Myth Of The Other Essay Research Paper

Myth Of The Other Essay, Research Paper

THE MYTH OF THE OTHER:

FAUVIST, GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST AND SURREALIST

INTERPRETATIONS OF THE “PRIMITIVE”

With European exploration and colonization of the “new world” nearing its end at the turn of the twentieth century, a collection and cataloguing of primitive objects became paramount, not only to researchers interested in other cultures but to governments wishing to strengthen public opinion regarding their colonial territories. To this end, museums displaying primitive objects became ubiquitous in western Europe, including exhibitions at the Exposition Universelle and the Mus.e Africain (Torgovnick 77). These expositions generally followed the ethnographic approach; items were displayed en masse and in no particular order and function was emphasized over form and beauty. The objects’ inherent aesthetic value, however, was always implied through its display (Torgovnick 77).

It was against this backdrop of European preoccupation with the “primitive” that modern artists began to look to primitive cultures for inspiration and ideas. The concept of “modern primitivism” emerged with Paul Gauguin and evolved throughout the twentieth century in an effort to achieve a purer and truer art form. Modern primitivism in and of itself, however, is not a movement; rather, it is a common theme that is present to varying degrees in certain artistic movements. In particular, the Fauvist, Die Br.cke German Expressionist and Surrealist interpretations of the “primitive” are important as they illustrate the differing manners in which primitivism can be manifested in modern art.

In their knowledge of primitive art, the Fauvists were unlike Gauguin in one major respect. While Gauguin was familiar with some Aztec sculpture and with the work in stone and wood of the South Seas, he knew of no other indigenous artistic tradition (Goldwater 80). The fauves added African sculpture, and, unaware of parallel findings of Die Br.cke in Dresden, prided themselves upon being the first to discover and appreciate its artistic values. Maurice de Vlaminck, commenting in 1905 on a trio of statues from the Ivory Coast, wrote that until he viewed these works he viewed African art as “barbaric fetishes” but that he was “profoundly moved … sensing the power possessed … by these three sculptures” (Goldwater 82). Soon afterwards, Andr. Derain, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso viewed the statues and were also incredibly impressed with African art. Although Vlaminck never collected primitive works, Derain and Matisse amassed extensive collections (Goldwater 86). Apollinaire, writing in 1909, said of Matisse:

He likes to surround himself with objects of old and modern art, precious metals, and those sculptures in which the Negroes of Guinea, Senegal or Gabun have demonstrated with unique purity their frightened emotions. (Goldwater 87)

The admiration for this new primitive tradition differed in some respects from any previous appreciation of exotic art. For the first time the products of native cultures were being considered as completely isolated objects, entirely separate from the context of their creation. Gauguin, at least, had to travel to encounter Polynesian art and its exotic content and association interested him as much as its form. For the fauves, however, the appeal of the primitive was its mystery and childishness and thus was primarily aesthetic in nature.

The appeal of fauve painting, however, does not rely on the mastery of a sophisticated craftsman’s skills but on the immediate effect of the canvas as a whole. It is for this reason that the Fauvists deeply admired primitive art. The simplification of form, the use of broad, unfinished line, the application of large areas of undifferentiated color, the use of pure color and the lack of clear perspective are the most salient characteristics of Fauvist works and are what make them so profoundly expressive (Goldwater 84). These traits are directly related to the influence of primitive artwork, as they exhibit many of the same aesthetic attributes and are still able depict human emotion in a raw and powerful manner.

In addition, the subject matter of the Fauvists was deeply influenced by primitive artwork. In this regard, Matisse is an outstanding example. The nude woman bathers in his Three Bathers (1907), Women by the Sea (1908) and Le Luxe II (1908) parallel the theme of the female bath evident in African and Oceanic art (Goldwater 90). In the three paintings, Matisse renders these figures in the traditional simplified form of the primitive, but, at the same time, updates and westernizes them. Modern elements, such as the sailboats in the background of Women by the Sea and the recognizable hairstyles of some of the women, work to further juxtapose the modern with the primitive. The subject of the dance is also dealt with in Matisse’s artwork. For centuries, the dance has been tied to ritualistic practices of primitive cultures (Goldwater 50). Matisse depicts the natural power of the dance in Dance (1908), where five nude women are joined hand in hand in a seemingly instinctual ritual. The fact that the figures are nude and devoid of any modern clothing or accoutrements further emphasizes the influence of the primitive. In all of these works, Matisse glorifies the union of the figure with nature and the contrast of its lack of action with its apparent