Once seen as a collection of artifacts and ritual objects, African art
now commands respect from museums and collectors. Bennetta Jules-Rosette
and J.R. Osborn explore the reframing of African art through case
studies of museums and galleries in the United States, Europe, and
Africa.
The authors take a three-pronged approach. Part One ranges from
curiosity cabinets to virtual websites to offer a history of
ethnographic and art museums and look at their organization and methods
of reaching out to the public. In the second part, the authors examine
museums as ecosystems and communities within communities, and they use
semiotic methods to analyze images, signs, and symbols drawn from the
experiences of curators and artists. The third part introduces
innovative strategies for displaying, disseminating, and reclaiming
African art. The authors also propose how to reinterpret the art inside
and outside the museum and show ways of remixing the results.
Drawing on extensive conversations with curators, collectors, and
artists, African Art Reframed is an essential guide to building new
exchanges and connections in the dynamic worlds of African and global
art.