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Art of Africa

Art of Africa. Elements of the African Aesthetic.

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Art of Africa

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  1. Art of Africa

  2. Elements of the African Aesthetic • Resemblance to a human being:
African artists praise a carved figure by saying that it "looks like a human being." Artists seldom portray particular people, actual animals, or the actual form of invisible spirits. Rather, they aim to portray ideas about reality, spiritual or human, and express these ideas through human or animal images. • Luminosity:
The lustrously smooth surface of most African figural sculpture, often embellished with decorative scarification, indicates beautifully shining, healthy skin. Figures with rough surfaces and deformities are intended to appear ugly and morally flawed. • Self-composure:
The person who is composed behaves in a measured and rational way; he or she is controlled, proud, dignified, and cool. • Youthfulness:
A youthful appearance connotes vigor, productiveness, fertility, and an ability to labor. Illness and deformity are rarely depicted because they are signs of evil. • Clarity of form and detail, complexity of composition, balance and symmetry, smoothness of finish:
African artists place a high value on fine workmanship and mastery of the medium.

  3. Antelope Mask, BwaMali and Burkina Faso • Made of wood and natural pigments • They make animal masks to elicit the power of the forest and bush spirits. • Owned by families and clans who use them for protection. • The zig zag lines on the face of the Hawk signify the "path of ancestors", a moral path that is very difficult, but one every Nunuma (Bobo /Nuna) must follow to succeed in life.

  4. Beaded CrownYoruba, Nigeria • Cotton fabric, beads • 24” tall • Part of a royal costume • Adorned with animals & patterns • Bird on the top signifies wisdom

  5. Bamana “Mud Cloth”Mali • Cotton woven strip cloth • Woven by men in strips, then sewn together • Patterns brushed on with mud resist, fabric is dyed with dark river mud and rinsed to reveal patterns. • Designs symbolize nature

  6. The Black Venus Fang Artist • Ambiguous figure • May be an infant or a goddess • Face is a scooped out heart • 19th Century

  7. Ancestress Mask • Wood and paint • From Zaire

  8. The Founder King Mask • From Kuba Kingdom, Congo • When the king died, the mask was placed on an effigy • It was ultimately buried with the king

  9. Queen Mother Head • From Kingdom of Benin • 16th Century • Made of bronze • Thought to be an idealized figure of a queen

  10. Yoruba Headress • Made of wood • May be used in combination with a mask and/or costume or alone • Used in community ceremony or ritual

  11. Ashanti Strip Weave (Kente Cloth) • Rayon • 6’4” x 10’2” • Strip-woven cloth by Asante people of central Ghana • Strips are sewn together to create fabrics which are worn by men and women

  12. Chokwe Pwo Mask • From Angola • 7” x 10” • Carved from single piece of wood, woven grass basket, wooden beads • Polished patina • PWO mask from the Chokwe people • Represents the ideal mother and woman • May have served as an altar piece

  13. Bibliography • http://www.lib.virginia.edu/clemons/RMC/exhib/93.ray.aa/Elements.html • http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/afimages.htm • http://www.accd.edu/sac/vat/arthistory/arts1303/Africa.htm • http://www.marlamallett.com/a-2517.htm • http://www.shanigallery.com/

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