I have noticed that art by people of colour is so often considered handicrafts until it is appropriated by white artists, i.e. Picassos appropriation of African art. Although Picasso never visited Africa, his interest in its art is well documented, from his discovery of African masks at the Musée dEthnographie du Trocadéro in Paris in June 1907. Thereafter he became an avid collector of art nègre, as it was known. However, Picasso himself remained ambiguous on the subject, once famously declaring Lart nègre? Connais pas - African art? Never heard of it. In an extraordinary intervention, however, a spokesman for the South African Department of Arts and Culture has accused the organisers of deliberately downplaying the debt Picasso owed to African artists. In a letter to a local newspaper, Sandile Memela, the departments head of communications, wrote: Today the truth is on display that Picasso would not have been the renowned creative genius he was if he did not steal and re-adapt the work of anonymous [African] artists. He continued: There seems to be some clandestine agenda… that projects Picasso as someone… who loved African art so much that he went out of his way to reveal it the world… But all this is a whitewash… he is but one of the many products of African inspiration and creativity who lacked the courage to admit its influence on his consciousness and creativity. telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/1512804/Picasso-stole-the-work-of-African-artists.html
Posted on: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:06:51 +0000
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