This page is a record of an exhibit that took place in 1998. The individual links below will take you to the CURRENT VERSION of the pages that formed part of that exhibit. |
The "Art of the Dogon" exhibition displays traditional, functional
objects from the Dogon people of Mali.We have chosen to focus the show not
on masks and figures but on doors, carved ladders, house posts and stools.
Most are beautifully weathered by time and use.
Dogon carved doors are the most famous in Africa. Some doors protected the
grain and used a sliding door lock. Primordial beings, ancestors, Kanaga
masks, sun lizards and scenes of life symbolically served to protect the
entrance. The low reliefs are carved on several panels, held together by
iron staples. Less familiar are the several unique, massive doors and a
group of large, plain house doors, many with their large original locks
and patinas aged by exposure.
Dogon carved ladders are elegant, abstract, Brancusi-like columns, y-shaped
for stability, that are leaned against the exterior house walls for access
to the flat roof for storage or sleeping. Most are worn smooth from use
and aged by the elements and contact with the earth. Ours vary in size and
texture.
We have a large and varied collection of toguna posts. The Y-shaped posts
support beams of the village men's toguna house and are embellished with
figures, breasts or symbols. The impressive grouping, carved to last from
kile the incredibly dense local hardwood, ranges in style and in size to
over 7 feet tall and 195 Ibs. The bottom several feet are usually buried
in the ground, some posts have discoloration of this area, others have it
rotted away to varying degrees. They share a spiritual monumentality reserved
for pieces fused by contact with the earth. One wonderfully aged piece was
tragically defaced by the Dogon people 50 years ago to discourage its theft;
it survived to age beyond usability. Muslim conversion of villages and closure
of some of the Togunas has facillitated the legal purchase and exportation
of the posts.
Several stools, most with ancestor figures supporting the seat, and other
artifacts complete a show of unusual power, carved by man and aged by the
earth. Because the pieces are so large, they will not all fit in the gallery;
be sure to ask to see the rest of the show on the floors above and below
the gallery. We will be installing on Weds.and Thurs., September 30 and
October 1; feel free to stop by. To celebrate the new show and welcome you,
we are having an Opening Party Sat. October 3, from 12-4.
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