Sunday, October 2, 2005
The artist as shaman
Last Thursday I linked shamanism with artmaking. Shamanism is a highly stratified complex of practices going back to the Upper Paleolithic Period. These practices include the use of ecstasy, the belief in guardian spirits (who are often in animal form, with the function of helping and guiding the dead) and beliefs concerning metamorphosis and traveling to the beyond. In the rituals, the shaman uses different objects; some are natural, such as precious stones, bits of metal, teeth and claws of animals, bones, plants, and so on (sort of ready-mades). Then, there are man-made amulets, which include medallions, small figurines, carved knives, drums of all sizes, wheels and masks (see them as sculptures). They drive away evil spirits or serve as objects for invocation, divination and heeling. I showed some cosmological renditions, where male/female, day/night/, birth/death, animal/totem oppositions are clearly established. These diagrams are epistemological and aesthetic renditions of the universe. See the relation? Art is another symbolic condensation of our environments, a way to depict and evaluate the universe. Then there's the place of worship. I find a parallel between the altar and the artist's studio --or the white cube for that matter. These are the places of convocation and worship. Think of the most elementary site: a massive rock or a hilltop, with no accoutrements, to the Greek megaliths to the Hindu yupas to other sacrificial sites (whether hollowed out in the earth or raised or constructed on stone slabs resting horizontally on legs, columns, or lateral supports). The artist as Shaman: solving, expressing, and suggesting alternative codes to understand the universe. The tools: all the paraphernalia to execute the work. And the altar, the creative place.
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17 comments:
i agree (from what i know) that shamanism has a lot of similarities with artmaking. i see shamanism as more or less a form of communication to the general public concerning questions in our world. shamanism gave people answers to their questions and let them know there was a reason for all of the (mis)fortunes in their lives. likewise, art is a form of communication. this communication reflects the times and sometimes gives people an impression of what is important to the artist. it makes informative and inquisitive statements. it entertains and garners attention. art itself does not explain the mysteries of the universe, but it can be used just as the shaman's used symbols to drive away evil spirits and heel. therefore, i see art as a tool for a shaman-like person and as a shaman itself.
I also agree that shamans can be seen as artists of their time, and leaders, in a way, because they were the ones with all the answers and although art isn't the only leader of a culture-it is a leading force in history because it reflects what goes on in the time and lets the rest of the world know what happened. Like Josh says, it is a communicator. It is also like a representative of thoughts and ideas-whether they be political, spiritual or pure fancy. I've always thought how interesting it is to think of their sacred objects as their artwork where the shamans themselves probably never thought of them as art but just as objects of worship and protection. Still, nowadays, they hold as much power as they used to.
I love the analogy between the altar and the studio. they are both creative inspirations. Both spaces contain extremely personal elements. The artist might feel peace and calm when creating in the studio just like the calm when praying at an altar. When Triff showed us the slide of the altar i thought of it just as an altar, but then he said well think of this as just an installation...one sees the altar as something totally different...a design, collage of sacred items.. whatever...i liked the idea of thinking of the altar as a work of art. find the art in the everyday
I think the Yorburt Altar is not an installation because of the context in which it was made. Also the function or purpose of the altar creates a significance if it was seen in a gallery.
You're right, Peter. As we see it -in the pic- the altar is what it is. But Afro-Caribbean artists have made installations that are just as realized as this one inside the white cube --not devoid of religious connotations. I've seen one where Juan Bauza (now dead) blessed the altar with a priest. The question remains, how would you receive a religiously charged altarpiece which is exhibited inside a gallery?
I agree highly with the corollation between shaman and artist. For the two of them, art is a way of capturing and trying to understand the world around them, and in a shaman's case, to harness it's powers. This summer, i was fortunate enough to travel to Spain, which houses the some of the oldest cave paintings in the world (located in Cantabria). I also had the pleasure of visiting two of these caves and seeing for myself just what the shamans had created. I was blown away by the techniques that were used back then to capture likenesses of certain animals and especially the use of twisted perspective. For the shamans, who created hand prints as portals to another world, and for those who captured the likenesses of animals and the hunt, art was not just for art's sake, it served an extremely valuable purpose, and that was to capture the essesnce of life in order to survive.
According to the definition of installation, the Yoruba altar can be considered one for the people who doesn't follow that religion. I've seen very beautiful Yoruba altars that are great art pieces, because of the color, texture and arrangement of the different elements.
Heidi
the link between shamanism and art making is interesting. i never thought before to use shaman as a metaphor for an artist.
that an artist studio can be considered an altar is mindblowing. (in a non-spiritual way, for me, anyway)
For me there is no problem to find an altarpiece exhibited in a gallery. I will look at it as art and with respect,but some people do not like it.There are three groups: people to reject it, people who see it as art and people who see it as religious representations.
I have the feeling that people who reject it is because they are afraid, they think there is something evil in it.
Heidi
Heidi: That happens everytime you get more than two artists together! :)
I found prehistoric art, such as rock art, fascinating because it marks humans' cultural beginnings and is an evidence of the development of symbols and signs. The cave painting may have done to assure success in hunting or agriculture or as a way to communicate with the supernatural, I do not know, but it reafirms the idea that the need and search for art have being present since the earliest recesses of history. I also admire the artistic capability and quality of shamans as well as their capacity to depict thoughts and believes through different symbols and forms.
Shamanism is art put to good use. In a way any how decorate there homes are making an attempt to find harmony in the universe. Feng shui is a perfect example of the importance psychical objects shape and look effect out metal health.
i think that shamanism is the rawest (if thats a word) type of art because the sahman is not creating in order to sell, or even with the audience directly in mind, the shaman aims to please the spirits, the earth, and he aims to teach. through these aspects we might then find a "style" (since we are comparing him to an artist.) His style then is not influenced by other shamans, and he probably would only be ashamed of his work if he did not create it.
It seems that the primitive shaman is viewed as a good guy/gal, not "materialistic", in it for the good of all, like the noble, collectively minded artist. But consider these ideas: First, what about the shamans we won't openly label as such, like Catholic priests? The Eucharist is nothing if not a shamanistic ritual. Its interesting to consider how the church has used art as a means to control its audience-put them in a trance with some good music, stained glass, imposing architecture, dramatic painting, etc. It seems to me the artist in these cases is more a tool of the shaman, than a shaman him/herself...all though there were and are those who perform both functions simultaneously.
And in other cases, though, I think that the shaman is also like the artist in that his/her acts, especially those that involve estatic states, are more for the shaman than the audience. Its done for th rush one gets, but of course, if one wants to make a living at it, it has to be displayed and consumed.
I definitly would like to see this altar in a gallery as a work of art, becuase of what heidi said, they are altars with beatufil textures, colors, and elements. As one who does not worship this altar, i would find it an interesting sculpture that is describing the culture and heritage of this religion. I feel i would gain information and delight from the altar as a work of art.
Amanda: It sounds like a good idea for a final show project.
If you and don't mind and Amanda doesn't want to do it I can do an altar for the last project.
Heidi
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