A Material World: Confluences in Urban, 'Contemporary' Dogon Art and Rural Dogon Creative Practices in Mali

摘要

My dissertation examines confluences between so-called "contemporary" Dogon artists working in the international art market and "traditional" Dogon ceramists, blacksmiths, carvers, indigo dyers, dancers, and other artists operating in a more localized, often religious-based market on and around Mali's Bandiagara Escarpment. I will identify the many ways that urban-international Dogon artists are presently disrupting Euro-American binarisms of traditional and contemporary African art. I will also explore how they use local and European art techniques to engage with lesser known, yet highly essential Dogon artistic mediums, themes, and aesthetic concepts.;I have found that Dogon artists of both rural and urban-international art markets show a profound interest in the invisible forces of the earthen ground and space. Knotholes adorning wood sculptures, the untouched regions of papers and canvases, and the layout of objects on the gallery floor or rural village plaza are all manipulated by Dogon artists to explore local philosophies surrounding space, the landscape, and the human body.;Emphasis is also placed on the materiality of art. The power of Dogon art materials derives from their distinct physicochemical qualities, their j&igr;ama (vital energies), and their capacity to transform through the technical-ritual activities of assigned experts. In Dogon rural society, this role often falls upon members of endogamous 'artist' clans.;Rural-based Dogon artists, particularly under-represented women ceramists, are often stereotyped as mindlessly repeating the activities of their ancestors. By recording artist commentaries and analyzing individual works, I will demonstrate how their diverse creations are, in fact, the product of multiple intellectual and creative decisions made in a given environment. I will also discuss how their work has inspired urban-international Dogon artists in countless ways.;Due to my many years working with internationally recognized Dogon artist Amahiguere Dolo, his prolific works are my primary focus. Engagements with the Institut National des Arts, Musee National du Mali, and numerous local artist associations have led to other artist contacts.