The class name is “Religion: Meaning and Purpose in the Arts.” Use this book for this assignment: “Flash of the Spirit, Robert Farris Thompson (Vintage Books, 1984 )” Chapter 2: pp. 125-158.” Dear Class,For reading, Thompson suggests that the contemporary Black artist Henry Dorsey and his African ancestors “indicated ways of realizing spiritual transcendence through […]
The class name is "Religion: Meaning and Purpose in the Arts."
Use this book for this assignment: "Flash of the Spirit, Robert Farris Thompson (Vintage Books, 1984 )" Chapter 2: pp. 125-158."
Dear Class,
For reading, Thompson suggests that the contemporary Black artist Henry Dorsey and his African ancestors “indicated ways of realizing spiritual transcendence through material metaphors. To the degree he extended their insights, he extended the Kongo Atlantic world.
The house of Henry Dorsey remains a secular nzo a nkisi, a charm for the denial of hurt, for the redirecting of spirit, to greet provocateurs with laughter and generosity, teaching us how to endure, how to bestow honor, even as the ancient Greeks taught their progeny to honor the gods, parents, and strangers.”
Please bring to class a piece of art that you believe functions as a religious or secular 'nzo a nkisi,' drawing from any tradition of your choice. You may print a copy or photo of the artwork and bring it to class. Finally, explain in one written paragraph why you chose this piece of art. Does it function as a "charm for denying hurt" for a particular community? Maybe it redirects "provocateurs with laughter and generosity"? Or it "teaches us how to endure, how to bestow honor, even...to...strangers." Feel free to think outside of the box in your choice. And, of course, you cannot choose the artwork you are doing for your final project.
Each of you will have the opportunity to share your choice with the rest of the class.
Choose a piece of art, then explain (see above instructions).
The Ofrenda Altar
Similar to the United States, where the grave serves as the nzo a nkisi for some black Americans, the Mexicans use the Ofrenda altar to realize spiritual transcendence. By taking nzo a nkisi to mean material metaphor that ties the dead’s anger and brings peace and honor to earth, the Mexican altars dedicated to the “Day of the Dead” festival contain nkisi that acts symbolically similar to the Kongo versions. One of the elements found on the Ofrenda altar is the colorfully decorated skeletons that symbolically remind the community of how death is always close (“Symbolism of Day of the Dead”). Their colorful and sometimes comedic pose is a visual stimulant towards the festive mood associated with “The Day of the Dead.” On the other hand, the host places bread on the basket, signifying kindness (“Symbolism of Day of the Dead”). Therefore, the Ofrenda altar serves as a provocateur with festiveness and generosity. On the other hand, while black Americans decorated their dead graves to deter their spirits from following them back home, the Mexicans used the altar to honor and welcome their ancestral spirits back home, to celebrate the union between the living and dead worlds (Thompsons 133). In this way, the living Mexican family members pay tribute to the deceased by inviting them back using the Ofrenda altar. Thus, by electing the altar, Mexicans make the altar into a nzo a nkisi to remember the dead. Similarly, the altar uses physical metaphors in depicting metaphysical manifestations. Therefore, the art piece functions as a charm that provocateurs the festive mood with generosity and laughter while bestowing honor to everyone, making its function as a secular nzo a nkisi relevant to the current study.
The Ofrenda Altar: A Mexican nzo a nkisi
Works Cited
“Symbolism of Day of the Dead.” Icatholic, 29 Oct. 2010, http://www.icatholic.org/article/symbolism-of-day-of-the-dead-altars-12135.
Thompson, Robert Farris. Flash of the Spirit. Vintage Books, 1984.
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Published On: 01-01-1970
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