Makeba Dixon-Hill (Spelman 2003) and Dr. Karla Dennis
Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, is home to more than one hundred million people and two hundred and fifty ethnic groups, who speak numerous languages. This teeming melting pot of people and culture lay at the center of the wellspring of vitality that characterizes Nigerian art. For more than two thousand years, prolific Nigerian master artists have created awe-inspiring works that still intrigue and captivate us. The infinite variety of Nigerian art forms, media, and techniques only hint at the remarkable intellect, creative skill, and innovation inherent in the production of African art. This exhibition brings Nigerian wooden sculptural forms into focus. Wooden masks, sculpture and scared shrine objects exemplify the marriage of form and function. Individually, their formal aesthetic elements are informed by complex ideas, African systems of thought, and traditional practices that are celebrated in daily cycles of life. These art works are multi-functional and multi-symbolic, and are consistently used in rituals and ceremonies, which together form the fabric of the social life of the cultures that produce them. The art works on display in this exhibition represent only a small part of the Spelman and Clark/Atlanta collections. The Spelman African art collection primarily consists of gifts from Spelman alumnae and former U.S. ambassador to Cameroon, Dr. Mabel Smythe Haith. Nora Gordon, who was also a Spelman alumna and missionary in the Congo, donated African art to the collection as early as 1889. Thanks to the legacy and foresight of these African American women art collectors, we can continue to engage Africa, learn about its diverse art forms, and celebrate its unique and vibrant cultures.
Karla Dennis kdennis@spelman.edu
Spelman College Department of Art
2003
As you enter FOCUS, you pass objects that confirm, as well as challenge some of the perceptions of African art today. FOCUS showcases the vitality and complexity of three-dimensional objects, while questioning the notion that an entire continent can be defined by a single society's or region's artistic style. It would be a mistake to assume that the function of African art is solely utilitarian; this art embodies an aesthetic that is celebrated, admired, and studied. In the curatorial statement by Jontyle Theressa Robinson about the Bearing Witness Exhibit, she asserts that one of the connections between African American culture and traditional African art is that the art form is not separated from the activities of daily life; art is not seen as disconnected from the community's existence. In fact, Dele Jegede mentions in Art by Metamorphosis that African objects were not created exclusively for art's sake, but for life's--meaning that the pieces were an integral part of the daily routine and traditional practices of the community. This appreciation for the intellectual and aesthetic qualities of African art should be a part of the display of the collection and the academic dialogue on the genre.
For Spelman College, the introduction to African art, like the institution's conception, was spearheaded by the will and dedication of women. The African Art Collection here received many of its objects from the gifts of African American female missionaries, government officials, and friends of the College, such as Nora Gordon in 1889, Franklin H. Williams, John and Carolyn Streamlau, Ruth Wilner, Mr. And Mrs. Gerard Nordman, Millicent Dobbs Jordan in the 1980s and 90s, and, most notably, Mabel Murphy Smythe Haith. As Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, and the only black woman ambassador during her tenure, Smythe Haith donated her collection of African Art to Spelman during an African issues seminar on the campus in 1979. After her appointment as ambassador, she became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; she bequeathed her entire collection to Spelman College in 1980. This collection of eleven Nigerian works of art shown before you today explores features of ritual and representation that cross geographic boundaries and engage in a transcontinental discussion where parallels between Africa and contemporary African American culture can be made. These objects, that vary from ceremonial masks to personal shrines, include themes that require the viewer to experience the work as a meta-narrative capable of engaging its audience in a conversation that leads from form and style, context and intent, to spiritual purpose and physical function. One should not see merely a piece taxonomically classified as "mask" or "headdress." As we view the art of Nigeria, let us acknowledge the power each image possesses. For instance, the Yoruba figures in the exhibition are recognized as tools that allow one to negotiate life's circumstances, such as protecting a living child after a twin has died, or even providing solutions to life's questions. Evident in this exhibition are the natural resources used to create these pieces, illustrating the artists' and communities' connection to the earth and the care given these objects. During our research and interaction with the identified works, we realized that, before they were limited to the museum sphere, these three-dimensional objects were regularly handled and regarded as integral parts of the community that required a catalyst for internal harmony, as shown in the gelede mask, or needed enforcement of acceptable social behavior, as displayed through the Elu masks. We value these contexts; however, we have also attempted to adhere to formal conservation techniques to ensure that these pieces will be available long after FOCUS has closed. In our initial decisions about the primary missions of this exhibition, we wanted the viewer to examine the intellectual processes of the objects' construction and function and to recognize the diversity of a country's artistic styles, especially as they cross boundaries created by language, geography, natural resources, ethnic groups, and religion. Putting together an exhibition like this is a unique and welcome opportunity that was afforded to me by my directed studies professor, Karla Dennis, whom I sincerely thank for assisting me from start to finish. Andrea Barnwell, Director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, and Diane Bland and Tina Dunkley from Clark Atlanta University Museum and Galleries were also instrumental in the completion of this project, providing integral pieces to the show and acquainting me with official museum handling and exhibition practices. The exhibition design element of FOCUS benefited from the guidance of visual artist and Atlanta History Center exhibition designer Daniel Hoover and the resources provided by Mr. R. Paul Thomason in the Spelman College Drama Department, as well as additional support from Danielle Ducree. It has been a privilege for me to work with the faculty and staff in Spelman College's Art Department, from whom I have received warm and generous cooperation. Special thanks to Professor Barbara Nesin, the chairperson, and to Professor Akua McDaniel for suggestions and continued support, and Professor Charnelle Holloway and Ms. Marlene McDew for printing assistance. FOCUS represents the continued collaboration between student and teacher, a collaboration that crossed departments and institutions to bring this exhibition to fruition, and, for that, I offer sincerest thanks.
Makeba Dixon-Hill, Spring, 2003