s1 .. L...!!..................................!........................R Grayson Enterprlses Ltd. Page 1 First NA Serial Rights 1,385 words THE KINGDOMS, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY OF AFRIOAN TRIBAL ART Written by June Grayson, Photographed by Ri#hard Grayson Yo migh sa tha E Elio Benezra M D. ha sub specialt i masks I hi consul#in room thi Ohicag psychiatris help hi patient fin ou what' behin thei masks I th Africa roo o hi suburba home Dr Benezr studie #h origin o hi ow burgeonin collectio o Africa triba mask an sculptures Th insight gaine fro eithe disciplin illuminat th othe one Moder ma i no a dif!eren# from members of #hose African #ribes as he might think. .PA .. L.!.!!......................................................................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. Pa#e 2 " hav al#ay bee ln#ereste i th histor o mankin wit it vanishin ar an cultures, say Dr Benezra "S te year ag wen t Afric wi# grou o physician fro m medica society wa eage t see African people in their everyday lives." "Bu Africa wa no th wa imagine i t be althoug m fantasie wer probabl base o ol Tarza movies W di ge t se som nativ animal i nationa par bu ou #uid coul almos cal the b name An w sa som #eremonia dance performe fo tourists Th Afric sought however, had alreadY disappeared." " di no thin o Afric agai unti dinne part fiv year late i hom fille wit Africa ar - bronzes terracottas woo carvings figures an masks finall sa i suburba Ohicag wha ha hope t see in Africa - the very essence of its art and culture." Dr Benezr bough th firs piec o hi collectio tha ver nigh fro a Africa importe wh als attende th partY Th carved woode divination bowl remains one of his most prized possessions. Africa ar shoul neve b calle "primitive. I fact i i hi#hl sophisticate art ric i it diversity Th trut i tha primitiv ar i #eneral a wel a th craftsme an artist wh creat it i no primitiv a all bu th resul o centurie old elaborat traditions Westerner s#ill have a long way to go to understand the cultures that produce such art. African rock art has been dated back #o 9,000 8.C. What #he .PA .. L..!.!..................................................................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. Page 3 European merchant an missionarie t Africa foun fro th fifteent centur onward wer no th simpIe barbari curio o newIy enlightene peopI bu evidenc o #w thousan year o Africa creativ genius. I too th Parisia artist o th earl twentiet centur t proclai th artisti meri o Africa triba art I fact influence fro Africa mask an statue hav bee foun i th work o th Oubists and Surrealists. These artists insisted that naturalis# was not the onlY way an artist could express himsel an tha Africa ar represente different bu n les valid reality. Picass sai tha "primitive sculpture ha neve bee bee surpassed I paintin b Picass i 1907 Le Demoiselle d"Avignon th head o th prancin nud figure ar clearl base o Africa masks. "Africa ar i roote i religion, continue Dr Benezra "An Africa religio i generall base o animism th assumptio tha supernatura po#e reside i al par# o creatio - human animal plants rocks an river - an tha #hi powe ca b tapped controlled an directe b ri#ua means Animis believe tha bot animat an inanimat object posses a innat soul Eve #h dea retai thi force S th departe ancesto spirit th spiri o a anima kille i hunt o eve th spiri o tre cu down ma constitut dange t th trib unti the appeas i b sacrific o othe rituaIs I th cas o dea ancestor sculptur o mas ma hav t b mad t provid hom fo th wanderin sou an # focu that power #o help the living." .PA .. L...!!...........................................................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. Page 4 "Africa ar i conceptual no naturalistic, Dr Benezr says "l doe no represen a objec a see b th eye mas doe no represen fear I i fea i#self Eac sculptur give u messag abou th mysterie o creation religion history, and social structure." "Suc animis i no to far-fetche fro ou wester culture espe#iall aroun Halloween, observe Dr Benezra "House ar haunte b ghosts Peopl ar bewitche an cursed Eve thoug w dea wit thi humorousl a Halloween freak thing continu t happe throughou th whol yea i ou ow live an i th live o others sometime wonde i i i counterphobi fo m t hav thes ar object i m ow hom - perhap wa o keepin un#onsciou persona fear o magi an mysticism at bay." Africa #riba ar usuall refer t Africa sout o th Sahara Norther Afric develope differentl becaus it Mosle religion proscribed the making of ima#es. Mos o Dr Benezra' collectio i fro centra an wester Africa tribes Sinc woo doe no |as i tha climate hi woode piece ar fro thi century H usuall buy fro th importer h me a th dinne part whe the retur o thei yearl trip t th Unite States Som antiqu shop als specialize in African art. singl mas ma cos fro SlOO.O t $1.000.00 Large figure ma cos severa thousan dollars Still Dr Benezr believe tha a Africa ar collectio ca onl increas i value. "Fine art museums have elevated tribal art to a major art .PA .. L.!.!..!...........................................................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. Page 5 status, explain Dr Benezra "Th Metropolita Museu i Ne Yor ha a outstandin collectio o Africa art Althoug mos of the American collectors I know are white, I should think _ that collecting by black professionals will increase as they can afford to travel and buy the things that attest to their roots." Happily Africa ar i no dying Althoug som recen Africa politi#a regime hav trie t stam ou triba custom t promot modernization mos moder Africa leader hop t encourag th con#inuatio o bot traditiona an moder artisti achievements. I yo trave t Africa today yo ca probabl star a Africa ar collectio b purchasin Africa "airpor art - ivor jewelr an hand-carve woode figure i th Nairob airpor fo S5.00 to $20.00. "Yo ca tel i piec o Africa ar i authenti o jus mad fo th touris trade, Dr Benezr says "Examin th mask for sWeatmarks or erosion by termites." Collector #h #an one-of-a-kin piece fo thei coIle#tion wil probabl hav t establis workin relationshi wit specifi antiqu deale o a Africa importer a Dr Benezra has. The come th fu o research fo man dealer don' reall kno th ba#kgroun o a ite whic the ma sell Triba characteristic ca b recognize b th postur o a image bodil proportions #h shap o #h torso detail o headdress scarification o th skin th shap o th differen features th typ o dress an th ornamentat#on Eac trib l African may have some unique feature that is .PA .. L!!...!!...........................................................R Grayson Enterprises Ltd. Pa#e 6 .identifiable by an art connoisseur or anthropolo#ist. "Whe yo star collectio lik this yo ca neve se ho i i goin t tak ove you ll#e, continue Dr #enezra Eve whe Barbar say - enough enoug - ca onl sa - on more one more." Accordin t Barbar Benezra Africa ar grow o you "Th mor yo ar expose t it th mor yo appreciat it Yo se differen thin#s I i a adventur fo bot o u wheneve w buy another piece." "Th ni#es thin abou thi collection, Dr Benezr continues "i tha m wif doesn' nee t dus it Repair an maintenanc ar non-existent l fact th piece shoul no b dusted the shoul no b polished an the shoul b lef jus th wa the ar afte year #,n year o exposur t th elements The ar suppose t b cracke an scratched The d tak u lo o space however an tha become consideration." "Ar collection use t b restricte t kings th ohuroh an privilege few, Dr Benezr says "No collectin ca b passio o a ever-growin numbe o people Th us o mask ha bee know i ever cultur - t hid an t reveal W ca onl enrich our own lives as we appreciate the lives of others." .PA