African Art

Dance has always been the focal point in which Africans are able to let free through movements of emotion. In this essay I will discuss the history of African Dance and its importance to the African Culture. Also will be discussing the general information of African dance, the different types of African dance and the ones that I like the most. Dance in the African culture is something that cannot be taken advantage of in the African Culture because it holds such a strong meaningful moment at the time of any occasion.

In this essay, I will compare and contrast two different sculptures from two different contexts of art. The first being an Olmec Colossal head (monument 1), from the context of “Art of the Americas,” and the second sculpture being ahead from Rafin Kura. The head from Rafin Kura comes from the context of “Art of Africa.” Both sculptures come from two different time periods and parts of the world. They also are both made with natural materials and have their own symbolic meaning.

The reason I chose to go to the African Art Museum is because I have been there before and I enjoy my time when I go. The tours at the museum consisted of talks about certain pieces in the museum that fell in a category the tourist wanted to focus on. Nkechi Obi was my first tour guide and the title of her tour was “Docent African Arts”. Her goal throughout the tour was to show pieces of artwork that showed what Africans may have gone through in the past in slavery. One piece that she focused on that I want to highlight was “Southern Landscape” by Walter Williams Roots. In this piece there various things going on in the photo.

Once we arrived, we looked up possible exhibitions that we could attend. A museum employee recommended African textiles. After hearing the title, I immediately expected this exhibition to have complicated and precise components to the tiles. African textiles are, in fact, made of wool or fine animal hair in a weave patterns. Although the exhibit was interesting, it wasn’t what peaked my interest.

The most influential artist to me in this exemplary in this pursuit for the appropriated traditions is Kehinde Wiley. In his opening speech for the New Republic gallery show he expressed that things such as his work was evolved around the working of chance . In his case, he manipulates the chance of the representation of the black demographic in traditional work. Modifying the figurative works to create the chance for relating a body that is familiar. I see contemporary painter, Kehinde Wiley as a comparable to my work in regards to the topic as well as the manipulation of the human figure. The admirable features I see in Kehinde Wiley’s work in addition to these is the fantasy elements that are incorporated. These features are best exhibited in his piece, “Bound”. The work is a bronze sculpture that stands approximately four feet tall and two-and half feet wide. The composition is inviting as it includes busts of three identical women that have African descent features that are placed on a rounded triangle base. The expressions on all of the faces are of a staring and wondering nature that have a nature of regality as their faces are turned to the right at an approximate forty five degree angle as their all have their back facing each other to form a guard of the leaves the a laid on their base. The bodies are cut organically as it rounds off from shoulder to shoulder, just enough to form the upper torso to see the corset like dress that encompass the figure. Expanding

African Americans always had a great influence in the United States throughout time from the beginning of slavery. African Americans, since the start of slavery, always expressed themselves artistically, where it was through music or art. From making patchwork quilts, slaves used their artistic expression to help conduct the Underground Railroad and escape slavery. To be defined as “illiterate savages” African Americas proved many wrong with their exceptional skills presented in many different styles of artwork. From slavery throughout the 19th century, there were a great number of African Americans whom contributed to the United States through artistic expression, with creating artwork that would either be judged or discredited. For example, Robert S. Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Mary Edmonia Lewis, and Henry Ossawa Tanner were all 19th century African American artists who each faced their own individual challenges to achieve acclaim as artists.

Throughout history, societies have defined and transformed themselves through their art. When looking at works of art today, a person sees not only the work of art itself, but also the world from which it came from. The same is true for this transformation mask, which reflects the works of art and beliefs of the Northwest Coast Tribes.

For this Assignment, I decided to go to the Peabody Museum, because I kind of knew that I wanted to look at artifacts from Central America, but was not sure. Going to a museum where all these artifacts and pieces of art live was very over whelming because I did not know where to go or to even start. I looked around and decided to go to the Central America section, since that was my intention of coming, to look at some artifacts. After looking around the section, I came across the Effigy Mask of Coyolxauhqui. Coyolxauhqui is referred as the Moon goddess according to Aztec mythology. This mask made sense to belong in the Central America Section because the mask is associated with the Aztec civilization. The mask is estimated to originate from the 16th century. The mask is made from Jadeite and Greenstone.

African Art does not have specific date to which it evolved because most early African Art was carved in wood, which perished quickly. This is why most art dates from the 19th and early 20th century. Many 20th century artists admired and collected pieces of African Art. They enjoyed the bold color, expression, and form that produced a new beginning in art history. African Art was mostly dedicated to life affirming activities such as healing, pleasure, protection, and transformation.

African art is of great uniqueness not just in comparison to what we have studied up until now, but the way they interpret both art and the leadership roles that posses their people is of great fascination. Although sharing some similarities to previous topics we have covered this semester, African leaders are often viewed as having a spiritual relationship with the land and their people, but the power of women in particular is the centerpiece to African art and spiritual power. A uniqueness that is only found only within the African culture.

African covers are considered amongst the finest manifestations in the workmanship world and are profoundly looked for after by craftsmanship authorities. A large number of the pieces some replica's, can be seen in historical centers and craftsmanship exhibitions in numerous parts of the world. Covering services in Africa have awesome social and conventional criticalness. Most recent improvements and comprehension of Esthetic standards, religious and stately values, have achieved a more prominent understanding into the thoughts and good values

In this course we have learned about all of the different cultures and their musical traditions. My favorite so far has had to be the west African music culture. They have a variety of different music, instruments, and dances to contribute to the reasons I liked this music culture so much. So, I have taken it upon myself to further my research on this particular musical group. I will compare and contrast a variety of different videos from the west African music culture and I will analyze how they connect to this culture.

During the mid 19th century up until the Great War of 1914, European countries began to heavily colonize and come into contact with African nations. This was called "new imperialism". During this contact, European culture was influenced by Africa. The influence of the African people can be seen in the European society of the time. In the 19th and 20th centuries, modern artists embraced African art for its lack of pretension or formal qualities.

Throughout the history, art has played an irreplaceable role in shaping the culture by allowing human beings to express themselves. Art is a great tool to thoroughly explore and understand the story of humanity. Specifically, the oldest artifact was found in Africa, where humanity initiated. This artifact was dated to 30,000 BC, when humans struggled to survive in harsh nature, yet a sense of creativity was still kindled in them. Since then, art has become a timeless story-teller of human civilizations, including the Egyptian, Greek and Roman. Furthermore, art also witnessed glorious time periods in human history, such as the Renaissance. Ancient art was not only a key milestone in human evolution, but also a limitless source of inspiration for modern artists. In other words, a contemporary piece of artwork can reflect ideas of art from the past in several ways. For instance, Flight of Persephone by Claudia Kunin is an artwork that employs modern, digital art skills, yet greatly influenced by the ancient art spirit.

Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Incas and Mayans created many meticulous pieces of art. Some of the meticulous pieces of art are masks, pyramids, jewelry, wall paintings, tombs, sarcophagi. The primal Romans and Greeks showed their appreciation of life through art. India used art to show their dance and their religions. The African art is symbolic of their tribal cuffs as seen of their totem poles.