For this essay, we had to visit the Harn Museum and examine some of the pieces in the Africa Collection. Of the options we were given, we then had to take a picture and write an essay on the meaning of the piece and our reaction towards the artwork.
After visiting the Harn Museum and examining all of the pieces of Art in the Africa Collection, Lo Gbe, or “White Mask”, caught my attention almost instantly. The colors of this costume are mostly white with some black spots in certain areas. The mask is made of white cowry shells, wood, and metal and has a large extension on the top of the head, and the rest of the costume is made of white and black cotton. Lo Gbe is a costume that is used for a traditional dance called a “White Mask Dance” that is common in the Burkina Faso country of Africa. The dance is done in order to honor and remember the dead. The dance is only done at night and usually lasts to 4:00 AM because the moon plays a major roll in the dance as it reflects beautifully off of the mask because of the white shells. It is not stated when this tradition of honoring the deceased started
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The Harn did a great job of staging the costume in the right light to show how the shells on the mask would reflect in the moonlight. Even though I had no idea what the purpose of the costume was, I was still interested just from the design of the costume. Now that I researched Lo Gbe and found out that it is used to remember the deceased, it becomes even more beautiful. The way the light hit the shells on the mask is the reason I selected Lo Gbe. I think that my roommate would enjoy this mask and costume because he always enjoys dancing around so this would suit him. The piece is almost perfect, but I would change the some of the black areas and make the costume look even better when the moonlight reflected off of
Many might have been working on Good Friday, but many others were enjoying The Frist Museum of Visual Arts. A museum visitor visited this exhibit on April 14, 2017 early in the morning. The time that was spent at the art museum was approximately two hours and a half. The first impression that one received was that this place was a place of peace and also a place to expand the viewer’s imagination to understand what artists were expressing to the viewers. The viewer was very interested in all the art that was seen ,but there is so much one can absorb. The lighting in the museum was very low and some of the lighting was by direction LED lights. The artwork was spaciously
The right side is almost purely white, with blue and gray shadows; the rest of the body is black, dark brown, and navy. The profile of a white woman obscures the left half of the black face, facing to the right of the piece; her hair is in a large braid and she wears a simple pearl earring. The black woman has long, flowing, bright blue hair, as well as full red lips. The black woman’s body has a rose over it, and the white woman is wearing what looks like a straw bikini; the figure is wrapped in a thick rope from the waist down. The stark contrast between the white and black meet with a definitive line; there is no blending between the two colors, which amplifies the feelings of separation and difference between the two halves of the woman’s
The ordinary everyday mineral pigments of black, white and red are utilized in different ways on the elaborate wooden masks, each embellished with a fibrous hood that surrounds the head and shoulders of the wearer. The role of each detail behind each specific line on each different mask helps to denote the movement and rhythm the performer attempts to conduct while wearing this mask in a cultural ceremony. The specific organizational composition of the masks’ facial features differs as well. The masks allow the viewer to understand the Bwa’s portrayal of their spiritual beliefs through the easily recognizable animal imagery as seen with horns on the masks, however the composition of the masks is juxtaposed to animals of the real world through the additional elements of emphasis the Bwa place on depicting their spiritual beings. For example, one mask has a tall narrow plank residing on the crown. The white crescent on the top of the mask functions as a symbol of the night in which a quarter moon lights up the sky, the very same night in which the initiates finish their integration ceremonies and become adult members of the Bwa community (2). Other aspects of animal symbolism are apparent through the mouth holes of the masks through which the wearers see. All of these masks have different shaped mouths. Some mouths are circular while other mouths
There are many similarities seen between the Elephant Mask Costume and the costume worn by th...
In the gallery walk I took several images of piece of work. I took a picture of the Dandy Lion poster that was now a part of the new exhibition. I didn’t know my connection to this project, nor did I know it’s connection to Afrofuturism, Modernism and Post
From time immemorial, hell was an inspiration for the costumes used during Halloween. In the contemporary society, turning up for Halloween dressed up as a goblin, zombie or ghost is less likely to make a staunch follower of the event to receive sufficient appreciation. Popular culture has succeeded in replacing the underworld in terms of providing influential costumes for the event. The aspect of individuals from different races increasingly dominating pop culture is causing costume lovers to face a number of issues. The most dominant question has always been whether it is ethical to dress or appear dressed up like someone from a different race during Halloween. This factor largely bases on the costume an individual chooses, and the manner he or she ends up presenting the costume. It also depends on what the individual wearing the costume is representing or duplicating during the event. In view of all the complexities involved in choosing an appropriate dress code, it remains imperative to display keenness while settling on certain attire. Observing one’s dress code prevents an individual from making a racial gaffe that may occur when the person wears attire that derogates another race.
