Surfaces

Reviews / Votes

Kahan and Donna Page, who curated a 2004-05 exhibition of the same name, and Pascal James Imperato (public health, SUNY Downstate Medical Ctr.) compile a series of essays in which African art historians explore the multitude of ways that the surface of African art objects are meaningfully developed and understood. In the West, preventing change in artworks is a primary goal of museums and their conservators; however, in Africa, objects are often intended to change and evolve in ways that are aesthetically and iconographically appreciated by the culture. Some essays focus on specific West African art traditions, while others examine commonly used materials. In addition, appendixes provide scientific analyses of woods, colorants, and other substances used in Africa. VERDICT Scholars of African art will definitely want to study this book carefully, but the esoteric nature of the subject and the academic writing style are not likely to attract the interest of the general reader.-Eugene C. Burt, SeattleLibrary Journal Surfaces is an encyclopedic account of the materials, treatments, and life events that transform the outer layer of West and Central African wood sculptures. Privileging surface over form (the usual Western preference), the book draws refreshing attention to African sensibilities wherein surfaces are 'read' and are deeply meaningful. Written by traditional scholars, curators, and artists, the seven chapters encompass specific case studies, such as the surface embellishment of Bamana and Yoruba art, and broad cross-cultural surveys of the ethnographic literature. Reiterated throughout is the notion that surfaces continually evolve in the course of an object's production, use, refurbishment, and eventual decay; these stages are discussed throughout the book. The last chapter is devoted to the technical analysis of surface additives; two appendixes list common art materials. Many chapters touch on pigments and emic color categories, making the volume a valuable source on the psychology of color in sub-Saharan Africa. Geared toward the serious student of African art, Surfaces provides insight into many humanistic and scientific issues, understood (remarkably) through the surfaces of art objects, e.g., the relationship between function and aesthetics, and the material basis of African art. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. -- ChoiceA. J. Stone, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, November 2009 "Surfaces is an encyclopedic account of the materials, treatments, and life events that transform the outer layer of West and Central African wood sculptures. Privileging surface over form (the usual Western preference), the book draws refreshing attention to African sensibilities wherein surfaces are 'read' and are deeply meaningful. Written by traditional scholars, curators, and artists, the seven chapters encompass specific case studies, such as the surface embellishment of Bamana and Yoruba art, and broad cross-cultural surveys of the ethnographic literature. Reiterated throughout is the notion that surfaces continually evolve in the course of an object's production, use, refurbishment, and eventual decay; these stages are discussed throughout the book. The last chapter is devoted to the technical analysis of surface additives... Many chapters touch on pigments and emic color categories, making the volume a valuable source on the psychology of color in sub-Saharan Africa. ... Surfaces provides insight into many humanistic and scientific issues, understood (remarkably) through the surfaces of art objects, e.g., the relationship between function and aesthetics, and the material basis of African art... Highly recommended. -- Choice" -, November 2009 "Surfaces bridges the spheres of art production and art use in ways that had hitherto been ignored. Surfaces, like materials, can no longer be viewed as simply a subset of style; instead, to understand surface treatment is to reflect on belief, meaning, significance and function of art. The value of this book is that it forces the reader to begin thinking about diverse treatments of art surfaces as integral parts of the total symbolic structures encoded in African art objects. It opens up new avenues not only for reading African art but also for understanding the process of African art creation-how art becomes art." -Nii Quarcoopome, Curator of African Art, Detroit Institute of Arts "This book demonstrates without question that the surface of African wood sculpture is a site of intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic deliberation." -Z. S. Strother, University of California, Los Angeles "This is a book that should be read by everyone interested in African material culture..." -Journal of African Archaeology, Vol. 7, no. 2 "[The editors] compile a series of essays in which African art historians explore the multitude of ways that the surface of African art objects are meaningfully developed and understood... Scholars of African art will definitely want to study this book carefully..." -Library Journal "Not only are the essays in this volume comprehensive in scope and based on meticulous scholarship, but they also greatly illuminate an important feature of African sculpture, the meaning of the surface... The book is well organized, has extensive references, and contains a substantive bibliography... It represents a valuable contribution to the expanding literature on African art." -H-AfrArts, H-Net Reviews, September, 2010 "This volume has something for everyone interested in African art. It includes a series of scholarly essays with extensive bibliographies, a gallery of objects, and a valuable guide to local materials and substances. It will be a welcome addition in the academy and in museums, and it will certainly be of interest to collectors and enthusiasts of African art." -African Studies Review, Vol. 53, No. 2, September 2010 "One's perception of African wood sculpture will be expanded and transformed by this multidimensional and meticulously researched source-book that defies the superficialities implied by 'surfaces' to reveal the deep complexities of African artistic production and praxis." -International Journal of African Historical Studies "This... is a book which eloquently illustrates its theme and has many stimulating passages." -Journal of Art Historiography