Primitive Art Primitive The Problematic Word The term

Primitive Art Primitive: The Problematic Word

• The term "primitive" is criticized as being Eurocentric and biased • ‘Noble Savage’ concept • An umbrella term used to describe visual arts and material culture of Indigenous people from Colonies • Also known as Ethnographic art, have historically been collected by Western anthropologists, private collectors, and museums, particularly in ethnographic and natural history museum.

• Overlap with Tribal Art • Tribal art is often ceremonial or religious in nature • Typically originating in rural areas, tribal art refers to the subject and craftsmanship of artefacts from tribal cultures. • Notion of modern day artist does not exist • Usually connected with some religious or cultural ritual

• In museum collections, tribal art has three primary categories. • African art, especially arts of Sub-Saharan Africa • Art of the Americas • Oceanic art, originating mainly from Australia, Melanesia, New Zealand, and Polynesia)

African Art • African art generally used as a blanket term • the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture

• The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. • African rock art in the Sahara in Niger preserves 6000 year-old carvings. 6 • The earliest known sculptures are from the Nok culture of Nigeria, made around 500 BC. • Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the cultural arts of the western tribes, ancient Egyptian paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. • Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes.

Igbo Ukwu bronze ceremonial vessel made around the 9 th century AD. . . British Museum

• Yoruba bronze head from Nigeria 12 century CE

• kings head in British Museum

• Emphasis on the human figure: The human figure has always been the primary subject matter for most African art • Visual abstraction: African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks generalize stylistic norms

• Emphasis on sculpture: African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over twodimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paintings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture.