Apart from rock art, ancient artists in Africa prepared sculptures. One of the oldest sculptures in Africa was the extraordinary terracotta ceramic faces, many of which have worn out over time, recorded in western African country of Nigeria and are as old as 2,500 years or more. The sculptures are assembled using iron cast or even grog compounds though none of them exists in their initial form. They demonstrate a resilient spirit in the African culture that dates back to about 200 AD (Peter 89. Their stupendous formal characteristics and communicative eminence places them at a distinct position with reference to African art history. They are unique because they depict distortion and are uniquely designed depicting complicated hairstyles and embellishment. Terracotta carvings presently hold a critical but unique spot in world's artistic evolution.
Sokoto district in Nigeria has been identified as one place with sculptures of captivating sternness, some of which were produced in the period around 1st Century AD. The district could have emerged as a trade center (several trade routes cross through the town). The carvings are known to have a uniquely heavier crests and carry lesser decorations around their necks as compared to those found in the other Nigerian districts (Biler 72). Coincidentally, a town with a similar name in South Africa was found with carvings similar to the just described pieces. Archaeologists estimate that the art pieces could have been assembled around 500 AD identifying them as the earliest pieces in the southern end of the continent. There is very scanty information linking the sculpture work to a specific ethnic group though there is enough reason to assume that individuals who buried them in the earth's c...
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...e by the use of colorful patterns, especially the beautification of house walls, and a renewed passion towards spatial surroundings, settings that not only appeal to people on the basis of their convenience but also bond well with man's discernment. From the literature in the presiding paragraphs, it is clear that African art is broad and wide- extending from carvings, through weights to clothes. Some of the geometrical shapes used in modern-day schooling were devised by African artists. It can proudly be said that the history of African art has through the centuries shaped the art we currently witness all over the globe.
Works Cited
Biler, M. (2007). A History of Art in Africa. New York: McGraw Hill Books.
Bassani, Ezio. (2012). African Art. New York: Top Ten Publishers.
Peter, G. (2002). Early Art and Architecture of Africa. New York: Oxford University Press.
This paper will discuss relative points and insights relating to sculpture of the Paleolithic era, specifically the Venus of Willendorf, through the essays of Christopher Witcombe.
One of the more famous African American potters during the Civil War times in the United States was David Drake (Burrison, 2012). Until he became emancipated he was known simply as Dave or Dave the Slave (Burrison, 2012). In 1801, Dave was born in the United States under his first owner Harvey Drake (Burrison, 2012). Harvey Drake is the most probable person to have taught young Dave how to read and write because of his belief that God gave him the responsibility to help his servants, or slaves how to read the word of God (Burrison, 2012). Many of his pieces are signed and dated, some have short facts about the piece, and others have short poems (Burrison, 2012). The words written on the pottery seems to have been inscribed while it was barely damp greenware (Burrison, 2012). Harvey Drake died in 1832 and in 1834, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a regulation that made it illegal for slaves to be taught how to read and write (Burrison, 2012). In 1840, after passing from one master to another Dave was finally given to Lewis Miles (Burrison, 2012). Dave was one of the few enslaved potters to be allowed to sign the ceramic pieces he produced during his enslavement under Lewis Miles (Burrison, 2012). On one piece Dave inscribed the words "LM says handle will crack" (Chaney). These words mean much more than what is written. It shows that Dave knew what he was doing and possibly even knew more than his master LM, Lewis Miles (Chaney). It seemed that Dave who was an enslaved man was the master, and his master was the fool because the handle, to date, has never cracked (Burrison, 2012). Dave Drake continued to sign his name and sometimes writing poetry on his pottery even though the law had been passed that made it illegal (Burri...
This essay deals with the nature of a cross cultural encounter between the Benin people and Portuguese traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in the depiction of Portuguese figures in Benin brass plaques. It will propose that this contact between people with different cultures was on the basis of 'mutual regard' (Woods, K. 2008, p. 16), and although the Portuguese had qualms about idolatry in Benin it will show that assumptions by Europeans up to the 20th century of the primitive nature of tribal African societies was inaccurate with regard to the Benin people, who had a society based on the succession of the King or 'Oba', a Royal Family and Nobility. The essay will finally suggest that Benin’s increase in wealth following the arrival of the Portuguese led to a resurgence in bronze sculptures and the introduction of a new form, the rectilinear plaque.
