Page 32 - AT

A32 FEATURE
Monday 29 october 2018

Museum spotlights connection between Matisse, Alaska Natives

By TERRY TANG In the early 20th century,
Associated Press the masks and Native cul-
PHOENIX (AP) — Nearly tures in general gained a
64 years after his death, following among traders
Henri Matisse has become and collectors who were
one of the few non-Native interested in preserva-
Americans to have an exhi- tion, Mooney said. Many
bition at a Phoenix museum masks ended up in muse-
dedicated to Native Ameri- ums. George Gustav Heye,
can culture. whose vast collection of
The little-known intersection Native American objects
of one of the 20th century’s shaped the Smithsonian’s
greatest artists and Inuit National Museum of the
people in the Arctic region American Indian, was one
is at the heart of a show of the leaders in bringing
opening Monday at the artifacts to New York City,
Heard Museum. where they came into the
“It’s a story I didn’t know orbit of the French intelli-
much about until 1998 gentsia.
when I became friendly Masks typically are created
with a member of the Ma- in pairs or other groupings
tisse family,” said museum to represent symbolic rela-
director David Roche. “It tionships such as male and
truly took several years to Curator Sean Mooney checks the final installation of an assortment of Yup’ik masks made by female, or night and day.
absorb it all. It spans cen- Alaskan Natives at the Heard Museum, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in Phoenix. So, the show will mean re-
turies, cultures and conti- Associated Press uniting masks that have
nents.” masks and this very specific and two books with pho- tween Native villages dur- been separated for, in
“Yua: Henri Matisse and historic body of work by tographs of Inuit men and ing a gathering known as a some cases, a century, mu-
the Inner Arctic Spirit “ will Matisse.” women. The museum will potlatch. seum director Roche said.
feature Matisse’s portraits Matisse is more widely laud- have several black-and- Historically, the masks were After the exhibition closes
of the Inuit people, which ed as a pioneer in Fauvism white portraits, including discarded after a ceremo- Feb. 3, some masks will go
have never been dis- — a style characterized by charcoal drawings and ny. Sometimes they were on display in Alaska.
played in the U.S. But the vivid colors and less con- lithographs. Taken with the burned or left on the tun- Some people may question
French artist, who died in trolled brush strokes. But he culture, Matisse even be- dra, Nakak said. giving space at a museum
1954, will share the spotlight became interested in indig- gan referring to any portrait Some American Indian cul- for American Indian artists
with Alaska Natives who in- enous cultures in the 1940s. he did as a mask. tures would not consider to a white, European one.
fluenced him. Yup’ik masks Son-in-law Georges Duthuit “With a stroke, he created showing ceremonial items But Roche said the exhibi-
made by Alaskan Natives, had acquired an array of what he called masks,” such as masks because tion has immense support
some of which were col- the masks and other mate- said co-curator Chuna Mc- they consider them to be because of its duality.
lected by Matisse’s son-in- rials while living in New York Intyre, who is Central Yup’ik. living beings not meant for “The Heard has been a
law during World War II, will City as World War II broke “He got the essence. It’s display. Yup’ik people, on leader in presenting Ameri-
be just as much a part of out, Mooney said. In 1946, amazing — pared down, the other hand, tend to be can Indian art with great
the exhibit. Duthuit returned to France quiet interior, personal cre- more transparent, McIntyre sensitivity,” Roche said. “I
The Heard is the only place with his collection. ations.” said. He said the masks al- think it’s meaningful that
showcasing the unconven- He and Matisse’s daughter, Villagers would traditionally ways have been intended we are working in this way. I
tional pairing. Marguerite, suggested Ma- tell stories with the masks to be shared in public per- think stories, to be told well,
“We have a lot of historic tisse do three illustrations for through song or dance, formance. often have to be told from
firsts in this particular work,” a proposed book on the paying respect to “yua.” “We Yup’iks feel in terms of multiple perspectives.”
said curator Sean Mooney. Arctic people. He made 50. According to the Yup’ik museum collections, mu- Matisse will likely draw peo-
“We’re kind of doing an ex- Matisse, according to culture, “yua” means spirit seums are caretakers of ple who normally wouldn’t
hibition within an exhibition Mooney, looked at masks but can also refer to the our civilizations’ treasures. go to the Heard and ex-
by having these two paral- made of wood, feath- spirit inside living creatures, That’s important to say,” pose them to Alaskan Na-
lel displays of historic Yup’ik ers and other materials, inanimate objects and their McIntyre said. tive cultures.q
connection to each other.
“Everything that exists in
this universe has the poten-
tial of yua because it exists
here. That’s an old concept
in Yup’ik,” McIntyre said.
“There’s a whole gravity to
it. Yua — it’s in a being, it’s
in a person.”
Yup’ik Eskimos comprise
one of 11 distinct cultures
among Alaska Natives in
the southwest part of the
state, according to the
Alaska Native Heritage
Center. Marge Nakak, a
An assortment of Yup’ik masks made by Alaskan Natives are cultural host at the center, Heard Museum associate registrar Kristen Laughlin checks
displayed at the Heard Museum, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in said masks are traditionally the light balance on a pair of Matisse drawings during final
Phoenix. preparations, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in Phoenix.
Associated Press worn at annual festivals be- Associated Press