Old African
2011
African Artwork: Five Characteristics That Make It Different
African art is very diverse on its own. Many African countries have their own ways of expressioning their culture through their artwork. Through this expression we see differnt styles of art, which can range from pottery to textiles. Even with regional differences there are still central themes and similarities that can not be over looked. In comparison to other art from around the world, African art is completely unique and here are five reasons why..
1) African tribal art
African tribal art is an integral part of African culture and history. In connection with art of a tribal nature which West Africa is reknown for. A large amount of tribal art is influenced by religion and is built with regards to the beliefs of that tribe.
2) Abstracted art
African artwork seems to favour visual abstractions over other art forms. Presented mostly in paintings, for a while now African artists have continued to produce a number of artwork in which paintings of the human body have been abstracted. Bright colours and a variety of shapes which have no clear picture but at the same time produces glimpses of identifiable objects or even figures have become very popular amongst the African art world. Andy Isong has created a name for himself by making a number of Abstract paintings, he is one of many African artists who have decided to present his pictures in this way.
3) Sculptures
West African sculptures tend to be of figures with stretched bodies that have elongated limbs. The facial features of sculptures that come from this region of Africa represent more of a concept or an ideal instead of an individual or human.
4) Emphasis on performance art
A lot of African art is made to be used with or in a performance. Masks and customes are worn together in ceremony in which a dance is performed. These dances are along with the masks or costumes are all considered to be one. For example a mask named “wisdom of an old man” will have a specific costume and mask with the same name which are used together in correlation during a ceremony.
5) Traditional techniques to make art pieces.
There is still a majority of art in particular West African, which is still made using the same or similar techniques of past ancestors. It may seem like old practice but you could also call it a skill passed down from generation to generation to preserve a family craft. A lot of artwork such as pottery and carvings are skills that have been passed from a father to a son.
These differences make African art completely unique and stand out even though it may not be the most celebrated of artwork in the art world.
About the Author
D.Anders is a passionate West African art lover and has a broad knowledge of African Culture. Want to discover more about African art, get some african gift ideas or add more African art pieces to your collection? click here =>
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