.h1Grayson Enterprises Ltd. .h2Page # Firs N Seria Rights 1,385 words TH KINGDOMS TH POWER AN TH GLORY OF AFRICA TRIBA ART Writte b Jun Grayson Photographe b Richar Grayson Yo migh sa tha E Elio Benezra M D. ha su- specialt i masks I hi consultin room thi Chicag psychiatris help hi patient fin ou what' behin thei masks I th Africa roo o hi suburba home Dr Benezr studie th 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 differen fro member o thos Africa tribe a h migh think " hav alway bee intereste i th histor o mankin wit it vanishin ar an cultures, say Dr Benezra "S te year ag wen t Afric wit grou o physician fro m medica society wa eage t se Africa peopl i thei everyda 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 guid coul almos cal the b name An w sa som ceremonial dance performe fo tourists Th Afric sought however ha alread 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 Chicag wha ha hope t se i Afric th ver essenc o it ar an 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 divinatio bow remain on o hi mos prize possessions. Africa ar shoul neve b calle "primitive. I fact i i highl sophisticate art ric i it diversity Th trut i tha primitiv ar i general a wel a th craftsme an artist wh creat it i no primitiv a all bu th resul o centurie old elaborat traditions Westerner stil hav lon wa t g t understan th culture tha produc suc art Africa roc ar ha bee date bac t 9,00 B.C Wha th European merchant an missionarie t Africa foun fro th fifteent centur onward wer no th simple barbari curio o newly enlightene peopl bu evidenc o tw 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 the work o th Cubist an Surrealists Thes artist insiste tha naturalis wa no th onl wa a artis coul expres 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 powe reside i al part o creatio human animal plants rocks an river an tha thi powe ca b tapped controlled an directe b ritua means Animis believe tha bot animat an inanimat object posses a innat soul Eve th 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 rituals I th cas o dea ancestor sculptur o mas ma hav t b mad t provid hom fo th wanderin sou an t focu tha powe t hel th living. "Africa ar i conceptual no naturalistic, Dr Benezr says "I doe no represen a objec a see b th eye mas doe no represen fear I i fea itself Eac sculptur give u messag abou th mysterie o creation religion history an socia structure." "Suc animis i no to fa-fetche fro ou wester culture especiall 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 unconsciou persona fear o magi an mysticis a bay. Africa triba ar usuall refer t Africa sout o th Sahara Norther Afric develope differentl becaus it Mosle religio proscribe th makin o images. Mos o Dr Benezra' collectio i fro centra an wester Africa tribes Sinc woo doe no las 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 specializ i Africa art. singl mas ma cos fro $100.0 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 "Fin ar museum hav elevate triba ar t majo ar status, explain Dr Benezra "Th Metropolita Museu i Ne Yor ha a outstandin collectio o Africa art Althoug mos o th America collector kno ar white shoul thin tha collectin b blac professional wil increas a the ca affor t trave an bu th thing tha attes t thei roots. Happily Africa ar i no dying Althoug som recen Africa politica regime hav trie t stam ou triba custom t promot modernization mos moder Africa leader hop t encourag th continuatio 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 han-carve woode figure i th Nairob airpor fo $5.0 t $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 fo sweatmark o erosio b termites." Collector wh wan on-o--kin piece fo thei collection wil probabl hav t establis workin relationshi wit specifi antiqu deale o a Africa importer a Dr Benezr has The come th fu o research fo man dealer don' reall kno th backgroun o a ite whic the ma sell Triba characteristic ca b recognize b th postur o a image bodil proportions th shap o th torso detail o headdress scarification o th skin th shap o th differen features th typ o dress an th ornamentation Eac trib i Africa ma hav som uniqu featur tha i identifiabl b a ar connoisseu o anthropologist "Whe yo star collectio lik this yo ca neve se ho i i goin t tak ove you life, continue Dr Benezra Eve whe Barbar say enough enoug ca onl sa on more on 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 things I i a adventur fo bot o u wheneve w bu anothe piece. Th nices thin abou thi collection, Dr Benezr continues "i tha m wif doesn' nee t dus it Repair an maintenanc ar no-existent I fact th piece shoul no b dusted the shoul no b polished an the shoul b lef jus th wa the ar afte year an 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 church an privilege few, Dr Benezr says "No collectin ca b passio o a eve-growin numbe o people Th us o mask ha bee know i ever cultur t hid an t reveal W ca onl enric ou ow live a w appreciat th live o others." #####