Expert shares African art studies

It was clear by the pens scribbling away that the crowd had come prepared to learn from an expert. 

That expert was Barbara Frank, associate professor of art history and African studies at Stony Brook University, who gave a lecture Friday titled “Texts and Textures in African Ceramics.”

Frank conducts ongoing research focused on African pottery. She has written numerous books and traveled to Africa to directly study and collect art.

The lecture was planned in conjunction with the IU Art Museum’s special exhibition, “Form and Surface: African Ceramics, Baskets, and Textiles from the William Itter Collection.” Itter, a professor emeritus of fine arts, was present for Frank’s lecture.

Diane Pelrine, associate director of curatorial services for the museum, started the evening by introducing Frank to the audience. Pelrine said Frank is a close friend and was the first person that came to mind when looking for a speaker. She called Frank “an expert in her field” that has been studying African art for 20 years.

“The central theme of my lecture and what I hope to show through my research is that African ceramics deserve more attention,” Frank said. “They are fabulous objects.”

During the hour-long talk, Frank displayed various images of pots large and small to complement her information. She also identified various locations potters can be found in Africa.

Frank said the pieces in the photographs were from both her research as well as her favorite pieces from Itter’s collection. Frank said she values the African pottery for its aesthetic appeal, but she is mainly guided by her interest in what the pottery means for African societies. 

“In Africa, pottery–making is a gender-oriented craft,” Frank said. “Few men make pots. It’s primarily a women’s craft.”

Frank addressed the functional uses for pottery in African communities, examples including cooking, storage and rituals. She also said she was fascinated by the potters’ willingness to sell their goods for profit.

Frank began her research 20 years ago by looking at African leatherwork, but made the switch to pottery around 1991. Her current research focuses on the disjuncture between styles of pottery in different areas.

“My intention was to go to one particular area of Africa, but what I found was that certain artistic patterns and potters were not located in one area,” Frank said.

In one study, Frank said she interviewed 700 different potters.

“Spending 20 years on-and-off in Africa shows real dedication,” freshman Kacie Cooke said.
 
Cooke said she attended the lecture for a social studies class centered around African art and culture. Although the art is not the concentration of her studies, Cooke said Frank’s research still piqued her curiosity and was relatable to her class’ focus.

“How pottery is a women’s art and how cultures differ in areas just by the shape of the pottery is really interesting,” Cooke said.