Exotic Exhibits

...begins in the 17th century, when figures start to look somewhat stagey and overornamented Among the memorable pieces in the exhibit are a larger-than life carving of Visnu, reminiscent ot archaic Greek statues except for the sinuous curves ot its hipshot posture, a couple of lovely terra cotta Bodhi-sattvas that are very feminine in their delicacy, and a beautiful female torso that exemplifies the Eastern genius for conveying naturalism through the most summary of simplification Particularly outstanding is a small seated hermit that is close to folk art The artist obviously tackled the job with tremendous zest, producing a fetching, perky figure, bolt upright in a yoga position, surrounded by his belongings Perhaps it is the inordinate straightness of the hermit's back counterbalanced by a chest as fat as a little bird's that makes him so unforgettable This same distinctive chestiness appears again m more sophisticated form in a pair of bronze Buddhas, two superbly organized masses of plump and slippery shapes Eyes inlaid with mother-of-pearl give the masklike faces a sinister leer, expressing possibly the Siamese version of religious decline The works I think most likely to appeal to European sensibilities are the stucco reliefs The sculptures are full of movement and the drawing is exquisite The figures are bunched together in high relief, leaving irregular areas of flat space above, below and to the side Having lost their polychromed surface, the pieces are now the color and texture of sand, which is very becoming to the comparatively rough and vigorous modeling No less exotic is the display of African textiles and decorative arts at the Museum of Modern Art (through January 31) But being applied art and presumably without religious significance, these objects are far more accessible to us Besides, African art is an official source of "primitive" vitality, best known for having been the "stud" that helped bring forth Cubism The catalogue ($7 95 in paperback) is worth buying for its illustrations, although the text, by Roy Sieber, guest director of the exhibition, is a rather laborious documentation of customs and techniques that can really only interest other specialists m the field This show was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Standard Oil of New Jersey Altogether 250 items, most ot recent manufacture, are included Some of the more interesting textiles come from West Africa, where both sexes weave, though on different types of looms The woman's loom produces a large cloth all in one piece, the man's yields only narrow strips that have to be sewn together to make up the whole Otherwise one cannot determine the sex ot the artist, either by a material's color, design or general character Outstanding among the pieces of jewelry are a dainty white bead necklace from Ngum, South Africa, elaborately worked gold ornaments from Ghana, and attenuated combs and pins from all over The show also features anklets, some large and heavy enough to necessitate an entirely new way of walking Slippers, knives, razors, fans, and a selection ot outer garments complete the collection All in all, it is an exhibition to feed the modern hunger for the well-made and the hand-made, and indeed a number of visitors seemed to be treating it as a window-shopping expedition They had good reason There is at least one hat, helmet-shaped with a linear design in blue and-white appliqued cotton of sensational elegance, and the fabrics, chiefly of woven cotton, raffia or bark cloth beaten and painted, might sell very nicely in a West Village shop Patterns are frequently geometric and colors are, on the whole, quite subdued The most beautiful specimens, I thought, were variations on the checkboard in either black- or blue-and-white Taken at face value, the show, accompanied by appropriate music, is extremely enjoyable Still, we do live in a time of ethnic self-consciousness and this prompts a few critical observations Given the national obliviousness to geography and other people's history, the organizers might have stressed the colossal size of the African continent, somewhat underrepresented by the small collection In fact, the specimens come only from countries south of the Sahara And even here some emphasis could have been laid on the diversity of their tribes and races, living not necessarily in accordance with the present territorial boundaries Finally, odious as the subject is, colonialism really ought to have been touched on After all, not every outside influence is humiliating, and art history is an account of cultures taking advantage of each other's techniques and ideas (On this question I refer the reader to Hilton Kramer's article on Navajo rugs in the New York Times, October 8, where modern attitudes to "primitive" art and the whole problem of mutual influence is fully discussed) Certainly the selectors would want to stay away from works showing mission-school blight, but except for the obvious Mohammedan quality of some textile patterns, there is no evidence in the show of Africa's long history of foreign domination Perhaps traces of the colonial heritage are present m these artifacts, but it that is the case, expert guidance is needed to spot them If, on the other hand, outside influences have been calculatedly avoided by the artists and artisans, one might easily conclude that the work displayed is about as authentic as that from a Greenwich Village primitive pottery class In any event, the absence of background information cannot help but arouse such suspicions, for it smacks of chauvinism (Africa is a vague place that American blacks came from), condescension and ethnic hustle...

...On Art EXOTIC EXHIBITS BY VIVIEN RAYNOR The ages between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Gothic style may have been Dark for the West, but for Asia they were very bright indeed India was at the height of her glory during this period, and her cultural influence reached throughout the Orient She "was the giver, the Far East the receiver," writes Benjamin Rowland in Ait and Architecture of India, one of the Pelican Art History Series The extent of that influence can be seen in the current exhibition of sculpture from Thailand at Asia House (through December 3) Spanning the 4th-19th centuries, the show was organized by Theodore Bowie of the University of Indiana's Fine Arts Department, and financed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ford Motor Company Fund It is presented under the ultimate patronage of the King and Queen of Thailand Siamese art (the former name of Thailand is still used for historical-geographical-cultural purposes) is the offspring of Indian Buddhist art and, like it, is not immediately accessible to Western sensibilities This seems to be due to the fact that we approach the subject of creativity through esthetics and the idea of Beauty, in Oriental thought, apparently, there is no such concern Rowland says "The purpose of Indian art, like all traditional art, is primarily to instruct men in the great first causes, which according to the seers, govern the material, spiritual and celestial worlds " Europe came closest to this attitude m the Middle Ages, when Mideastern (and, indirectly, Far Eastern) ideas were brought home by the Crusaders True comprehension of Asian art, therefore, may be impossible, and even a rudimentary appreciation of the Siamese exhibit requires some acquaintance with the Buddhist religion Buddhism was originally one of many revolts against Hinduism, itself already ancient when Buddha was born (circa 563 B C ) Among other things, it attempted to break the endless cycle of reincarnation whereby the level of one's existence depended on performance in the previous life Maintaining that all evil and suffering proceeded from desire the Prophet preached enlightenment through self-control By following his path, reincarnation would be avoided and Nirvana achieved Buddha's message was hopeful and available to all but, as with Christ's, it soon changed into just another theistic religion stagger ing under a priestly caste In some ways, Buddhism does not seem that dissimilar from Hinduism It has continued to draw heavily on Hindu mythology, though it introduced a new character into the pantheon Both religions view man as part of the world, one creature among all created things, and both, in their art, produce fleshly forms ot "supernatural anatomy" with skins packed to the bursting point (All Asian art, characteristically, eschews creative individualism, making the calmest of our Classical phases look German Expressionist by comparison ) Buddhism did lay down a system for expressing its faith, however Buddhist art everywhere depicts the gentle Prophet experiencing the rather mild adventures of his life, at its best this is attractive and soothing The Siamese sculpture on display adheres to the pattern Treatment ranges from the naturalistic to the highly stylized, with Buddha wearing anything from a ghostly, private smile to a well-fed smirk The variations are in part a result of Thailand's turbulent past Along with the rest of Southeast Asia, it has been the scene of continuous invasions, both violent and peaceful, and its sculpture reflects this history not only technically but also in the many ethnic types portrayed All 80 works at Asia House are admirable simply because they are so well done whether carved in stone or modeled and cast in thin bronze But a perceptible decline in inspiration (and therefore m belief...