Paris, 27 March 2014
Paris Tribal, a gathering of twenty-six Parisian galleries under the collective aim of showcasing Paris’s rich collection of tribal art, is to take place from 3 to 6 April 2014. Art Media Agency had the opportunity to meet with Alain Bovis, the founder of his gallery on the Rue des Beaux-Arts, and Véronique du Lac, the gallery’s Director. The interview uncovers certain aspects of this fascinating genre which is tribal art, and its ability to combine aesthetic practice with a demonstration of its rich cultural past.
- Could you take us back through your professional journey and explain what encouraged you to create a gallery specialising in tribal art?
Why tribal art? It is emblematic of an affinity with a rich cultural heritage and a real sense of passion. The objects we feature have the ability to mesmerise and to provide their viewer with a deeper knowledge of the past. I have always loved art, whatever its genre. Even when I was a teenager I was interested in buying small artworks, and it was from this beginning that I realised I wanted to collect tribal art: not only does the sculptural form have a deeply emotive effect on me, but from a purely financial aspect, it was significantly easier to acquire tribal art pieces than their modern counterparts. Sculpture from the 20th century acted as my model, from which I developed a knowledge of collecting objects. In contrast to 20th-century sculpture, the prices of tribal art pieces tend to be more reasonable, while still being examples of work by excellent sculptors. In order to sensitise ourselves to African art and tribal art, we must understand how t o truly appreciate it; this involves feeling able to move the sculpture, to survey it from every different aspect, because it is through this examination that we realise the beauty of sculpture.
One part of my appreciation of sculpture is its rich cultural heritage. The objects which belong to the genre of tribal art cannot be so easily categorised as the work of one artist, but instead represent a much broader narrative which changes the fixed idea of the creator. Instead, the objects are emblematic of a culture and take on a much greater significance because of this.
- You must have had to travel a lot…
Yes, of course. But we didn’t have to find the objects: we are not collectors, even if some of our colleagues indulge in it a little, in an anecdotal way.
Tribal art is representative of beautifully created structures. But, more than this, it is indicative of a much wider cultural journey in time, history and a deep insight into the workings of the human soul. It is important to remember that these objects are of great significance. Some of the objects are purely utilitarian but others are representative of power and others examples of regalia. Lots of them have a sacred aspect. Tribal art gains its soul (something we often reference when talking about tribal art) through its use. The user represents the means through which the object finds its purpose and comes into being. A beautiful object is one which has been sculpted by a talented artist. It corresponds to a style emblematic of an era of great aesthetic quality in our eyes, and one which possesses a soul. The object undergoes a long process of passing through the hands of different users so that it takes on a more developed sense of life. This process is essential to convert it from something which was, essentially, just a block of wood immediately following its creation. The specificity of tribal art is in its affectation of its personal past which gives it a sense of life. Like us, collectors are very aware of this idea and use it to advance their work. To put it into context, an object which was equally as collectable as others around a particular period would be worth much less than its cou nterparts which had passed through more hands and had a more developed narrative.
Speaking more generally, we can add to this debate an idea which I affiliate myself with, which is that Auguste Rodin was one of the first artists to truly evoke with clarity the role surface has to play in sculpture. He was committed to the idea of creating movement within a surface and moving away from the traditionally clean, smooth, controlled surface. He brought life to sculpture through his innovative methods and brought a new significance to cast iron.
- You speak about the knowledge of objects. How do you go about collating this knowledge?
It is a gradual process which happens in stages. There is very little material on the objects, and very few sources are concise or extensive in their intellectual approach. There are many different publications on the subject, but only a limited number can be considered reliable. At the moment, we are relying on research which was carried out in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This includes observations and accounts from explorers, as well as the findings of researchers and ethnologists. But a great number of these documents are not accessible all over the world. A lot of the aforementioned figures were granted unprecedented access to objects which are otherwise hidden from public view, and their findings have given us an in-depth insight into particular geographical zones. These zones are frequently party to significant cultural changes, notably migration movements and shifts in population. We also draw upon a historical aspect o f the works to understand their evolution. All these findings together create an exciting cultural patchwork, but one which necessitates a lot of hard work.
Taking these various publications as a whole, they are insufficient when subjected to the questions someone viewing the object might ask for the first time. Our task is to respond to these questions, and to do this we must of course find the answers. It is only by seeing the objects, by generating an understanding of the cultural background, by reflecting and discussing, that we come to conclusions about the object and broaden our own insight. We also discuss with researchers and with museum committees.
In the case of a researcher who has carried out a thesis on one of these aforementioned areas, it could be said that around 80% of researchis invented just for the sake of providing information, because the oral tradition which most of the works belong to provides little insight for intellectuals. The most important aspects of the work will not be explained in an intellectual study because they are frequently hidden. This doesn’t matter, though. It serves purely for us to realise that it is a frequent occurrence. It is something which is frequently discussed amongst art dealers.
One of the integral factors in the study of tribal art, and one which is especially relevant with regards to paintings, is authentication. We have absolutely no means through which to do this, except by drawing on our own knowledge. We cannot profit from an existing catalogue raisonné, nor an artist’s signature. What’s more, the periods which we have to study are incredibly broad and frequently cross hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Therefore, to properly situate the work in history, we must draw upon various cultural and geographical links. An essential aspect of our work is to remain faithful to the object’s original purpose and highlight its ethnicity in light of this. To put our work into context, we could compare it to the study of Monet. It would be like studying the entirety of Monet’s artistic output but drawing from worldwide sources and having no access to documents or historical references.
- In concrete terms, does this manifest itself in a mainly research-based work? Is there a lot of groundwork to be done?
It is a research-based work insofar as a library of works which is permanently accessible in your head and which has been gradually constructed and added to through a constantly evolving exploration of museums, collections and an attention to objects which have been collected over a certain period. This is the realm of information which we ceaselessly collect and which allows us to situate and link the works in their historical context: an accumulation of images and information stored in the heads of collectors.
- You say there is no written evidence…
No, the civilisations which are represented by tribal art were based on a purely oral form of communication. What’s more, the artists who created the genre were not in any way interested in working for a commercial aim. They were totally disinterested in promoting their work. An in-depth knowledge of art objects is essential and it calls for an important work of expertise. Furthermore, we are interested in works from the whole world over, throwing a light over an entire spectrum of styles and periods.
- Do you think that a European interest in tribal art is explained by an increasing interest in its colonial past?
Our colonial past is not the reason behind a growing interest in tribal art. Lots of objects have been made accessible to Europeans, since there has been a great narrative constructed through various colonial journeys. The very first art dealers discovered these objects and, out of sheer curiosity, they decided to specialise in the antique market. At first, these objects were viewed by many as memories and local curiosities, but ones which attracted significant attention from artists all the same. Artists have always been interested in things which are new to them and which they don’t necessarily understand. As soon as dealers became aware of this developing interest, a clientele began to appear. Through word of mouth, more and more objects of colonial significance began to appear on the art scene. The objects came to our attention because of their link with our colonial past.