Dustin Miller, Jimmy Lee, Aileen Jiang, Patrick Huang, Leo Choi Period 1

Dustin Miller, Jimmy Lee, Aileen Jiang, Patrick Huang, Leo Choi

Period 1

Introduction

DiverseFull of people, societies, and civilizationsUnique cultures

Art of AfricaRock painting, metalwork, personal decoration, masks, lavish festivals, court/regal regalia, figural sculpture, shrines, domestic & functional arts

Honoring ancestors

Worshiping nature deities (Animism)

Rulers have sacred status

Diviners, shaman, ceremonies, spirits

Cult figures

Fetish figures/objects

Reliquary figures

Nature deitiesRulers= sacred statusNomadic traditions, personal adornmentDecoration of human bodyReliquaries

Unifying Artistic ThemesEmphasis on human figure

Sapi culture near Ivory Coast in West Africa created ivory saltcellars

Influence from Portuguese traders

Common theme: intermorphosis of human and animal

Visual AbstractionFavored over naturalistic representationMany African artworks generalize stylistic normsAfrican art often depicts nature (animals, plant life, natural designs) in abstract interpretations

Emphasis on SculptureFavor 3D artwork over 2D artworkPreferred medium= wood, some ivoryDecorating cloths worn as garments– wearer as a living sculpture

Sculpture

Mostly portable (Sub-Saharan)Trees venerated, ivory= prestigeMetal= strength, for royaltyFigurative mostly frontalLarge headsAbstraction

No “art for art’s sake”Centered around spirituality, spirit worldAncestorsClansGender roles, fertility

African Sculpture

Nok Heads500 BCE- 200 CE

Nok CultureIn Nigeria 1000 BCEvanished around 500 CE Terracotta figures hollow, coil built, nearly life sized

human heads and bodies highly stylized features abundant jewelry

varied postures.

15-2 Nok Headc.200 CE, terracottaExpressive faceCoiffure with incisingRaised eyebrowsTriangular eyes

Ife FiguresEleventh-twelfth centuriesThese figures are made from zinc and brass. The head was emphasized as a seat of intelligence. Usually was decorated in large amounts of jewelryHEAD= Locus Wisdom

15-6 Ife KingNigeria, c.1100Cast zinc-bronzeFleshlike moldelingIdealized,Enlarged head, locus naturalized facial featuresBeaded costume, detailedJewelry of kings

Head of King, Ife, Yoruba, c.13th c.,

zinc brass casting, 12”

African Painting

The

Dogon People

16-19th

centuries

General CharacteristicsFavor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation in order to generalize stylistic normsMakes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual canons, especially in paintingUses different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted

Emphasis on human figureThe human figure may symbolize the living or the dead, may reference chiefs, dancers, or various trades such as drummers or hunters, or even may be an anthropomorphic representation of a god or have other votive function.

32-6 Seated Dogon Couple

Conceptual (not perceptual)

Tubular, abstraction

Elongated, smooth surfaces

Interlocking neg/pos space

Gender roles

Protective warrior, genitals,

Quiver on back

Woman w child on back

The Inevitable (cont.)Virtually identical

Male w beard,

Female w breasts & lip

Ornament

Male, 1 hand on genitals,

1 hand protective of female

Figures on stoo= ancestors

15-10 Ivory Belt Mask

Ivory and Iron, Benin(1440–1897), in NIGERIABased on Queen Idia, the mother Benin Kingdom 1504 -1550Sensitive naturalism

Crown= Portuguese+mudfishAbstract+personality

Worn by Oba, ChiefScarificationIdeal + natural

African Architecture

General CharacteristicsBuilt to be as cool and comfortable as possible

Used mud-brick walls and thatched roofsMud-brick has to be constantly maintained in the rainy season, so they built in horizontally placed timbers as maintenance ladders

Great Mosque of DjennéMade of adobe—baked mixture of clay and strawWooden beams serve as decoration and as permanent ladders for building maintenance

Great Mosque of Djenné (cont.)Ceramic half-pipes extend from roofline and direct rain water away from the wallsParts of a mosque- Quibla wall on northeast side

Great Mosque of Djenné

Djenné, MaliCurrent, 1907Largest adobe structureQibla faces MeccaHalf coveredHalf open courtyard

Exterior of Qibla Wall

interior

interior

Essential feature of the traditional culture and art of the peoples of Sub-Saharan and West AfricaMask-making is an art that is passed on from father to son, along with the knowledge of the symbolic meanings conveyed by such masks

African masks were a very important part of the African Culture, although masks are alot less common now, then it was in earlier times.People think that masks are used as a disguise, or a costume, like on Halloween. But Africans wore their masks in ceremonies.

