Errington - Meg

In Errington's article she discusses the increasing popularity of primitive art and raises the question on what makes art "art". Errington makes a distinction between art by appropriation versus art by intention. She explains that art by appropriation are diverse objects that became "art" when arts museums were opened in the late 18th century. Art by intention are pieces made to be art. But in order to make this distinction, does not one must understand the society where the art originated? Many avant-garde artists but inspired by primitive art but they were interested in it because it was both scary and attractive at the same time. Most likely, they were not interested in its purpose and whether it created as art or made to suit another purpose.
But does art by appropriation lead to art by intention? I drew a parallel between Errington's argument and the movie In and out of Africa. In reality the men are making pieces of art when they carve their wooden pieces, but they are selling them as authentic art. They paint them to make them look older then they are and make up stories as to their history.
One other point that Errington makes is how art by intention is framed either in an actual frame, on a pedestal or on a stage. She explains that whatever is in the frame is not real life but a representation of reality. This made me think about the set up of museums in Griffith's articles. The museums were set up in window "frames" which displayed the ethnographic reconstructions. Each display may not have been intended to be art, but they were representations of reality.
Whether art by appropriation or art by intent, there is still the art of the sale. In her article, Errington mentions her visit to the Rockefeller wing of the Met and the docent who explains the "butterfly mask" and its meaning and intent. To Errington, the docent's explanation reminds her of a joke since she is not sure the mask looks like a butterfly or it is even a mask. The docent's objective is to sell "culture" through art by appropriation. The West African man seems to exaggerate the meaning and history of the authentic art pieces to prospective customers. His objective is to sell "art". In both cases, the stories told by both the docent and the man are necessary in order to meet each of their objectives.