African Mask Collection
Exhibition Statement
The art forms of African tribal cultures are utilitarian objects and are integral components of the culture’s ceremonies, rituals, and history. Masks and figures serve as props that relate to the historical traditions and myths of the society. They also often serve as icons related to the tribal spiritual beliefs and are used by ancestral cults in funerary rituals.
The masks are meant to be seen in motion, as opposed to hanging statically on a museum wall, as part of elaborate costumes where participants are engaged in ritual celebrations and dance ceremonies. Lacking a written language, figurative sculpture is the medium through which a tribal culture expresses its spiritual life and communicates its myths, legends, and history.
The raw, simplified form of these tribal objects have an extraordinary expressive power. Objects such as these had a strong impact on the European artists at the turn of the century and influenced the development of modern art in the Western world.
All of the objects that were in the “Tribal Imagery” exhibition were from private collections in the Rogue Valley. We are grateful to Bill and Jean Kelso, Robert and Dana Johnson, and to an anonymous collector for the loan of art from their collections.
