Toledo Museum of Art: Africa Unmasked: the Art of the Continent across Time and Space

 

Our visit to the Toledo Museum of Art begins with a single gallery focus show titled: "Africa Unmasked: the Art of the Continent across Time and Space".  It features subjects from the museum's permanent collection with the idea of juxtaposing works from antiquity to the present day.  With less than 20 objects, the room provides a lovely introduction to the range of African Art; however, it's a little lean on achieving the lofty goals printed on the gallery's wall: 

"The display reckons with the past, wrestles with the present, and posits a future in which the Total creative genius of the Continent is pieced together again." and "...aims for viewers to see power in place of primitivism, intention in place of inferiority, mastery and rich meaning in place of mediocrity."

The problem I have with the second snippet is in its assumption that visitors see African Art as Primitive, Inferior, and/or Mediocre.  Condescension in Art Galleries is the most off-putting and therefore counterproductive thing they can do. But it's only words on a wall.

I found these items compelling in their craftsmanship.  Lovely in their form.  Some of the contemporary works fascinating in the conceptual nexus.   As the teacher in me never rests, I wonder if a more useful approach to setting up guests might be to have just asked us to consider thought provoking questions as we experienced the art.  Which work resonates most powerfully with your aesthetic?  (or Which work would you want to have in your home?)  Which work evokes a memory from your past?  From which artist would you like to see more art?  Which work do you wish you had created?  If you were to create a work of art based on one of these works, how would it be different and/or the same?  Perhaps you could pick a question and ponder it as I share these samples from the gallery.

"The Seated II," 2019

Wangechi Mutu, 1972 -

[Kenyan]

"Epa Helmet Mask: Mother of Twins (Iyabeji), circa 1875-1910

Bamgbose, ? - circa 1920 OR Areogun, circa 1880 - 1954

[Nigerian]

"Pharaoh Tanwetamani," circa 664 - 657 BCE

Kushite, from the Great Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal

[Sudanese]

"Made in Porto-Novo," 2009

Romuald Hazoume, 1962 - 

[Republic of Dahomey - (Benin)]

"When I last wrote to you about Africa, I used a leatherhead parchment paper,  There were many blank slots in the letter..........I can now fill some of these slots because.....I have grown older," 1986

El Anatsui, 1944 - 

[Ghanaian] 

"The Future and Now," circa 2005

Demond Melancon, 1978 - 

[United States]