The choice of the African objects, masks and sculptures brought
together for the exhibition l’art c’est l’art, is a deliberate
choice, a particular kind of aesthetics very much in keeping with the change in tastes and
aesthetics of the today’s collectors.
Above all it involves complex expressionist styles which combine archaism, refinement,
power and invention. You often need to take a second look in order to appreciate
their nuances. These are determined, sometimes brutal, angular volumes which are concerned
about expressing above all the spontaneous artistic invention and the reduction to the
essential of the rhythms and of the proportions, which in the direct expression shows a
great mastery of sculpting.
The works chosen are therefore far removed from the best known styles of African art and
they reveal the inventive rhythms of artists from less familiar ethnic groups, such as the
Mumuyé and the Montol from Nigeria, the Lobi from Burkina Faso and the Moba and the
Tchamba from Togo. Other figures and masks from different regions in Africa are
presented for their aesthetic particularities and for their intimate relationship with the
subject involved.
Jean
Zuber. 1999. «Du côté des collectionneurs», in: Gonseth Marc-Olivier, Jacques Hainard
et Roland Kaehr, éds. L’art c’est l’art. Neuchâtel: MEN,
pp. 189-190.
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Coll.
Stephan Kurc. Statues Mumuyé, Tchamba, Ibo, Montol.
Coll. François Bouillon. Statues Moba, Montol, Bambara, Mumuyé, Lobi,
Lobi/Dagari, Mumuyé.
Coll. Jean Zuber. Statues Metoko/Lengola, Mumuyé, Dogon/Zeno, Montol,
Montol-Wamba, Kwere, Nyamwesi; masques Djimini, Dogon, Yohouré, Tusyan, Pende oriental,
Landuman, Junga, Adouma, Bira.
Coll. Edouard Klejman. Statues Mumuyé.
Des reproductions N/B des pièces exposées au MEN se trouvent dans l’article de Jean
Zuber. 1999. «Du côté des collectionneurs», in: Gonseth Marc-Olivier, Jacques Hainard
et Roland Kaehr, éds. L’art c’est l’art. Neuchâtel: MEN,
pp. 191-219.
Velours du Kasai.
Bâton de danse. Association «bwami». Lega. Rép. démocratique du Congo. MEN
66.7.11.
Carl
André. 1993. South-West Deck Glarus 1993 (1993-06). Hot-rolled steel: 10
units, 9-unit square (3 x 3), on floor; with tenth superimposed on South-West unit. 1 cm x
50 cm x 50 cm each; 2 cm x 150 x 150 cm overall. Prêt Galerie Tschudi AG, Glaris.
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Having or not having a
«pedigree» defines and sets the price of an ethnographic work of art and some objects
of little artistic interest sometimes obtain amazing high bids at public auctions.
The same principle applies to reproductions of works in books, catalogues or specialised
journals. Thus published works gain a certain prestige. Some dealers or collectors
therefore go as far as buying the front cover of a magazine or publishing a book or a
brochure at their own cost, in order to reproduce works of their collection.
[…] We recently received the catalogue for a public auction advertising the
collection of a couple well known in the field of «native art» which reproduced some
photographs in situ of the works offered. This said «in situ» was not a hut or a
tribal altar nor some African or Oceanic site but the shelves and walls in the
owners’ flat (a remake of the interior designs by Breton, Apollinaire or Joseph
Mueller). This is apparently enough to lend credit and value to the works for sale. Maybe
some day authentic representations of Senegalese sales stands will appear at the flea
market of Saint-Ouen !
Jean
Zuber. 1999. «Du côté des collectionneurs», in: Gonseth Marc-Olivier, Jacques Hainard
et Roland Kaehr, éds. L’art c’est l’art. Neuchâtel: MEN,
pp. 185-187.
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