Art of Africa edited June 14, 2018

1100 -1980 CE
Outline
2018-2019
Enduring Understanding
6-2. Art as instigator of human beliefs and interactions. Art is active
(performed) and motivational
6-2. Art as linked to human beliefs and interactions; arts as expressive and
representational; art validates social organization and human relations
6-3. use and efficacy are central to art of Africa. Arts are meant to be
performed vs. just viewed
6-4. African arts often seen as primitive, ethnographic, anonymous, static
when in fact Africa’s interaction with rest of world led to dynamic
intellectual and artistic traditions which sustain many cultures and
languages
Diverse in origin and expression

Essential Knowledge
• 6-1: Geographic expansion of peoples and art (culture) across Africa
and with cultures (religions and trade) from other parts of the world
• 6-2b: Art’s connection to beliefs and the supernatural not necessarily
seen or available to everyone. Art that is expressive vs
representational
• 6-3a, 63-b: Role of art in performance and cultural events, traditions,
peoples’ daily lives and experiences
• 6-4a: Art’s connection to non-African cultures and forces both
collaborative and conflicting

Geographic/Cultural Context

Geographic & Cultural Context

Q what are some characteristics of Africa

Large continent – 1/5th of the world’s land mass; 54 countries
Wide range of topography and geology (desert, tropics, mountains, plains), minerals,
ecology; three major rivers-Niger, Nile, Congo
Much of early African art (prior to 1850) remains unknown
Many distinct cultures, ethnic, linguistic groups are led by elders or kings
Much historical connection (trade, religion, exploration) between Africa and Europe and
Asia
Islam spread throughout West Africa and East African coast-beginning 17th Century
European contact with sub-Saharan Africa in 15th century and was primarily coastal
European colonization/influence 1800’s
Many shared beliefs and practices across cultures such as:
• Honoring ancestors; belief in supernatural
• Elevation of rulers to sacred status
• Consulting of fortune tellers
• Role of spirits-acting as guardian; having both positive and negative effects-
a dualistic role of opposites
• A belief in the afterlife
• Leadership by kings and elders
-Gardner’s Art Through the Ages

Art Context

Identity of African art (for historical record)

KEY! - (Written) recordkeeping not prevalent; instead oral narratives used to pass down
stories, traditions, histories, etc. Thus, African art is hard to document because artists
often not known-lack of labels, signature, etc. And, oral methods are subject to variations
and changes in interpretation, presentation, etc.

Styles, though, are being identified, researched, put into context

Looting and excavation are issues that also make dating difficult

Means of expression
Key! – Shared beliefs led to numerous forms of artistic expressions
• Personal decorative
• Rock engraving
• Lavish festivals-especially masking and dancing
• Architecture
• Figural sculpture-wood, terra cotta, metal; head as central to figure
• Use of art by leaders to adorn, elevate, convey (power, status, leadership)

Art
African art not created for display until end of 20th century
Key! - Thus, art is used as a “tool” for expression (fine vs. applied art)
Art is integrated into one’s thinking, daily life, spiritual/cultural life
Used by rulers as cultural, political, power statement
Distinction between “fine art” and “applied art” is not distinct as in the West, as all
African art has some practical purpose-link between earthly (rulers) and the supernatural
world of ancestors and spirits

Characteristics of African art-how it’s presented

• Proportion of body parts altered-elongation of body parts, flatness in the face
• Static posing
• Frontal-to be seen from the front
• Coolness of facial features- lack of affect
• Odo-portraying of youthful, ideal image
• Idealized naturalism of features
• Used by kings and chiefs i.e. in elite situations
• Head as “symbolic center” of person

Terms: Q class discuss these

• jijora-combination of abstraction (non-representational) and naturalism
(portraying something as it really is)
• Ife-city SW Nigeria, “navel of the world”, site of creation for Yoruba civilization
• Oba-king; seen as semi divine, mediates between human world and the
supernatural
• Reliquary figures-objects usually placed on a shrine that contains relics or
remains. Used to guard or indicate location of the remains
• Odo-portraying of youthful, ideal image
• Lost wax casting – the making of metal designs from an original wax form
• Sequence of presentation styles from most realistic looking to least realistic:
representational➔naturalism➔stylized ➔idealized➔
conceptual
o representational-showing something as it is
o naturalism-depicting something as it appears with emphasis on
accuracy of form (color, size, scale, shape, etc.)
o stylized-shown in an altered, exaggerated, non-realistic way;
conforming to a conventional set of standards (vs. naturalized)
o Idealized- presenting something so that its qualities (physical,
emotional, expressive, etc.) are without fault or are
emphasized/enhanced
o Conceptual-showing the fundamental, distinguishing properties of a
person, thing; separate from how they are influenced by light, space,
etc.