Art and the Academic Discourse Converge

THE WORLD’S LEADING ART SCHOLARS GATHER AT THE CLARK—AND YOU’RE INVITED!

By Benjamin Lerner // Photos Courtesy of The Clark Art Institute

The Clark Art Institute has always stood as a beacon of creative and academic innovation. Its art collection is world-renowned, and its celebrated Research and Academic Program (RAP) has served as a hub of artistic and intellectual discourse for decades. The RAP invites art scholars to participate in talks that challenge and unite them. In line with its steadfast commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research, the Clark has created an environment conducive to intellectual exploration of conventional art history narratives. In turn, critical discussions provide a catalyst to perhaps shift and move the field of art history forward.

The Clark is presenting a groundbreaking subject in October through its biennial Clark Conference, “The Fetish A(r)t Work: African Objects in the Making of European Art History 1500–1900.” Esteemed art scholars will gather to examine the often-overlooked ways that African art influenced the development of the European artistic canon.

The conference is free and open to the public and will be held October 19 to 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Receptions will be held where visitors can engage with one another and discuss the topics in hand. The setting of the Manton Research Center on the Clark’s bucolic campus—the building is crafted from pink granite—provides the perfect backdrop for this intellectual summit. Visiting scholars will unveil and deconstruct an intricate and at times tumultuous cultural relationship, and attendees will gain a new understanding in how its intersectional dynamics shaped the evolution of art history on a global scale.

The Research and Academic Program

Caryatid stool, Baga culture, Guinea, c. 1750–1800 [?]. Wood. 47.5 x 20.6 x 22.5 cm. Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris, France.

Caroline Fowler, the Starr director of the RAP, explains that the program emerged in the late-1990s as part of the Clark’s dual mission of research and collections. “The museum sought to elevate its profile on the international stage by inviting scholars and researchers from around the world to explore our extraordinary art library and engage in intellectual endeavors in this picturesque corner of Western Massachusetts,” she says. During the years that followed, the program evolved under the leadership of former director Michael Ann Holly, who helmed the program from 1999 to 2013. According to Fowler, the RAP quickly gained worldwide recognition for its approach to challenging traditional narratives within the discipline of art history.

“We encourage scholars to explore a broad spectrum of art history and visual culture, not solely limited to our own collection,” Fowler says. This approach cultivates an expansive, intellectually stimulating environment that supports innovative research and new perspectives.

2022 RAP Caribbean Conference

The RAP’s fellowship program also offers significant value to visiting scholars, who stay in private apartments in a house located across the street from the Clark. This residential aspect allows researchers to focus on their studies without everyday distractions, enabling them to advance their research to new levels. Fowler believes that the Clark’s inclusive approach is nicely complemented by the serene and inspiring setting of the Berkshires. She notes that the physical presence of the scholars is also crucial. “During the pandemic, we did all of our programming online,” she says. “It feels good to be back in person. People are able to build deep relationships here.”

The Clark’s collaborative spirit is also evident through the Williams College/ Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art, which provides a unique and enriching experience for students. Fowler shares, “The students in the program are Williams College students, but their first-year housing is at the Clark, and their seminar classrooms are within the Institute. Many of the students intern at the Clark, and they have a very deep and close relationship to the institution.” This interconnectedness between the two institutions strengthens the intellectual community in the Berkshires, allowing for cross-pollination of ideas within a shared environment of continuous learning and growth.

A Deeper Dive

Caroline Fowler, the Starr Director of the RAP

The Clark Conference stands out as the RAP’s most impactful initiative, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and enabling crucial debates on significant subjects in the field of art history. This year’s Clark Conference seeks to challenge and reframe the misinformed perception that African art’s impact on European art began with Picasso in the early-20th century. Scholars will revisit the historical artistic production on the African continent much earlier than that. By doing so, they will celebrate the contributions of African art, as well as the pivotal role that it played in shaping European notions of artistic expression.

Anne Lafont

Scholars from different corners of the world will confront assumptions, broaden perspectives, and push the boundaries of art history. Among the distinguished scholars participating in the conference are Anne Lafont, a former Clark fellow and a vaunted French art historian who serves as the director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris; Cecile Fromont, an established art historian, educator, and professor of African and South Atlantic Art at Yale University; and Simon Gikandi, a noted Kenyan novelist, educator, and chair of the English Department at Princeton University. These luminaries have dedicated their academic careers to exploring the intersections between African, Caribbean, and European art and culture. Their work holds the potential to reshape the global understanding of art history.

Mestre (Master) Didi, Deoscóredes Maximiliano dos Santos. Ibiri, 1988. Bundled palm ribs, beads, cowrie shells, leather. 27 x 4 1/4 x 3 in. Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas.

Fowler adds that the conference also will explore the notion of “fetish,” historically used to dismiss African art and practices. The carved wooden figures of human beings and animals typical of the art of areas such as West Africa are commonly grouped under the name of fetishes. The term denotes a wide variety of objects believed to have magical or religious properties.

“We aim to shed light on the European intellectual tradition that emerged from early interactions with Africans on the West African coast, influencing European concepts of art, ritual, and objects,” she says. Unraveling the complexities of art history and challenging established notions are central to the upcoming conference.

Fowler explains, “One of the main themes of the conference is a discussion of how a certain canon came to be made and why European art was constructed in the way that it was. Facts will show that it was constructed in relationship to African art and traditions in ways that haven’t been acknowledged by many art scholars.”

With its diverse intellectual engagement and multidisciplinary inquiry, the Clark Conference elevates the collective understanding of art history’s evolution. Fowler concludes, “Through bridging continents and cultural histories, the Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program continues to be a vital driving force in shaping contemporary art scholarship worldwide.” ■

The Clark Conference will be held from October 19–21. The public is welcome. The title of this year’s conference is “The Fetish A(r) t Work: African Objects in the Making of European Art History 1500–1900.” For more information, go to clarkart.edu/research-academic.