Beads, bones, rags, straw, leather, pottery, fur, feathers and blood - these are the raw materials of "vodun" artworks. As objects of fury and force, these works are intended to protect and empower people and cultures that have long been oppressed. In this major study Suzanne Preston Blier examines the artworks of the contemporary "vodun" cultures of southern Benin and Togo in West Africa as well as the related "voudou" traditions of Haiti, New Orleans, and historic Salem, Massachusetts. Blier employs a variety of ...
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Beads, bones, rags, straw, leather, pottery, fur, feathers and blood - these are the raw materials of "vodun" artworks. As objects of fury and force, these works are intended to protect and empower people and cultures that have long been oppressed. In this major study Suzanne Preston Blier examines the artworks of the contemporary "vodun" cultures of southern Benin and Togo in West Africa as well as the related "voudou" traditions of Haiti, New Orleans, and historic Salem, Massachusetts. Blier employs a variety of theoretical psychological, anthropological, and art historical approaches to explore the contrasts inherent in the "vodun" arts - commoners versus royalty, popular versus elite, "low" art versus "high." She examines the relation between art and the slave trade, the psychological dynamics of artistic expression, the significance of the body in sculptural expression, and indigenous perceptions of the psyche. Throughout, Blier seeks to pushe African art history to a new height of cultural awareness that recognizes the complexity of traditional African societies as it acknowledges the role of social power in shaping aesthetics and meaning generally. This book should be of critical interest not only to those concerned with African, African American, and Caribbean art, but also to anthropologists, African diaspora scholars, students of comparative religion and comparative psychology.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. African History / Art Religion. 8vo. First Edition (1995. ) 8vo paperback with 476 pages. The book is in very good condition very slight shelf wear to front cover. Interior is clean and tight. Profusely illustrated. "The far-reaching influence of the West African voodoo, who still exerts a great influence on the people of this region is covered in this book as well as the creation of art and the rituals of the followers. A serious study that concentrates on the hidden power of objects. The author succeeded, a very good overview." Black-Brown spine/ White-Black text.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Paperback, 6.75 in. x 10 in. Minimal wear. Clean, no writing or marks. Copyright 1995 by The University of Chicago Press. Many photographs, Full-color and B&IW. Acknowledgements, Linguistic Note, Appendix: Collections and Stylistic Features; Sources; Notes, Bibliography; Index.