The famous masterpiece Mona Lisa created by the late great Leonardo da Vinci was a
One pleasant afternoon, my classmates and I decided to visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to begin on our museum assignment in world literature class. According to Houston Museum of Fine Art’s staff, MFAH considers as one of the largest museums in the nation and it contains many variety forms of art with more than several thousand years of unique history. Also, I have never been in a museum in a very long time especially as big as MFAH, and my experience about the museum was unique and pleasant. Although I have observed many great types and forms of art in the museum, there were few that interested me the most.
This allows for a wide variety of subjects and imagination. Because of all the unique aspects of African Art, more and more people are now becoming fascinated with Africa and its history. Soon it will be seen in the homes of many individuals for decoration, and its brilliance will continue to grow. Africa is a mysterious place and the art of this country is one that will survive the test of time, and the beauty of its art will be seen for years to come.
At first glance, the Mbole Ofika figure looks like an ordinary sculpture that anyone can encounter at the local museum, but these figures were made and hold a great value to Mbole society. Also, the figure is tougher to find than one may imagine. The Yela people also have Mbole sculptures but the only difference between their sculpture compared to the Mbole is that theirs has a rounder face, whereas the Mbole’s sculpture has more of a heart shape face. The Mbole Ofika Figure is a 3-dimensional wooden figure that was made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. The University of Iowa happens to have one in its collection. When viewing the figure’s composition it is very hard not to notice the placement and visual elements of its head. The repetition and contrasted elements of the figure’s head are interesting because of the convex and concave patterns with an added spotlight of white pigment. The eyes and the nose are very narrow and the nose of the figure is protruded in the shape of a triangle. Ofika figures are small, light in weight and can be held by just about anyone. The balance of the figure is great and the figure easily stands in place on its two legs when placed down. The contrast in the figure varies from medium to dark brown and sometimes can be as dark as black. The University of Iowa has a black Ofika figure in their
Most American’s who hear the term masquerade will find a mental image of a ballroom dance floor with men and women dancing in a small mask that conceal one’s identity. Or they might find pictures of a Mardi Gra celebration and the famous parades rolling down the streets of Loisanna strolling through their memory. While both the masquerade dance and Mardi Gra celebration have their traditions, history, and cultural influences, yet, other masks garner many people's attention, and that is the masks of Africa. The art of the masquerade is a critical part of the culture in many African societies. Moreover, the masks are enriched with history and form a means of communicating their past with a somewhat secretive
The White Shirt: The best part about the white shirt is that you can write anything on it and it’s an instant Halloween costume.
The gingham dress is horrifying matched with an attached black apron with a skull print on it. The black and white stripe warmers are an added attraction.
Not every piece of art requires a group to accomplish it. However, digital art usually involves multiple people who are either visually or technologically skilled. For example, a video game calls for technical proficiency along with visual components. GAMMA and Capstone allows students to venture into the video game work by collaborative team work. It is not necessary for every member to be professionals in both the technical and visual fields but it is critical for them to have an understanding of both.
African Innovations is described by the museum as a “highly selective assortment of works from the Brooklyn Museum’s extensive collection of African art, includes objects of transcendent beauty and sophistication.” Although the phrase “African art” suggests a continent wide form of visual expression that is both unitary and timeless, the museum took effort to reflect the diversity of Africa’s expansive empires, localized kingdoms, city-states, and autonomous villages, by using a stylistic range. For the first time, the Museum arranged their African gallery chronologically to emphasize the continent’s “long record of creativity, adaptation, and artistic achievement.” This museum was also the first in America to display African objects as works of art and has since been one of the largest and most important collections in the country. However, with these wonderful achievements, there was still one fault with the artwork. This specific crown has some damages to it. In the top of the cone, crown area there is visible damage to the beads. The veil flap specifically is missing beads where it is supposed to join the crown. This is implying that the crown was sold from its original community, most likely away from it’s original purpose. The crown has such a strong spiritual tie that it is hard to believe that it was carelessly given to anyone. Since it holds such high divine power