Baule individuals. In a discussion of Baule experiences of objects, she finds different kinds of looking and sleeping - that is watched (mask dances and entertainment performances), that is seen without looking (works of too sacred or awesome to be scrutinized), that is glimpsed (sculptures made for personal shrines and kept in private rooms), and that is visible to all (elaborately decorated objects that fulfill the desire for beauty and for open display of talents).

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