The new #BKMAfricanArt installation Double Take: African Innovations invites a closer look of more t

The new #BKMAfricanArt installation Double Take: African Innovations invites a closer look of more than 150 artworks in a unique storage annex gallery. When I visit this part of the installation, I like to look closely at surface patterns. Artworks by Kuba artists from the Democratic Republic of the Congo invite close-looking in particular because of their pure graphic design qualities. Historically, the name “Kuba” refers to nineteen unique but related ethnic groups, all of which acknowledge the leadership of the same leader (nyim). Wooden cups, headrests, and embroidered textiles featuring ornate surface decoration were traditionally commissioned by the nyim and other Kuba titleholders for elegant display and use. Take a closer look at the incised pattern decorations of this Palm Wine Cup (Mbwoongntey) on view in the storage annex. You may notice that the patterns do not form a single all-over unity, but rather derive from juxtaposing several units of unrelated designs. Their patterns are reminiscent of decoration found in embroidered cut-pile textiles. Like the surface decoration on cups, the orderly repetition of Kuba textile motifs are often interrupted by unexpected shifts in direction. Visit both galleries of Double Take: African Innovations to take a closer look at patterns in Kuba and other African arts.Posted by Roger Arnold -- source link
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