Bogolan: Shaping Culture through Cloth in Contemporary Mali (review)

Originally published in 2001 by the Smithsonian Institution, Bogolan provided a comprehensive presentation of bogolanfini, a type of cloth made in Mali using handwoven strips of cotton fabric as a canvas for black and white designs applied with plant dyes and dark mud. That edition of the book was awarded an "Honorable Mention" prize for single-author monographs at the 2004 ACASA triennial conference; it truly deserved the honor, since Bogolan set a new standard not just for the study of bogolanfini but for African art in general. This second edition, published by Indiana University Press, includes a valuable new preface updating some of the trends and artists featured in the first edition, but is otherwise unchanged.

For anyone interested in bogolan (any fabric influenced by the aesthetics and techniques of bogolanfini)—whether made for ritual use, for sale to tourists, for art, or for high fashion (couture)—this is the book to turn to. Bogolan offers a solid review of the literature and a detailed base of knowledge concerning the people, places, and techniques involved in the production of these textiles. Just as important, Rovine is careful to point out how the various forms of bogolan are interconnected, an example of "an artistic tradition that thrives simultaneously in its original form and in modern, global incarnations. . . . Rural bogolan is not a stage in the evolution of urban bogolan; the diverse aspects of bogolan's biography are at the same time experiencing a revival on the international market" (15). Such artists as those of the Groupe Bogolan Kasobane, for example, are fully aware of the traditional techniques and symbolism of bogolanfini (the original handmade form used for ritual purposes) and actively work to promote it, both inside and outside of Mali. In addition to creating large-scale unique works of art for collectors, they also produce "tourist art" such as clothing and housewares in order to make an adequate living—thus blurring the lines between different genres. For artists like these, earlier bogolanfini forms are not archaic relics, but ongoing sources of inspiration.

This is a subject with which scholars and collectors of African art have long struggled—how to evaluate changes in technique and aesthetics over time. In the past, the tendency has been to assume that traditional forms of art would disappear under the weight of colonization and globalization. In part, this was an artifact of the art market (since objects in danger of disappearing are more valuable); but it also reflected a genuine, and in some cases well-founded, concern for what outsiders were doing to material culture in Africa. In 1970, for example, James Pascal Imperato envisaged that bogolanfini would likely soon disappear, replaced by factory cloth and European-style dress; it was a reasonable prediction at the time, but one that—happily—did not come true.

Engaging with debates over "fashion," "authenticity," and "tradition," Rovine offers a thorough explanation for the continuing appeal of bogolan from multiple perspectives—both Malian and Western, and from artists as well as many categories of consumers. Carefully chosen photographs illustrate the full range of bogolan production, including some styles (such as bogolan paintings and drip-painted hunters' tunics) that have not been well-represented in other publications. It is fortunate for future scholars of African art that Indiana University Press has taken on the task of reissuing this valuable book.