Do you know the african art? If not, then don't worry! Throughout this article you will know in detail what its great developments are. They are manifestations or artistic cultures that are produced by some peoples of black Africa. We will learn about their history through this interesting article.
african art
The African continent has many cultures, each with its own language, tradition, and unique art form. Although the Sahara desert is a natural barrier between North Africa and the rest of the African continent, there is ample evidence that trade routes through Africa have had a number of effects between these two regions.
In many Aboriginal tribes in Africa, the roots of Aboriginal artistic traditions have allowed various aesthetic expressions to be maintained until relatively recent periods. In fact, it was at the beginning of the XNUMXth century that the West began to appreciate this type of art, first by representatives of the avant-garde, and later by museums and the public.
From one area to another, there are big differences in style, which we find from graphic masks and outlines to very natural works. Although almost all of them have the same symmetry, they pay more attention to the head and torso, and much less attention to the legs, which are generally shorter and less detailed than other parts of the body.
African Art Themes
In relation to different African cultures, there has been an art that is generally associated with magical religious rituals of different animistic beliefs. This art has been developed since prehistoric times. In African art, woodworking stands out in terms of quantity and quality, although in Nigeria today, there are older sculptures of the Terracotta Warriors (Nok S. V AC) and bronze sculptures from Benin (S. XIII) .
Artwork themes include:
Fertility:
In these societies, agriculture, livestock and economic activities based on fishing, the most important rituals are those that produce most of the works of art, related to human fertility and the agriculture of livestock and fields. All these towns have many fertility sculptures, couples and different charms, which are designed to promote fertility.
Death
This is another ritual that produces a lot of art. It is believed that to some degree the dead still exist in the biological world and have the ability to affect their lives. Therefore, you must please the dead and promote rituals and sculptures.
Spirituality or fetishism
This character is a doctor, psychologist and spiritual guide at the same time. This person is basically in charge of making prescriptions to be able to induce the cure of a particular problem and even healing processes with herbs or other types of methods.
Another great candidate for African art is the Mask Society, many of which are secret, almost all of which are male. It may be added that African empires, large and small, have also produced many prestigious objects, sculptures, royal seats, clubs, cloth, etc., which are intended to enhance the power of their owners.
Before this colonization process began on the African continent, a large part of Africans were animists, that is, they attributed souls or important principles to all living beings and natural phenomena. Only the most developed civilization creates the pantheon of gods. Africans believe in an all-powerful god, who does not communicate with imperfect people.
Divinity gives spirit to all creatures, which can have positive or negative effects. The most powerful are the ancestors: after a person dies, his mind separates from his body and wanders where he lives. Africans believe that these spirits live in carved statues that represent the dead and are in the custody of their relatives.
In general terms, the basic values that govern this belief system are unity and harmony within the family and with the clan, the ancestors and the spirit. Religion is a community behavior, not an individual behavior. Indigenous peoples converted to Christianity or Islam strive to adhere to these principles.
In this case, two basic forms of artistic expression are distinguished: fetishes and masks: fetishes are objects endowed with supernatural powers that exert an evil or beneficial influence. A distinction must be made between sacred statues, which have cavities for storing objects, nail fetishes that exert an evil influence, fetishes that convey spiritual messages, and monumental carvings of related characters.
For their part, these masks are used to capture the supernatural energy of the spirit in funerals and magical ceremonies or rituals designed to promote the fertility of the earth. The making of masks or fetishes is accompanied by specific rituals, such as previous animal sacrifices. Choose naturalism, extreme stylization, or the opposite. The choice of ghosts is determined by the complex relationship between the sculpture and the environment. They have proven to be effective tools for personal organization and speech.
Most expressions of African art use wood as the basic material. More developed tribes occasionally use materials such as iron (used in daily necessities such as knives, hos, and axes) or bronze. Gold is used in jewelry, small masks or pendants of the most developed cultures (such as the culture of the Ivory Coast).
regional developments
African art is as varied as the culture of the African continent. The first forms of artistic expression appeared in North America and Europe, and its cave paintings and engravings date from the Neolithic period and can be found in the Sahara desert (for example, the Tassili paintings). Architecture plays a fundamental role in the influence of Islam and the Orthodox Church.
There are obvious examples in the western part of the African continent (Yeneni mosque in Mali) and in the eastern part (rock church in Egypt). Lalibela, in Ethiopia). Traditional residential buildings are incorporated in the form of simple cottages. When multiple rooms are needed, more cabins are added.
In areas where grass culture dominates (from Sudan, sub-Saharan Africa, to the eastern and southern steppes), the main artistic expressions take place in the field of personal decoration, where animal-inspired patterns often appear. In these areas, cave art also occupies an important position. Sculpture dominates the art world among the agricultural population of Central and West Africa (the Congo and Niger river basins).
The earliest sculptures are called ceramic heads and come from the Nigerian culture in Nigeria (500 BC-200 AD). The first samples of iron products in the sub-Saharan region also correspond to this culture. The earliest evidence of the use of copper and its alloys comes from the Igbo settlement in Igbo-Ukwu, also in Nigeria. Bronze items were found in the XNUMXth century ruins, but these bronzes have nothing to do with the famous Ifé bronzes (XNUMXth-XNUMXth century) in Yoruba, Nigeria.
The bronzes of Benin
The discovery in Benin showed that in tropical Africa in central Africa, the early lost-wax technique was used for small bronze sculptures. The Kingdom of Benin occupied the territory of what is now Nigeria between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. His sculptures are very rich and made of various materials, such as warriors made of iron, bronze, wood, ivory or terracotta. Objects such as "hand altars" demonstrate the artist's exquisite skill in manipulating bronze products and the importance of symbolic elements in art.
