Tribal Art - Summer 2015

TRIBAL ART

1. PARIS (AFP).- A Paris auction of masks and statues considered sacred by two Native American tribes went ahead as planned on Wednesday, raising more than 400,000 euros ($450,000), despite fierce opposition from the indigenous groups. The sale of 15 artefacts marked a new defeat for the Hopi and Acoma tribes, which have been trying for two years to put an end to such transactions and demanding the pieces be handed over. The Hopi Tribe Council and Pueblo of Acoma had allied with the US-based Holocaust Art Restitution Project (HARP) this week to ask France's Board of Auction Sales to suspend the sale conducted by the Druout auction house. They claimed the objects were illegally exported from the United States, and that their sale broke US federal laws. More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/79215/Native-Americans-fail-to-halt-artefact-auction-in-France#.VXtRhbN0zIU

2. LIVERPOOL.- World Museum in Liverpool invites visitors to uncover the hidden treasures of the ancient Mayas this summer, with the opening of a breathtaking exhibition in the city; the only place to host it in the UK.Opened on 19 June and running until 18 October 2015, Mayas: revelation of an endless time, looks back thousands of years to the Mesoamerican civilisation of the ancient Maya. The free exhibition takes visitors on an illuminating journey to an age of majestic warriors, astronomy and learning, shamanic rituals and human sacrifice. Steve Judd, Director of World Museum said: “It’s a great honour to have Mayas: revelation of an endless time coming to Liverpool. Not only is World Museum the only place you can see the exhibition in the UK, it’s also free entry, making it accessible to all.” More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/79478/Majesty-of-the-ancient-Maya--Treasures-of-an-extraordinary-civilisation-on-view-in-Liverpool#.VZGgJrN0zIU

3. NEW YORK The highlight of the next Sotheby’s sale obviously is the cover lot, a Luba statue from D.R. Congo, attributed to the so-called Warua Master (info). Fourteen (!) pages of the catalogue are dedicated to this lot – Myron Kunin’s Senufo statue got 18. Heinrich Schweizer’s catalogue note contains a very interesting paragraph about the “strong adherence to geometric principles” of the Warua Master. More Information:http://brunoclaessens.com/2015/04/african-art-and-the-golden-ratio/#.VZcQMhNViko

4. PARIS On Tuesday, June 23 in Paris, Christie’s auction of African, Oceanic, and American Indian art concluded with a strong sales total of €11,565,175 ($13.2 million). With 78 percent of lots on offer finding buyers, three lots sold above €1 million ($1.1 million) and seven auction records were set. More Information: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1185753/auction-recap-african-art-at-christies-paris-stars-62-million#sthash.ktEiwreL.dpuf

5. Exotic, extraordinary, unexpected and unusual are just a few of the adjectives used to describe primitive and tribal art. With its roots in Africa, Oceania, Asia and South America, artifacts and objects have offered a window on the history and craftsmanship of primitive cultures for centuries. More Information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-whitlock/tribal-art-enjoys-its-tim_1_b_4592303.html

6. I've seen a lot of photographers traveling around Africa and shooting local tribes. It's kind of a trend in today's photography. However, none of them talks much about the feelings and emotions they've experienced while being around probably the most isolated people on the planet and capturing their daily routine. More Information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dainius-runkevicius/what-it-feels-like-to-doc_b_5145274.html

7. WASHINGTON -- Taxes cannot be levied on honoraria to a shaman or spiritual leader for religious services, but could be assessed on per-capita payments from gambling revenues to tribal members, under a proposal for taxing Native Americans by the Internal Revenue Service. More Information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/native-american-tribe-taxing_n_2300021.html

8. 'Super Indian' Takes On The Romantic Stereotypes Of Native Americans: In 1969, a Minnesota-born artist by the name of Fritz Scholder painted a portrait he dubbed "Indian with Beer Can." The image shows a stark figure in sunglasses and a cowboy hat, sitting with his arms crossed and teeth bared before a can of Coors. Unlike many studio paintings that came before it -- the ones that pictured Native Americans as indomitable or mystic figures detached from Whiter society -- Scholder's portrait was mundane, lower class, uncomfortable. It didn't shy away from the taboo of alcoholism in indigenous communities, nor did it cover up America's distaste for acknowledging poverty and alienation in the Indian Nation. More Information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/super-indian-fritz-scholder_n_7589386.html?utm_hp_ref=arts


9. PARIS.- Launched by a handful of Parisian dealers in 2001, the Parcours des mondes has, in less than fifteen years, succeeded in attracting the most important tribal art dealers from France and the rest of the world, and has re-established Paris as the center of the tribal art world. More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/80181/The-world-s-leading-international-tribal-art-show-broadens-it-s-scope-to-include-Asia#.VbABSOhViko