My friends, after traveling through the Asian continent and Japan, I continued on to the Americas. The art in the Americas has three regions, North America, Central America, and South America. Each region has a very distinct aspect to their forms of art. All cultures have some kind of art. Being curious about art, I have collected samples from five different areas. The following works of art are very different from European art, but there are still some similarities. The similarities of the human spirit are evident in the following images.
Western attitudes to African people and culture have always affected how their art was appreciated and this has also coloured the response to the art from Benin.
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,
The works of art from the Archaic Period, Classical Period, and Hellenic Period developed physically and mentally, and the study of their aesthetic differences from period to period allow for a decided contrast and comparability. This interpretation has had a profound effect on the art world and that continues even in today’s world. The importance of Greek sculptures is evident in the storytelling of the gods, the people, and the culture. We use these sculptures as a tool to go back into the past of the Greek people, letting us admire how far mankind has truly come, whether it is in art or intelligence. Generation after generation has been and will continue to be able to see for themselves the society, culture and uniqueness of these periods through the wonderful sculptures that came out of ancient
The art of the Americas was changed dramatically with the arrival of the Spanish and many aspects of European art and influence can be seen in the art of colonial America. However, there are still many significant examples of indigenous influence in colonial art. Whether one looks at the early works that were seen when the Spanish first arrived or the work that came in the late 1700s, the influence of the indigenous natives had a long ranging influence on various aspects of the art including materials, subjects, and details within the paintings, sculptures and architecture.
Despite the long history of African American art, many black artists in contemporary society still have a difficult time getting their art viewed or accepted by the masses. Society, in general, tends to look at African art as ethnic, trivial, simple, folk art, perhaps even collectable, but not worthy of true in-depth exploration of fine art accreditation. However, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson disrupt these perceptions in their art.
In recognizing the varying definition of drawing, it can be seen that I have chosen to push the boundaries of drawing, and in doing so, have heightened the concept of ordinary extraordinary connections in my work. Similarly it can be seen that Walter Oltmann, who’s works were a source of creative inspiration for my own creative process has also effectively pushed the boundaries of the traditional definition of drawing and, in doing so, has emphasized and brought interest to his concepts of evolution and interchange of cultures in South Africa.
The Mesopotamian art work above is a relief sculpture plaque made out of stone-like material. The plaque has a distinct narrative that has been divided into three registers, and which is read from the bottom register upwards, in a left to right motion. In addition, there is a vertical rectangle cut in the middle of the plaque which might suggest that something belonged there.
The artworks of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Aegean cultures, and Ancient Greece have similarities that not only reflect objects and images, but also the media, style and representation. These countries were not always wealthy, clever, creative and powerful enough to gain supplies, but they all find a way to create art with what they had. They have all influenced on each other’s cultures and belief through their artistic values and ways, ranging from the materials and tools they use, position and representation of their monuments and their religious intent.
Connection - This is relevant to our class because throughout our studies we have seen that African art is usually functional. Some of the examples we have covered include the huge vases and the baskets which are both used in every day life. A main concept of this class is to understand that African art is not separate from African life, but instead it is part of the day to day life of African people. In turn, African Architecture is part of the day to day life as well.
Kasfir, S. L. (2007) African Art and the Colonial Encounter: Inventing a Global Commodity, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Most art has some sort of reason or purpose behind it. It might be religious, symbolic, literal, traditional, customary, or just a preference by the artist. Most African art has a symbolic reason. Masks, pottery, figures, portraits, jewelry, baskets and clothing reflect the religious belief of the different tribes. Africans believed that everything in nature is alive. For example: rocks, grass, plants, trees, rivers and mountains. African art was not popular and was looked down upon until recently. In Nigeria, people were tattooed as a test of courage. The figure- “Portrait Head of a King (Oni)” reflects this. The King has this tattooing on his entire face. The King has big slanted eyes, a prominent nose, and big full lips. All these things represented something to the Nigerian people; the King...