Friday, September 16, 2016
Week 4: In and Out of Africa: Reflections
In the ethnographic film In and Out of Africa, there are multiple views on the value of the African works of art. In this post, discuss how different actors think these objects should be valued. How does the film discuss issues around value, art, and culture?
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ReplyDeleteI found the film In and Out of Africa to be rather interesting in the regards to each of the perspectives depicted on the topic. I thought it to be rather comical that the American art vendor buying the African art from the men was very concerned with how “old” the art was, and the sellers would assure her that each piece was very old and for her, he’d sell them for a special price. In reality of course, the pieces of art were being washed and finished to give the appearance of being aged, perfectly catering to the desires of the buyers. The pieces were beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t exactly what she thought they were.
ReplyDeleteOne person in the film stated that, in art, Americans often look for something other people have not seen, thus importing African art (be it the real deal or not) is valued as it is not something seen in the average living room. I also found it interesting that often the woodworkers who would make the art did not believe in its very meaning, or in some cases, it was considered sinful to look at, let alone touch the pieces.
I found the film to be extremely informative as it was pictured from both the trader and the consumer point of views. A lot of the crafters and African traders believe that certain art pieces are valued based on what religious meaning is conveyed. However, they know that Western consumers appear to be more interested in rarity and the age of the pieces being traded. Consumers seem to want older models, typically colonial pieces, and crafter cater to that market. They manipulate pieces with certain liquids and washes to make wood seem older. Also, the traders tend to tell their customers that the piece they are buying has "never been seen before", this makes them feel that they are getting the best possible deal an art collector can get. The film explained that the value of money and art vary from culture to culture. Several references were made that money was everything in Western cultures, it was said that "even the peasants are rich", and that the art is much more valuable than it is stands in African cultures. This conception makes me as a viewer question what the real value these pieces stand at.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film did a great job covering the views of both parties, the consumer and the creator. It's interesting to hear that the artists didn't believe in the work that they do, it was just a way to collect another check. Throughout the film it seemed as if that was the motivation for anything, money motivated the wood carving, the trip to america, the extra steps to make a sculpture look older. It is almost as if there were no money there would be no exchange to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI also found it fascinating how there seemed to be a stigma on buying old works of art. I get the notion that old probably means rare but to refuse a beautiful piece because it isn't old doesn't seem like a collectors mentality especially when its going to be sold in a gallery.
The film shows multiple views on the value of African art. Americans who buy the art think there is a lot of history in pieces they buy, which in turn leads to them blindly paying a lot of money if it is in fact not authentic. The American lady who bought the artwork straight from the Africans tried to determine the authenticity of the wood. Some of the wood she could tell was newer, therefore it would cost less. The Africans use certain oils to make the wood look older. The price of the wood is dependent on the age of the wood because the older it is the better chance is was used spiritually. The African adults teach their children to be scared of the wood, because of what their ancestors taught them. The adults themselves do not believe in the stories their ancestors had told them. The art pieces are viewed differently by everyone in the film. To the Africans, it was apart of their culture and it is a main source of income. The American seller, saw the cultural meaning depending on the age of the wood, but was mostly concerned with what looked best, what was going to sell and the prices she had to buy it for. The American buyers also see the cultural meaning, but different buyers had different reasons for buying the art. Some looked good in a room and others "felt" right.
ReplyDeleteIn the film In and Out of Africa, the value of the African art depended on the religious and cultural background of the actors and therefore they tend to place different levels of religious or economic values on them. Some believed that the arts were gods and are seen as sacred. One actor commented that those who believe as such can have serious consequences even if they touch the art and therefore place a greater sacred value or religious reverence on it. The lead actor, Gabai Baare, sees the art as just wood which he exchanges for money and that he does not attach any other spiritual value on the wood except for the economic value. Many of the foreign buyers place higher economic values on old art since they believe it is special and carries some cultural identity and significance. One of the actors posits that when an art appeals to you, price is not important. Many artists also have emotional effect for the wood and create the art with their spirit.
ReplyDeleteThe film In and Out of Africa explores the value that Western Collectors and African dealers in arts place on art objects. It was evident that old art objects had more economic value compared to new ones. Although, the authenticity of some of the old art objects were questionable. It was interesting to know that while some people see the animist fetish of arts objects as commodities, they buy and sell, Western Collectors see them as authentic pieces of arts. People have different reasons why an object is valuable. In African Art, Western Collectors give more meaning to old art objects. Gabai Barre, the African dealer in the documentary discussed that he is keen in weaving such as art objects because that gives him more money, although they are not authentic. While other Western Collectors can easily identify an authentic piece, others do not. This was dependent on how long you have been in the art business. African arts has an underlining messages and it was evident in the film that the interpretation of arts were used in mediating the cultural values of African producers and Western Collectors.
ReplyDeleteThis is my second time watching the film, as I watched it during intro ANTH 1010 last spring. I find it both genius and comical how the art is priced. To begin, the beads that Europeans created during the colonial era for trade are now being sold back to them at high value. This is hilarious because they have reversed the situation and played it to their benefit. Additionally, "wood" is made fairly cheap and designed to look old. Then it is sold to western collectors for hundreds of dollars more than what it is worth. Western collectors pay top dollar for artifacts they believe are ancient but are actually only a few months old. I think this is genius.
ReplyDeleteI did find it interesting one of the dealers does not like that he sells the wood. He hides it from his family and explains how it is against his religion and beliefs. He chooses to do this job to provide for his family, even if he doesn't agree with it. I admire this greatly because he is doing what he can to provide for his family. While on one hand i think this business and trade route is highly successful and innovative, I see the moral conflict and struggle producers and dealers face when handling the art.