Male figure 17th-18th century

Curator: Let’s talk about this "Male figure" attributed to the Dogon people, dating from the 17th to 18th century. You'll find it here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The figure is carved from wood and portrays a standing man holding a sort of container against his chest. Editor: It’s so still. I mean, literally—obviously. But it also exudes this aura of calm, like it’s waiting… or listening. It’s captivating! I feel that, on a first impression, its simple texture invites the visitor for close inspection. Curator: Absolutely, that tranquility emanates from the formal choices too. Consider how the sculptor renders the body: It is defined by simplified, almost cylindrical forms with great emphasis given to verticality and a stark symmetry of form, interrupted only by one arm cut away. Editor: Right, one arm ends abruptly; and if you look carefully, what the figure carries resembles a granary, a sort of cage-like container attached to the chest of the human figure… like a little burden to be dealt with in the material life. What could that represent? I wonder… It looks so cumbersome. Curator: Interesting take. In Dogon culture, ancestors are a common subject. This is potentially an ancestral figure used to honor and commune with the spirit world. So, what looks cumbersome might signify a venerated inheritance, physically binding this mortal figure to the memories of those that came before. Editor: So the apparent serenity masks a really complex relationship with heritage. Also, consider the smooth, polished head against the grainy body, which creates an amazing dialogue between what seems eternal versus what is, after all, perishable. Curator: That’s a superb observation. Dogon sculpture rarely relies on surface embellishment; the intrinsic properties of the wood, and the artist’s carving of it, define its power. This particular piece strikes me as intensely profound given that the eyes look humbly at the container the figure protects; perhaps one doesn't necessarily "own" one's history, so much as one is compelled to respectfully carry it. Editor: Precisely. There is some gorgeous nuance and inherent beauty in the balance that this artifact expresses. You’ve given me a new appreciation for silence, history, and wooden figures! Curator: It is true: Even in simplicity, such profound depths of feeling and understanding can arise!