Review by Choice Review
For the experienced student of ancient African Art, this exhibition catalog holds few surprises. The Nok terra cottas, the elaborate Igbu Ukwu bronzes, the haunting faces of Oni from the Ife kingdom--all are represented here. For the newcomer to the genre, this is an excellent introduction to the different styles of Nigeria, the Congo, Mali, and other regions of Western/Central Africa. What this catalog does best is allow the art to speak for itself, with only the briefest and most necessary of textual descriptions to provide the viewer with a historical context. The sculptures are grouped together according to the kingdom/ethnic group that created them. The descriptions are mostly printed on separate pages, which allows readers to examine the photographs without the competing texts. The final section of the book discusses the impact of African art on 20th-century artists such as Matisse, Picasso, and Modigliani. A glossary describing the different ethnic groups represented in the exhibition is included, along with a map indicating the geographic location of each group on the continent. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students. M. Miller Metropolitan Community College--Longview Campus Library
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Review by Library Journal Review
The other half was put together by French curator Magnin on behalf of Jean Pigozzi, heir to an automotive fortune, and surveys Pigozzi's private collection of modern African art in media that include painting, photography, and multimedia sculpture. The text by Piggozi's various buyers reads with the kind of idiosyncrasy and egotism that should be expected of anyone assembling such an important collection. Some 33 artists from 14 countries are represented, with each artist introduced by a short description of his or her artistic development followed by several examples of work. At the back of the book, informal portraits of the artists are coupled with documentation of their careers. Both books are recommended for academic libraries, while public libraries may choose to purchase the modern art volume owing to the unique nature of the art reproduced.-Eugene C. Burt, Data Arts, Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
