Ethnologists Probe Collectors' Discourse on Primitive Art Passion

In 'La passion de l'art primitif', ethnologists Brigitte Derlon and Monique Jeudy-Ballini examine the discourse of collectors of primitive art, shifting focus from the passion itself to how collectors articulate it. Published by Gallimard, the book acknowledges precursors Mona Thomas's study of contemporary art buyers and Rolande Bonnain's work on primitive art enthusiasts, but adopts a less reverential approach. Based on interviews, the authors reveal collectors who prioritize emotion over knowledge, fantasy over intellect, and personal identity over artistic alterity. One collector states: 'I am completely enchanted by the anonymity of the artist. Not knowing who the artist is gives me enormous pleasure!' The book employs humor and subtlety rather than overt cultural critique, aligning with Yves Michaud's 'L'Art à l'état gazeux' in diagnosing a removal of art from the social sphere and a collapse of taste into vulgar sentimentality. Hugo Lacroix reviews the work for artpress.