...African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize African art, the continent is full of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa. The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. African art has a long and surprisingly controversial history. Up until recently, the designation African was usually only bestowed on the arts of black Africa, the peoples living in Sub-Saharan Africa. The non-black peoples of North Africa, the people of the Horn of Africa, as well as the art of ancient Egypt, generally were not included under the rubric of African art. Recently, however, there has been a movement among African art historians and other scholars to include the visual culture of these areas, since all the cultures that produced them, in fact, are located within the geographic boundaries of the African continent. The notion is that by including all African cultures and their visual culture in African art, laypersons will gain a greater understanding of the continent's cultural diversity. Since there was often a confluence of traditional African, Islamic and Mediterranean cultures, scholars have found that drawing distinct divisions between Muslim areas, ancient Egypt...
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...HISTORY OF AFRICAN ART The earliest known form of African Art is rock paintings, drawn by the nomadic people of southern Africa and the Sahara. Of those paintings, some of the earliest have been excavated in Namibia in strata between 19,000 and 26,000 years old. The paintings are on portable pebbles and stones and are depictions of rhinoceros, half-human and half-animal forms. Surviving paintings and engravings on rock shelters are younger but more difficult to date accurately. Some probably date to Stone Age up to about 10,000 BC .The paintings show people dancing, skinning animals, medicine men performing rituals, animals being hunted, hands, bows and arrows and geometric patterns. The earliest 3D art come from Nigeria dating from 700-500 BC onwards. This is the famous ‘Nok’ sculpture, terracotta human and animal figures excavated from the tin mines near the village of Nok where pottery figures were first found. One extraordinary group of terracotta is the exception in a mainly West African story, in that they come from South Africa where they are the earliest known sculptures. They has seven heads, found at Lydenburg in the Transvaal.Modelled in brutally chunky style, they date from about the 6th C AD. Powerful terracotta figures in traditional style continue to be made in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries, contemporary with the superb carved wooden figures which survive from the two centuries. There is archeological evidence that metallurgy existed as early as 3000...
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...STYLE and Art: A discussion of how Art is classified into Styles, Periods, and Movements. [there is an important note at the bottom of this page] One of the ways that Art and the field of art history is looked at is to categorize [or divide] art, artists, cultures, periods, locations and artworks into some form of larger grouping. There are a variety of approaches to this and they all have their vagaries and complications. * Time – we call these Art Periods – this is especially helpful with cultures and artworks [or artifacts] that are so old that we do not know: * who the artist/maker was * what their cultural aspects were * objects that are so unknown that the only identifier is time [based on the archaeological strata the work was found in]. * Geography – Frequently mixed with cultural labels and aspects, these are artworks grouped by location. * An example of a very broad category would be African Art. * examples of the problem with this: Should we include Egyptian works in the heading of African Art? [some do and some don’t here]. What about Nigerian, Ethiopian, South African and the many other cultures of Africa? * Culture - When it can be done, and makes helpful sense, and a thread can be followed, we might use a cultural reference. * An example might be Hindu Art of India and Buddhist Art of India, which then has sub-groups by geography - Northern and Southern styles. * Styles – another way the artwork...
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...20th Century Diversity in a Changing World ARTS/125 20th Century Diversity in a Changing World The diversity of the art world has had many changes throughout many years of different styles and cultures. The Chicago World's Fair in 1893 was one of the starting points for American art to be seen and enjoyed by the world (Doss, E 2002). The Chicago World's Fair displayed Neo-classical architecture and Neoclassical style of art the help reinforce cultural progress and leadership (Doss, E 2002). The architecture and art that was seen during this time were known as the Gilded Age Art. The art was flashy and extravagant and designed for the American with a big wallet (Doss, E 2002). There was some diversity when it came to the Gilded Age art, but a lot of the other great women and other ethnic culture artist got left out of the plan (Doss, E 2002). Throughout 123 years after the Chicago World's Fair, the world has been able to see the changes in America, good and bad through art. Art styles have changed drastically over the years as a way for many artists to express themselves about the planet that human beings inhabit. The American art world may have started off being dominated by a Caucasian male society, but within time other genders and ethnic groups' grabbed notary as well. Over time women began to demand equal rights to vote, gender, sexism, and to be seen as equals in the art world (Doss, E 2002). Also, other ethnic culture stood up for their rights to be treated as equals...
