Richard Scheller 131 T. A. M.: How do you explain this increase in popularity for these masks, and how do you think they’ll be seen in the future? R. A.: There are several reasons for their becoming better known. First of all, the many publications and temporary exhibitions that have been produced in the last ten years have been a decisive factor in drawing the attention of a much wider public to this art form. Gustavo and I sought to support these efforts as much as possible, and we regularly lent pieces and even organized an exhibition titled Énigme des Montagnes: Masques tribaux de l’Himalaya (Enigma of the Mountains: Tribal Masks of the Himalayas), which was shown at the Fundación Antonio Pérez in Cuenca in 2005.1 Secondly, price has been a factor. These artworks are much more affordable than African or Oceanic art, for example, and that has undoubtedly encouraged new collectors to take interest. In response to the prospects for Himalayan art going forward, it seems to me that we will both be discovering new works and understanding all of them better. I also think that expanding interest will inevitably lead to a rise in prices, but I certainly hope they won’t skyrocket, since that would make the objects less accessible and it would influence collectors in their choices. In our Western society, a high price is seen as an indication of a high value. When prices are as uneven as they are for these objects, it becomes difficult to maintain faith in our own criteria of appreciation. Personally, one of the things I have liked best about collecting Himalayan art is that I could allow my taste to exercise itself freely without having to worry too much about how much that luxury would cost. T. A. M.: Obviously, you’re a collector, but you’re first and foremost an artist. I’m curious to know if any influence from Himalayan art has crept into your own creations. R. A.: Not in the form of direct references, though I’m certainly nourished by the art that I love, and tribal art in general—not just Himalayan art—has a very important place in my life. It’s possible that my own work may show certain affinities with tribal art, especially in the treatment of materials and in gestures, two subjects that are at the core of my expression, but I see this more as a convergence rather than an influence. NOTE 1. An expanded version of the exhibition was shown at the gallery in Guyancourt, Yvelines, from January 11 to February 5, 2006, under the title Les masques d’Himalaya du primitif au classique. Collection Gili/Amoro s (Barcelona) et galerie Le Toit du monde (Paris). It featured material from the Gili/Amorós Collection in Barcelona and Galerie le Toit du Monde in Paris. FIG. 6 (left): Mask from Nepal. © Pau Aguilar/Marc Rosés. FIG. 7 (above): Some of Rosa Amorós’ artistic creations in her studio. © Tribal Art magazine.
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