Art originally in earlier cultures had a different purpose. Currently people create art for an aesthetic purpose for others to view in galleries, theaters, or museums creating distance for the audience. Initially art was created for purposes other than aesthetics, and people participated and interacted with the art and artist. This intertwined relationship between humans and art is especially seen in the Dineh and Wilbiri cultures. These two groups created drypaintings. People in both these groups directly interacted with the paintings instead of viewing them from a distance. Currently, there is a sense of distance instead of interaction. In these groups, humans participated directly with the artist and the art itself. In both these cultures, the people touched the drypaintings to evoke a response from the holy spirits. This physical interaction and participation with the dry paintings is termed contagion. The Dineh and the Walbiri both practiced contagion in different ways in order to evoke holy spirits because of similar religious beliefs, but their purpose for eliciting assistance from the Gods was different. Through contagion, both these cultures come into contact with the holy spirits. The Dineh or Navajo culture, presently living in Arizona, are the largest group of Native Americans who practice dry painting. The Navajo culture focuses on different Gods or Holy spirits representing animate or inanimate objects. Therefore, evil spirits exist as well. Every unfortunate situation can be linked to the Gods causing rituals to be performed for various ailments. A crucial element in the rituals is the creation of dry paintings. In most Dineh drypaintings, there are guardians and holy spirits such as the Yei t... ... middle of paper ... ...s themselves, much like the Dineh. Through their art, the Walbiri communicate with their ancestors, and become united with the Dreamtime, much like the Dineh. When a tjurunga, the residences of the spirits, is touched, a physical connection is made with the supernatural. This contact causes the perpetuation of both humans and spirits (Anderson, 65). This example of contagion in the Walbiri culture illustrates the importance of the relationship between mortals and the holy spirits and art. The Walbiri philosophy that through art humans can transcend and come into direct contact with the Eternal Dreamtime and their ancestors is further exemplified by this act of contagion. The location of the drypaintings in the Walbiri culture is generally in caves as oppose to the Dineh, which is in hogans. The Walbiri construct these paintings on the walls of the caves.
The transcendental journey into the spirit realm is most realized thru the arts. The only platform that can embody all the elements: image ,symbolism,colors and emotions ,in one is the artistic work of a spirit ,crying to come forth and be heard,in silence.
Wheelwright, M. (1942). Navajo Creation Myth. Navajo Religion Series, Vol. 1. Santa Fe: Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art.
It is difficult to choose just one lens to analyze different aspects of Diné spirituality because of the importance of integration and interconnectedness with the earth and all its creatures. They have a profound respect for each other as human beings as well as respect for nature. They feel responsible to care for the earth and its creatures because we all depend on one another for survival. Kinship and community is not just between humans but it is also with the land, with the animals and with the insects. Tapahonso illustrates all of these aspects of Diné spirituality beautifully in her collection of poems and short stories through her personal experiences in everyday life as a Diné woman.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
Lekythoi were decorated in several different ways, and each type of decoration was used for a specific purpose. Lekythoi decorated with the commonly seen ancient Greek black or red figures were used for storing oil. Pieces that are decorated with the white-ground technique; which gets its name from the powdery white slip that provides a background for the figures, were created specifically for funerary purposes and rituals (Gardener’s Art . The white- ground slips of these vases were commonly painted with depictions of the events of an ancient Greek funeral, the most popular being visitation of the grave, and the process of the deceased moving into the afterlife. Ancient Greek painters used a variety of rich colors to apply decoration of the funeral process and patterns.
Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,
Throughout ancient history, many indigenous tribes and cultures have shown a common trait of being hunter/gatherer societies, relying solely on what nature had to offer. The geographical location influenced all aspects of tribal life including, spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices. Despite vast differences in the geographical location, reports show various similarities relating to the spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices of indigenous tribal cultures.
This kind of painting described the figure of Taoist, Buddist, ghost or supernatural in legend.
The Navajo Indians have a rich spiritual culture. There are many sacred aspects to their religious practices and beliefs. One very interesting aspect is the healing ceremonies in which their Shaman or medicine man, as we might call him create sand paintings. I will be providing a brief history and the significance of these religious items more specifically sand paintings and the purposes and beliefs that surround them as well as discussing the debate that has sparked over their being produced in a permanent art form.
The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (“serve the spirits”)—to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. During religious rites, believers sometimes enter a trancelike state in which the devotee may eat and drink, perform stylized dances, give supernaturally inspired advice to people, or perform medical cures or special physical feats; these acts exhibit the incarnate presence of the lwa within the entranced devotee. Vodou ritual activity (e.g., prayer, song, dance, and gesture) is aimed at refining and restoring balance and energy in relationships between people and between people and the spirits of the unseen world.
Gandhara had absorbed Indian and Mediterranean influence in its art as well as its culture. This fusion of civilizations had taken place during the 6th and 5th century B.C, it was during this time period that the rhythm of civilizations was maintained. It was noted for the distinctive Gandhara style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. As mentioned earlier the Gandhara artists were said to have hand of a Greek but the head and heart of an Indian . During this period the devotees had dedicated themselves to the novel task of carving stone images of Buddha and Bodhisattvas. In their version of the Buddhist legends, the Gandhara artists, heavily favored the use of classical Roman art with bounteous of Greek mythology such as the angels that had garlands, Centaurs with human heads, arms and the body, spiral and flowing lines, Tritons with the fish tails and horse’s forefoot, scrolls and stuccos. The carving of the drapery showed the Hellenic influence on Gandhara art, for example the bright disc around the head of the Buddha or the half human being with the head of trunk of a women and tail of a fish. Similarly the wavy treatment of the hair, balance and distribution of weight considering the frame of human parts certain motifs and patterns all indicated a full close knowledge of
They are regarded asa great cloud of witnesses who watch the spectacle of life and times. More important, the dead are believed to be able to interfere in the affairs of the living. They can help a person, a family, or an entire nation if they wanted. They also believe the dead can communicate with the living from time to time. They feel the dead can provide a message within a dream with no interoperation. So, someone would have to go to a (diviner) are ritual specialists who have mastered a technique for reading signs that communicate the will of the divinities.
The most influential theme in art for centuries was that of religion. There have been many things that have influenced art over the generations. Nothing has had the impact on the art world that religions has. Many of the ancient art works were dedicated to the gods or other religious figures. The statues of the Ancient Egyptians were not just for beauty. Instead, they were representations of the gods and were meant to have significant meaning to the people who saw them. The people of the time knew the meaning of every reed, flower, bird, or animal that was depicted in the art. The same is true of the Greeks and Romans. Most of the art was inspired by the gods and the mythology of the region. Art as a way of imparting a message dominates the art world. For most of history, art had a meaning that was often connected to the religion of the region. This is fitting since art has a sense of permanence that most other mediums do not possess.
Religious art helps people that are looking for security and hope. Today society is looking for peace and an anchor to hold onto. This religious art lifts the spirit and brings peace within through a beautiful way. It helps reassure people that there is a life after this one. One needs not fear the power of God but to understand his actions and the way one should live his or her life.
the tradition of primitive tribes. “In many cases the painting was only used to decorate