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...Shop Search Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History World Regions Timelines Thematic Essays Works of Art Index About the Timeline Metpublications Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in India Thematic Essays By Category Recent Additions All Thematic Essays Artists Rulers African Art American Art Ancient Near Eastern Art Art of the Americas Asian Art Byzantine Art Egyptian Art European Art Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Medieval Art Modern and Contemporary Art Oceanic/Pacific Art Prehistory By Geographical Region & Time Period By Department View Slideshow The political climate in India has been volatile in recent years. The hard-line Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took over the government. Ongoing tensions with Pakistan escalated to the brink of nuclear war in 2002. At the same time, India is a growing democracy with a population reaching a billion. Indian mass culture has also expanded, as its commercial film industry, known as "Bollywood," becomes the most productive in the world. Some artists take inspiration from or appropriate actual elements of local mass culture; some also address current events in their works. A few artists and art critics in India have begun to conceptualize their unique position in international contemporary art. Related Cited Works of Art or Images (4) Nalini Malani, Remembering...
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...Feminist scholar Linda Nochlin explains that "art is not a free autonomous activity of a super-endowed individual…but rather… occurs in a social situation, is an integral element of social structure, and is mediated and determined by specific and definable social institutions".[1] While art functions as a gateway for personal creativity and expression, it inevitably carries the influence of a far greater context outside the artist himself. Across cultures, time periods, and movements, art has presented various patterns in style and subject matter inextricably linked to values of the larger society. Viewers do not simply witness these products of history, but engage in personal experiences and responses provoked by them. Thus, art has served as a powerful engine both reflecting and fueling political, social, and religious ideologies.[2] In particular, the subject of women has accumulated controversial discussion in the visual arts because of consistencies witnessed across all these constructs. In exploring female representations in art, feminist scholars have particularly noted the perpetual limitations set upon women not only as subjects but as spectators. While artistic movements progressed over the centuries, it appears the connotations of women have remained stagnant. Even in the early 20th century which saw a turn in traditional gender roles, painting continued to be dominated by the male experience demonstrated in the guises of the nude, despite aesthetic and conceptual differences...
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...Anne D’Alleva The Fundamentals of Art History Third Edition Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco upper saddle River Amsterdam cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico city sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo chapter 1 introducing art history Art is long, life is short. Prouerb attributed to Hippocrates (c. 4 6 0 -3 5 7 bce) This chapter will introduce you to art history as an academic discipline. It distinguishes the aims and methods o f art history from related disciplines like anthropology and aesthetics. It also attempts to answer two questions that are more complicated than they appear at first glance: What is art? and What is history? what do art historians do? The object of art history Art historians do art. But we don’t make it, we study it. We try to understand what artists are expressing in their work, and what viewers perceive in it. We try to understand why some thing was made at the time it was made, how it reflected the world it was made in, and how it affected that world. We talk about individual artists and their goals and intentions, but also about patrons (the people who commission artworks), viewers, and the kinds o f institutions, places, and social groups in which art is made and circulates—whether that’s an art school, temple, or government agency. What is “art”? “Art” is one o f those words that people use all the time but that...
