Art History

 

Piercing Cultural Hegemony

The buildup to uncovering the Cyclops required a foil, a helpful enemy. Guided Imagery, in this case, took sculptural form.

A sincere interest in architectural history begins with a quick but heated discussion, and I remember Professor Spiro Kostof here because of this heated exchange. I never took his classes. I was smart enough to know I wasn’t prepared for that rigor. But what drew me to his lectures was his evident passion for the subject.

Don in Messene, Greece

 

We argued over his rejection of the Greek herm at the crossroads African heritage. Intuitively, I felt it was an African artifact stemming from native cultural unity with Black Africa. I had no evidence. It was as if I could see dim inklings of its African 'shadow.' Nonetheless, his denial fueled my passion to prove him wrong and validate Africans' influence on Greek architecture.

Professor Kostof has passed, so he will never know how grateful I am for his scholarship and presence. Proving Professor Kostof wrong was impossible, given the present scholarship. Cultural hegemony is too entrenched.