Gelede mask c. mid 20th century

This Gelede mask was carved by a Yoruba artist, and you can see it now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The face is painted in a deep, reddish-brown, with a beard of short black strokes. The dark stripes of the headdress are offset against a creamy white, and then there’s that pop of color with the blue-framed red square right at the top. I love the way the mask’s surface isn’t smooth or blended. The way the carving marks feel immediate, like the artist was really in the zone. Look closely at the way the mouth and eyes are carved. It’s not about perfect realism, but about capturing a feeling, an essence. The texture is amazing, you can almost feel the grain of the wood, the way the paint sits on the surface. This reminds me a bit of the directness and the rawness you see in work by someone like Martín Ramírez. I love the idea that art is about something beyond perfect representation, and more about the artist's process.