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...Proceeding for the School of Visual Arts Eighteenth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists: Art and Story CONTENTS SECTION ONE: Marcel’s Studio Visit with Elstir……………………………………………………….. David Carrier SECTION TWO: Film and Video Narrative Brief Narrative on Film-The Case of John Updike……………………………………. Thomas P. Adler With a Pen of Light …………………………………………………………………… Michael Fink Media and the Message: Does Media Shape or Serve the Story: Visual Storytelling and New Media ……………………………………………………. June Bisantz Evans Visual Literacy: The Language of Cultural Signifiers…………………………………. Tammy Knipp SECTION THREE: Narrative and Fine Art Beyond Illustration: Visual Narrative Strategies in Picasso’s Celestina Prints………… Susan J. Baker and William Novak Narrative, Allegory, and Commentary in Emil Nolde’s Legend: St. Mary of Egypt…… William B. Sieger A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon…………… Catherine St. John Art and Narrative Under the Third Reich ……………………………………………… Ashley Labrie 28 15 1 22 25 27 36 43 51 Hopper Stories in an Imaginary Museum……………………………………………. Joseph Stanton SECTION FOUR: Photography and Narrative Black & White: Two Worlds/Two Distinct Stories……………………………………….. Elaine A. King Relinquishing His Own Story: Abandonment and Appropriation in the Edward Weston Narrative………………………………………………………………………….. David Peeler Narrative Stretegies in the Worlds of Jean Le Gac and Sophe Calle…………………….. Stefanie Rentsch...
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...Art theory 1 & History of Art and Design 1 Introduction to African Art Africa is a vast continent, with many cultures distinct from one another, so that various different styles can be identified. Sculpture While paintings and engravings are most frequently found in savanna areas, sculpture is most prevalent in the forests of West Africa, in particular the Congo Basin. Tradition is one manner in which a culture may be preserved. This is visible in a great deal of traditional African art. The preservation of one’s specific culture is a strong motivating force behind the production of African sculptures that are described as “tribal”. Because the art is meant to communicate the identity of a specific society, to promote the strength and longevity, such sculptures do not change their style very frequently. Therefore, artists work within a certain canon. This canon is determined by tradition, providing the artist with guidelines for the creation. It would, for example determine the proportions of the figure, its posture, etc. Such traditional sculptures therefore have developed a certain language: the viewer knows that certain parts mean certain things – e.g. lines on the face (scarification marks or tattoos) and the stylized hairstyle that specific society, etc. This specific language has been created over the decades, and allows the artist to communicate coherently. This coherent communication is vital, as art is intended primarily to fulfill a social function. It becomes a...
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...“ultimate” graduate profile. Following program chairs’ agreement, the material will go to the full faculty for discussion and vote. I will also gather input from Student Affairs so that we understand their contribution to the success of our students. Readings about assessment and what it is are attached.* As I mentioned earlier, we will be working our way through this process together, and developing our assessment program in relationship to the goals and values unique (and/or integral) to this institution. Additional readings are on reserve in the library, and an enormous amount of information is available on the web. *Distributed at the Program Chairs meeting on 9.9.2008 MISSION Maine College of Art delivers a demanding and enlivening education in visual art and design within an intimate learning community. We teach each student how to transform aspirations and values into a creative practice that serves as the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of personal and professional goals. VALUES o Maine College of Art’s educational philosophy is built on the premise that focused individual attention and meaningful collective inquiry produce the conditions in which students’ voices can find strength, clarity, and purpose. o Our faculty of practicing professional artists, designers, writers, and scholars are committed and passionate educators who consider their classrooms to be extensions of their creative work. o We give our students the tools they need to take risks...
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...Art history From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the academic discipline of art history. For an overview of the history of art worldwide, see History of art. For other uses, see Art history (disambiguation). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011) Venus de Milo on display at the Louvre Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style.[1] This includes the "major" arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture as well as the "minor" arts of ceramics, furniture, and other decorative objects. As a term, art history (also history of art) encompasses several methods of studying the visual arts; in common usage referring to works of art and architecture. Aspects of the discipline worms. As the art historian Ernst Gombrich once observed, "the field of art history [is] much like Caesar's Gaul, divided in three parts inhabited by three different, though not necessarily hostile tribes: (i) the connoisseurs, (ii) the critics, and (iii) the academic art historians".[2] As a discipline, art history is distinguished from art criticism, which is concerned with establishing a relative artistic value upon individual works with respect to others of...