A series of consecrated statues appeared in the center of this work, honoring the king and glorifying his divine power. The monarch is the central figure in this group. He has a symbol of strength in his hand, and his head is bigger than surrender.
These outstanding works of African art arrived in England in 1897, when the country's capital was destroyed. It is a treasure trove of bronze and ivory sculptures, including portraits of the king's head, leopard figures, bells and high-relief plates, all using lost-wax technology and incredible craftsmanship. The same method was used to implement two other very similar heads, which were discovered in Ifé in 1938.
When they clearly date from the fourteenth to fifteenth centuries, that is, when they predate the first sculptures, they are surprised. Made from lost wax in Europe, it dates back to the mid-XNUMXth century.
Other examples
Another ceramic example is the Lindenburg chief (500) from South Africa. We also know of stone carvings from the Congo Estuary and Sierra Leone (XNUMXth century), the latter may be the work of Sherbro artisans who produced excellent ivory carvings. The oldest known wooden sculpture is a portrait of the Cuban king, from the central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dating from the XNUMXth century.
However, many of the best wooden sculptures are from the second decade of the 1939th century: for example, the Yoruba master Olowe of Ise (after 1880) and Alegon of Osi Lorraine (Areogun of Osi-llorin (circa 1954-XNUMX) .
The earliest preserved textiles in the sub-Saharan region are thick fragments from the Ibo-Ukwu culture (XNUMXth century) and cotton and wool garments (XNUMXth century) found in the Tellem cave in the Bandiagara region of Mali. The performing arts (dance, theater and music) are more or more relevant than the visual arts.
The most outstanding characteristic of African music is the complexity of the rhythm (it is marked by the use of different types of drums) and the relationship between the form of the melody and the tonal structure of the language.
Literature is probably the most common and considered art in African art. Including myths, stories, mantras, proverbs, especially poetry. This is also the most inaccessible demo to outsiders, which explains why it has received comparatively little attention. Although it is mainly transmitted orally, there is also some written tradition between Hausa and Swahili.
Since the XNUMXth century, African literature has developed in European languages such as English, French, and Portuguese.
Finally one of the strangest artistic expressions of the African continent: the costume dance. Masks are used by Africans to cure illnesses at the coming of age ceremony for young people, to awaken the spirit of ancestors, mediate trials or try criminals. Consult them as if they were prophets. A mask can be defined as a dramatic resource that allows the user to play a role different from the role they usually correspond to in the community.
The complexity of the masquerade and its associated etiquette and festivals demonstrate its basic characteristics as an art form in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, today, in sub-Saharan culture, there are many examples of Islamic art and architectural forms from North Africa. Furthermore, research has shown that these southern regions interact with the artistic and cultural traditions of the Mediterranean region closer to North Africa.
Egyptian art is one of the most dazzling arts in Africa, and has important artistic and cultural ties to the civilization of sub-Saharan Africa. African necklaces stand out in the color combination. Each necklace has a meaning, and also a mask.
Characteristics of African art
- The most used material for this style of art is mainly wood, although there are more evolutionary tribes that use other materials in many cases, such as iron or bronze. On the other hand, the more developed population uses gold to make jewelry or masks.
- This is vital and social.
- This is an art with magical intentions and a mysterious destiny, it can speak of all non-material, sensitive and sensory talents.
- These are not products of personal fantasies, but the impressive testimony of the entire community expressing their belief in life and death.
- African art has always been closely integrated into social and religious life. The style and symbolism of the paintings, figures and masks depend on the social, cultural and religious background of the area.
- Myths, rituals and rituals are reflected in different forms of artistic expression. It reflects the difficulties of their lifestyle and the various activities they carry out to maintain their livelihood.
- They use themes such as the spirit of water, wind and rain. The essence of the spirit is immersed in masks, canes, headdresses and sculptures.
- African sculptors always start with nature when creating, and he derives the most basic forms from nature. Artists will capture your deepest sense of things. These elemental forms are almost always human and animal.
- You can hardly find patterns from the plant kingdom.
Thematic elements:
Artistic creativity or expressive individualism. Especially in the West African art world, people emphasize expressionist individualism in such a broader sense while being influenced by the works of their predecessors. An example is Art Dan and his presence in immigrants from West Africa.
Emphasis on people:
People are the subject of most African art, and this emphasis has even affected certain European traditions. For example, in Portugal in the XNUMXth century, he traded with the Sapi culture near the Ivory Coast in West Africa to create exquisite ivory salt shakers, which are a mix of African and European designs, especially when integrated into the human image. (Humans generally don't allow salt shakers to appear in Portuguese.)
Human figures may symbolize the living or the dead, may refer to various occupations such as chiefs, dancers or drummers or hunters, and may even be anthropomorphic representatives of gods or have other dedicatory roles. Another common theme is the mutual form of humans and animals.
Visual abstraction:
African artworks are more inclined to visual abstraction than naturalistic expressions. This is because many African works of art have generalized style standards. At some point, research on African art has focused on the traditional art of certain known groups on the African continent, especially the traditional sculptures, masks, and other visual cultures of West Africa, Central Africa, and non-Islamic Africa. From the South, with special emphasis on the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
This art takes many forms and is made of many different things. In general, African works of art are sculptures that are made of wood, and this is because it is a highly demanded material. Jewelry has a particularity of being quite popular and is used to express rank, and affiliation with a certain group or in an aesthetic way. This jewelry is made with diverse and striking materials, especially a special stone called Tiger's eye.
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