Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

manufacturing plants shape the landscape of many communities. Africa, on the other hand, is mainly
associated with the export of raw materials, such as diamonds 12 , and not with large industrial infrastructure.
This dichotomy of organic versus inorganic terms might be an indication of this economic pretense.
The presence in nearly concurrent percentages of the descriptor “shoes” could be partially due to
the fact that the image of the mask appeared in duplicate inversely oriented images. Though I took pains to
explain that the images were of the same object, it is
possible that this was not communicated effectively. If
viewed as a pair of two separate objects instead of two
images of the same object, the boxy rectangular features of
the images could lend a certain visual similarity to shoes,
which are also somewhat blocky and occur in pairs.
This demarcation between organic and inorganic
Cylinders
Inferior
33%
Cylinders
Superio
r
67%
descriptors is consistent with the data gathered from the
second question on the survey, which seeks to determine the
proper orientation of the mask. Should the cylindrical protrusions be on top or on bottom? According to
the majority of control group answers (see figure 11), the cylindrical protrusions should be oriented in such
a way that they are inferior to the rectangular portion of the mask. This is consistent with the data gathered
from the first question in that when viewed this way, the mask is much more face-like, and thus more
anthropomorphic or zoomorphic. Alternately, the experimental group predominantly thought that the
cylindrical protrusions should be oriented so as to be superior to the rectangular portion of the mask (see
figure 12). This orientation makes facial structure association more difficult, thus enforcing the inorganic
descriptors.
The third question of the survey concerned function: the control group was asked to describe the
ceremony this mask was likely used in and the experimental group was asked to define the object. The
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Figure 12, Experimental Group answers: “Which way
should this object be oriented?”