PRIMITIVE ARTISTS 



look at 



CIVILIZATION 



{Continued from page 3) 



In representing Europeans, some of 

 these elements are used, as is shown in 

 the emphasis on rendering articles of 

 clothing — for instance, the derby hat, 

 the military tunics, and the shoes. But 

 new problems arose. European individ- 

 uals did not fit the tribal stereotypes of 

 status symbols and attitude. The prim- 

 itive artist was forced to examine critic- 

 ally a new kind of creature, one who not 

 only dressed differently, but who acted 

 differently in many significant ways. 

 Many of the objects in the exhibition 

 show the results of this new experience. 

 The carved wooden door jamb, showing 

 a German on horseback, although done 

 in typical Cameroons grasslands style, 

 indicates that the artist looked carefully 

 at the man's face and head, at his 

 hat and jacket, at his peculiar position 

 on the horse, at the horse itself, and then 

 rendered all of this strange subject mat- 

 ter in a forceful and direct way. The re- 

 sultant sculptured image cannot be con- 

 fused with those of Africans — the man is 

 an European. His attitude is also strik- 

 ingly projected : he is arrogant; he sits on 

 his horse and glares disdainfully down 

 upon the people he governs. Thus a 



Page 8 



Drinking Alan. Probably a European sailor. Late 

 19th century, from the former Belgian Congo. Height 

 26 inches. 



Cover picture: A French Colonial Official's Wife. 

 This wooden figure was carved and painted by a 

 member of the Bar a tribe of Madagascar in the early 

 1920' 's. Height 29% inches. 



socially important gesture, although new 

 and unfamiliar, was keenly observed and 

 rendered. The Cochiti Indian artist's 

 ceramic representation of the hoarsely 

 bellowing Spanish-American land- 

 owner from 19th century New Mexico 

 shows that a similar observation was 

 made, sharpened by the social relation- 

 ship between master and peon. 



In spite of the sharp-edged insight and 

 occasionally hostile characterizations 

 displayed in the group of objects ex- 

 hibited, one is struck by the generally 

 gentle and sensitive treatment afforded 

 the European subjects by the primitive 

 artists. It is as though a desire to produce 

 a sensitive work of art triumphed over 

 the temptation to malicious satire. 



George Quimby, Curator of North 

 American Archaeology and Ethnology, 

 has long entertained the idea for the 

 current exhibition, and it was done 

 with his collaboration. 



Spanish-American Landowner. A Cochiti Indian art- 

 ist of New Mexico, in about 1870, depicts the man for 

 whom he and other Indians worked as laborers. 

 Painted pottery, height 12% inches. 



MUSEUM NEWS 



{Continued from page 5) 



the general public an opportunity to 

 share in the progress of scientific discov- 

 ery. The fees of Life and Associate 

 Members ($100 for Associate and $500 

 for Life) build up the endowment funds 

 of the Museum, and are an important 

 means of assuring the continued growth 

 of one of Chicago's oldest educational 

 and scientific institutions. 



Television Participation 



Dr. Roland Force, Curator of Oceanic 

 Archaeology and Ethnology was inter- 

 viewed on "The Virginia Gale Show," 

 a WGN-TV color production telecast 

 from WGN's new north-side studios, 

 and on Phil Lind's WAIT radio inter- 

 view program. On both programs he 

 discussed his new hall. 



Another anthropologist who has been 

 making numerous appearances on radio 

 and television is Dr. Kenneth Starr, 

 Curator of Asiatic Archaeology and Eth- 

 nology. Most recently he appeared with 

 Dr. Force on Tony Weitzel's WBBM 

 radio show broadcast from the Presi- 

 dent's Walk in McCormick Place Expo- 

 sition Center. The discussion centered 

 on the anthropologist's point of view 

 toward events taking place in Asia and 

 the South Pacific. In a previous appear- 

 ance on the program Dr. Starr discussed 

 science and education. 



Also a guest on the Phil Lind show 

 was Dr. Eugene S. Richardson, Jr., Cu- 

 rator of Fossil Invertebrates. Dr. Rich- 

 ardson informally discussed a variety of 

 subjects with program host Lind. 



Other Staff Activities 



"Orchids in the Orchid Countries of 

 Mexico and Central America" was a 

 talk recently delivered by Dr. Louis O. 

 Williams, Associate Curator of Central 

 American Botany, to the Illinois Orchid 

 Society at their monthly meeting in the 

 Museum. 



Mr. Allen Liss, Custodian of Anthro- 

 pology Collections, served as a judge 

 in the State finals of a student science 

 projects competition sponsored by the 

 Illinois Junior Academy of Science. The 

 finals were held in Urbana. 



PR1NTBD BY CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM PRESS 



