Baule Mask 1935

Curator: This striking portrait, titled "Baule Mask", was created by Norman Lewis in 1935, and uses a mixed-media approach that blends painting techniques. Editor: It has a very expressive quality—the vibrant reds and pinks create an intensity that's somewhat unsettling but also engaging. I'm curious about the context that might have informed Lewis's choices in this piece. Curator: Lewis, although known for his abstract expressionism, explored figuration early in his career. This work highlights the mask itself as a crafted object. We can examine the materiality: the surface, the visible brushstrokes, and the interaction of colors and textures. The lines he employs point to the mask-making processes used in traditional West African cultures. Editor: Right, but masks are never simply objects, are they? Within African cultures, they embody spiritual power and play critical roles in rituals, storytelling, and social commentary. I wonder how Lewis engaged with the colonial narratives that often exoticized such cultural objects, placing African art under a Western lens. Curator: That’s important. While there are undeniable issues surrounding appropriation and cultural exchange, looking at Lewis's methodology offers another interpretation: How the labor invested reflects respect for his subjects, as his brush imitates carving? Did he try to capture not only form but also a sense of presence? Editor: Perhaps, and maybe he saw the mask as a symbol. In the context of the Harlem Renaissance, which influenced Lewis deeply, the mask can represent the complexities of Black identity in America, and performance that often concealed real emotion beneath layers of forced assimilation. Was this perhaps part of Lewis's message? Curator: The Expressionist style certainly conveys emotionality, and perhaps nods at some hidden or complex experience. We can examine the details--notice the dark blues emphasizing shadows, bringing a sculptural quality to the painting; it points to Lewis engaging thoughtfully with both painting and sculptural form in this work. Editor: Thinking about how a mask can signify both individual and collective experiences is vital. This piece reflects tensions present at the time but continue to exist around identity and the legacy of colonialism today. This really moves me to consider how objects participate in power structures as they are transported around the globe. Curator: Precisely. It's through such deep analyses of making, viewing and considering objects we move forward. Editor: Indeed, Norman Lewis' "Baule Mask" presents us with complex themes on many different levels for both consideration and re-consideration.