Seeing the Unseen

Download or read book Seeing the Unseen written by Susan Elizabeth Gagliardi and published by . This book was released on 2023-01-03 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does secret knowledge shape how West African arts are created by different makers for disparate audiences? Recognizing that there is a tension between what is seen on the outside and what cannot be seen on the inside, Seeing the Unseen delves into the meaning of objects, assemblages, and performances among the Senufo-Mande people. The awareness of exceptional power and the profound knowledge of the artistic creators is constantly oscillating between what can be seen and what is known by their audiences. This constant negotiation of the mutual recognition of the others' potential agency provides a foundation for a new, compelling model for thinking about how the seen and unseen must operate in arts. The result is an engaging exploration of power associations and the social and political tensions they create through objects and performances.