Masks and Modernities.
The article discusses masquerade and masking traditions in Africa as being a primary topic of African art studies in the 20th century. The article mentions precolonial pasts, traditions of visual practice, and the interest of European modernist artists in African art. The article mentions the modernist painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” by Pablo Picasso, and the mask-like visuals featured in the work. Artists mentioned include Ben Enonowu, Uche Okeke, Keith Piper, Eddie Chambers, and Ras Ishi Butcher. The article also mentions the term “Ethnographic,” as well as the circumstances of production, distribution, and consumption of African art traditions.
Gore, CharlesEmail: cg2@soas.ac.uk