Masks are usually made of materials like: wood, cloth, dried leaves, or even animal fur. For decoration, Africans used things such as; bird feathers, dried grass, paint, and twigs. The type of material used really depends on what the Africans were trying to represent.Usually the Africans were trying to represent humans, important animals in their culture, mythical creatures, or gods/goddesses that they believed in.

The ceremonies were held to honor the dead, gods/goddesses, animals, and even important people in their society like the king. Masks were never played with. This was because Africans believed that masks were very powerful.Often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer.

Masks of human ancestors or totem ancestors (beings or animals to which a clan or family traces its ancestry) are often objects of family pride

Ceremony:During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and during this state of mind he  "communicate" with his ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual. The dancer brings forth messages of wisdom from his ancestors. Rituals and ceremonies are always accompanied with song, dance and music, played with traditional African musical instruments.

Masks are one of the elements of African art that have most evidently influence European and Western art in general.In the 20th century, artistic movements such as cubism and expressionism have often taken inspiration from the vast and diverse heritage of African masks.

Ivory Belt Mask

C.1550 ivory/ironWorn by king “Oba”, King of BeninMudfish design-represents royalty because they live on land and sea, king is both human and divine

Jewelry

Introduction

Symbolic expressions of codes and identity

Worn as sign of beauty, wealth, status

Jewelry is believed to be able to “protect” and “heal” the wearerMaterials:

Pendants, colored enamel, precious/ semi-precious stones, beads, amber

Techniques

Casting, piercing, filigree work, enameling, niello decorationInherited from Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine traditions

Variations

To suit needs of different wearers, objects can be borrowed, reworked, and alteredRegional styles of ornamentation as artists experimented with new materials

Rural areas:Made of silverGeometric forms and decorations

Urban areas: Made of goldFloral, arabesque, rounded designs

Khamsa Pendant

Moroccon hand pendant (khamsa) of silver and copper with six-pointed star A protective symbol in North Africa was the hand

Hand-shaped pendants known as khamsa

Five fingers relate to the five pillars of Islam– making it a protective amulet or charm

Hand Pendant (Khamsa)

Hand Pendant with Salamander MotifMoroccoVariation of Khamsa

Salamander: represents transformation and disguise; also relates to element of fire

Fibula (Tabzimt)

Algeria; late 19th century; made of silver, enamel and coralSilver linked to honesty and purityCoral associated with life-sustaining blood– prized for healing properties

Promote fertilityPrevent harm to children

Role of Beads

Beads cherished since ancient timesStrung on fiber cord/ metal wire to make jewelry Stitched to African clothingUsed to decorate sculpture

Role in personal lives of AfricansValued as currencyUsed as artistic mediumUsed in court life

Beads and royalty

Variety of Materials

Shell beads (Heishi and Cowrie Shells)Stone beadsCoral beadsClay (terra cotta beads)Metal beadsGlass beads

Clay Baule Beads from Cote d’Ivoire

Stool covered with beads

Bamum PeopleFumban, Cameroon

Topotha Beaded Hat

Sudan– 1930’sHat created by sewing glass beads in tightly arranged circular patterns onto an open-weave frame foundation of hide lined with hair.

Yoruba

Yoruba: beaded crown/ headdressNigeria, 20th centuryBeads, fabric, glass beads, beaded bird

Necklace with central pendant20th-century necklace of silver, coral, enamel, glass, coins, shell, cotton, plastic, buttons from Draa Valley, Morocco

Necklace with Central Pendant

• 19th century• Photographs provide

glimpse into North African society; showed ethnic diversity

• Europeans mounted images on picture postcards and studios sold larger prints

Photographs