Art Markets, Images, and Commercialization

Abstract

If we assume that aesthetics entails a form of communication rather than appreciation, tourist art objects may be seen as vital symbols of change. They are part of an exchange system in which the movement toward mass production creates a stimulus for audience response and the further reinterpretation of the artworks. Primarily a product of the urban scene and expanded commercial networks, tourist art in Africa demonstrates a wide range of innovation. The expressive forms span a variety of artistic traditions—from intricately carved wooden masks to ornate sculptures and richly woven textiles.¹ These art objects are both symbolic expressions and concrete products of culture contact and change.² As such, they offer an important key to understanding new cultural categories.