African Art

COMMISSIONED BY SHAMAN OR WORSHIPPER
INTERDISCIPLINARY; WIDE VARIETY OF MEDIA, MATERIALS, AND PERFORMANCES
ADDRESSES THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
MEANT TO BE USED
RITUALS INITIATE COMING OF AGE, LEADERSHIP; ELEMENTS IN CONTACT W ANCESTORS
GLOBAL IMPACT

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
AFRICANS BELIEVE THAT ANCESTORS NEVER DIE AND CAN BE ADDRESSED; SENSE OF FAMILY; RESPECT FOR ELDERS; REPRESENTATIONS OF FAMILY ANCESTORS
FERTILITY; STRONG CULTURAL TRADITIONS YIELDING A GREAT VARIETY OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
AFRICAN AFFAIRS WERE LARGELY INTERNAL STRUGGLES BC OUTSIDERS WERE HELD BACK BY NATURAL BARRIERS LIKE THE SAHARA DESERT AND THE INDIAN OCEAN
COLONIZATION BROUGHT AFRICAN CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN DIRECT CONTACT W THE REST OF THE WORLD; MARKETED AT A GLOBAL SCALE TODAY

AFRICAN ARTISTS WORKED ON COMMISSION; LIVED W PATRONS UNTIL WORK WAS COMPLETE; APPRENTICESHIP; GUILDS; PROMOTED THEIR WORK AND ELEVATED THE PROFESSION
MEN WERE BUILDERS/CARVERS; WOMEN PAINTED WALLS AND CERAMICS
ART OF FARMING COMMUNITIES PORTABLE/COLLECTABLE
NOMADIC PEOPLES PRODUCED BODY ART
AGRICULTURAL EMPHASIZED BRONZE/WOOD SCULPTURE

AFRICAN ART WAS IMPORTED FROM EUROPE MORE AS CURIOSITIES THAN AS ARTISTIC OBJECTS; ONLY FOUND ACCEPTANCE IN EUROPEAN ARTISTIC CIRCLES

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN ARCHITECTURE IS BUILT TO BE AS COOL AND COMFORTABLE; MADE OF MUDB BRICK WALLS AND THATCHED ROOFS
HAS PROBLEMS; NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED DURING RAINY SEASON

AFRICAN SCULPTURE
PORTABLE; LARGE SCULPTURES ARE UNKNOWN
WOOD PREFERRED MATERIAL; IVORY IS A SIGN OF RANK/PRESTIGE; METAL SHOWS STRENGTH AND DURABILITY, RESTRICTED TO ROYALTY; STONE EXTREMELY RARE
FIGURES ARE FRONTAL, FULL FACE; SYMMETRY OCCASIONALLY USED
AFRICANS DID NO PRELIMINARY SKETCHES, WORKED DIRECTLY ON THE WOOD; STIFFNESS
HEADS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE; SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS ENLARGED; BODIES IMMATURE AND SMALL; HANDS/FEET SMALL
MULTIPLE MEDIA; WOOD SCULPTURES ADORNED W/ FEATHERS, FABRIC AND BEADS
GEOMETRIC; AVOIDS PHYSICAL REALITY; SCULPTURE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE
AFRICAN MASKS MEANT TO BE PART OF A COSTUME THAT REPRESENTS A SPIRIT; CAN ONLY COME ALIVE WHEN CEREMONIES ARE INITIATED; SPIRIT TAKES OVER AND DANCER'S IDENTITY UNKNOWN
MOVES FROM PEAT OF DRUM; CONNECTS TO SPIRIT WORLD AND CAN TRANSMIT MESSAGES TO VILLAGERS

VOCABULARY
ADOBE: BUILDING MATERIAL MADE FROM EARTH/STAW/CLAY DRIED IN SUN
FETISH: OBJECT BELIEVED TO HAVE MAGICAL POWERS
SCARIFICATION
TORONS (WOODEN BEAMS PROJECTING FROM WALLS OF ADOBE BUILDINGS)

SUMARY
APPRENTICESHIP; COMMISSIONS FROM POWERFUL AND POLITICAL FIGURES; INTERNATIONAL FAME
COSTUMED DANCERS DON THE MASK AND ASSU,E THE POWERS OF THE SPIRIT IT REPRESENTS
ROLE OF MASK FUNCTIONAL/SPIRITUAL, WORKS GREATER THAN VISIBLE REPRESENTATION