BOOKS 130 Le primitivisme dans la photographie By Valentine Plisnier Published in a bilingual French-English edition by Éditions Trocadero, 2012 28 x 22 cm, 322 pages, more than 280 illustrations in color and black and white ISBN: 978-2-9518668-4-3 Hardcover, 75 euros A lecturer and researcher in art history, Valentine Plisnier has produced an important book that summarizes the initial results of his doctoral research on the impact of non-European art on modern photography from 1918 through the present. The influence of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas on painters and sculptors of the artistic avant-garde such as Picasso, Vlaminck, Epstein, and Lipchitz has been discussed at length, but the relationship between “primitive” art and a medium as eminently modern as photography remains fertile ground for research. What has been the impact of these art forms on early photographic images? And what role did the latter play in the process of transforming exotic objects—formerly relegated to the field of ethnography—into works of aesthetic achievement that have been swept into the realm of art history? Think particularly of non-European masks and statuettes that are featured in the works of wellknown artists such as Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, and George Brassaï. How have their depictions in these images dictated the way we perceive them? These questions, and many others, form the basis for Le primitivisme dans la photographie (Primitivism in Photography). Structured into three distinct parts, each of which addresses a different facet of this very interesting two-way relationship, the book concisely addresses its subject matter while remaining rich in artistic content and useful references. It is perfectly accessible to readers who might be considering the topic for the first time, and—this is the most obvious strength of the book—it is remarkable for the number and relevance of the photographs it illustrates. Côte d’Ivoire. Premiers regards sur la sculpture 1850–1935 By Bertrand Goy Published in a bilingual French-English edition by Galerie Schoffel-Valluet, 2012 31.5 x 24 cm, 238 pages, 100 plates, 108 illustrations in color and black and white ISBN: 978-2-9543552-0-7 Limited edition of 850 copies, 100 of which are slipcased together with the catalog for the exhibition of the same name that opened in December 2012 at Galerie Schoffel-Valluet Hardcover, 65 euros That a gallery has produced a book is not exactly news. There is no shortage of exhibition catalogs—increasingly so in recent years—and these are often characterized by a careful combination of images, layout, and presentation of information so that the whole, though succinct, is focused and relevant. Sadly, there is not enough space in these pages to address each one of these as they come out, but there are certain Herculean efforts that deserve special mention. One such case is this book published by Galerie Schoffel-Valluet and authored by Bertrand Goy, a prolific writer to whom we owe a number of interesting studies on tribal art. The pages of this fine work are abundantly illustrated, particularly with field photographs and archival documents. These and the accompanying text are the result of five years of serious research into the history of collecting works of art from Côte d’Ivoire. Goy traces this from the earliest contact between Africans and Europeans during the latter’s exploration of the Gulf of Guinea through the time of the colonial occupation of the region by France. In doing so, he draws heavily on primary accounts by the first Westerners to have traversed the territory, as well as those of later figures such as military officers, anthropologists, and colonial administrators. It is regrettable that the book has neither a table of contents nor an index to allow the reader to easily access the wealth of information supplied by this book. Nonetheless, it should be included in the libraries of all connoisseurs of tribal art.
I-IVCoverE_CoverF Vuvi
To see the actual publication please follow the link above