African Art
African art has played a significant role in the culture and history of the world. It goes back into the mists of time, with earliest examples being figures of people and animals carved into rocks. Its distinguishing characteristics and inspirations have influenced many artists to adapt their own interpretations of the art in their own time period. There are thousands of different ethnic groups in Africa. African art has largely widespread characteristics which make it distinctly African. There are seven major types of art produced in Africa. They are masks, textiles, baskets, metalwork, furniture, pottery and beadwork. I am going to talk about a couple of these and where and when they came about. I am also going to discuss, the different influences of African art on western and modern art, the traditions of African art, and the history of African art in different areas of Africa. African art usually refers to the works of black or sub-Saharan Africa, that part of the continent was originally occupied by Negro people who developed cultures quite separate from those of Caucasian North Africa. Within this vast geographic area there are regions of drastically different topography, climate, and natural resources. The e
The earliest known textiles in sub-Sahara Africa are the best fiber fragments from Igbo-Ukwu and the cotton and woolen cloths found in the Tellem caves of the Bandiagara region of Mali. The divining process begins by covering the board with white chalk. Some examples of these are the works of Yoruba masters such as Olowe of Ise and Areogun of Osi-Ilorin. The artists strive for originality, creativity, elegance and imaginative effects. This led them to the abstract forms of African art. Religion for elsewhere, such as Islam and Christianity, also influenced artistic forms but they were adapted to local traditions. Beliefs frequently play crucial roles in the kinds of art produced. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa are the countries which encompass Southern Africa. Rituals are used to gain the favor of the ancestors, the gods, and the forces of nature. Awareness of the history of visual arts in Africa is incomplete. Both the Kuba and Luba people of the DRC developed statues that represented their kings. It wasn't until the late 19th century that Europeans began collecting objects from sub-Saharan Africa and housed them in museums as objects from exotic cultures. Their enthusiasm for African art was based on form; even tough western artist had only a vague understanding of the cultures which had produced the art. In eastern Africa, fertile grasslands encouraged cattle herding and people tended to worship sky divinities and ancestral spirits.
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