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...ART HISTORY 461: NON-WESTERN ART Instructor: Bridget V. McDaniel, Assistant Professor of Art Office/Hours: SFA 112B Contact: 475-5870 / bmcdaniel@mcneese.edu Required Text: Gardner’s Art through the Ages Non-Western Perspective 13th edition COURSE DESCRIPTION Topics in non-western history. Open to non-art majors. 3 credit hours. PREREQUISITE None. COURSE GOALS 1) Emphasize effective communication in written English; 2) Introduce the relationship between reading and comprehension in the discipline; 3) Emphasize critical thinking and abstract reasoning skills; 4) Emphasize technology applications; 5) Emphasize student recognition and appreciation of cultural diversity; STUDENT LEARNER OUTCOMES Upon completion of the course, students will be able to do the following: 1) Effectively demonstrate an understanding of the rhetoric appropriate to the discipline and construct logically ordered and developed responses to art historical questions and issues; 2) Differentiate between main ideas and supporting details as well as distinguish between fact and opinion in relation to the artists, styles and artistic periods; 3) Demonstrate the ability to identify and dispel misperceptions pertaining to artists, their work and period; make reflective decisions regarding the inclusion of artwork within a specific period; 4) Use technology as a resource for study, as well as for communication; 5) Distinguish and categorize the painting, sculpture, architecture, etc. across various cultures...
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...Art Dealers INTRODUCTION In the modern world of art, the dealers are not less important than the artists themselves. They normally have to be aware of the history of art and establish relevant relationships between artists, collectors, and museums. Normally, their role is to follow the market needs and respond to the demands. Some outstanding dealers can even influence the tastes of the audience. They often travel internationally, visiting exhibitions and auctions, searching for good pieces of art. The peculiarities of the job are that the dealers can sometimes develop from art academics and art critics. As any market, the art market has its own rules and values. In order to be successful, a dealer has to be able to evaluate the prospective value of the piece he is buying. It is important to be also knowledgeable of art and monitor the works correctly. INTERVIEW REPORT The interview with a popular Los Angeles art dealer Nicholas Wilder is to prove the above-stated and provide more details of the job. - How important is a professional education for an artist? - First of all, it is important for stability and support in a professional environment. This makes it possible to communicate more with established colleagues, professors of art academies. An artist creates his works in proximity to those who can truly appreciate its potential and help develop it. - Do you think that a dealership contract with an artist means some limits...
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...As I enter my first college class, my attention goes to Professor Feldman, a tall, slender woman in a loose pearl blouse with black dress pants. The combination of her graceful stance and scholarly presence distinguishes her already from the chaos of the lecture room. The calm demeanor spreads through the room as she gradually turns the lights down low, signaling the beginning of lecture, and gives life to the art historian’s companion, the slide projector. Her slow and steady speech is punctuated by inflections at nearly every other word and reflects her scholarly presence. She picks her words carefully and you can sense the moment’s thought before each. Her precisely chosen words make each one valuable as I frantically try to catch them all. Feldman incorporates her elevated vocabulary in daily speech and lecture, requiring that I form my own vocabulary list: mélange, koine, cache, lingua franca, etc. In spite of being intimidated by Professor Feldman’s scholarship, the fellow human being, Marian Feldman, shows through at times. She does not hesitate to admit “When did those excavations take place?” or “Who was that guy who ruled Babylon? I never remember that one.” At one point she might exclaim, “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway” followed by a signature chuckle. She welcomes corrections or additions by students, and some questions lead her to guiltily admit, “You caught me. I was trying to avoid that one because, well, we just don’t...
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...of the book (Art Theory) of Robert Williams is generally refers to the existence of art history and art theory at the same time. As far as the importance is concerned, there is no significant difference between art history and art theory. These two always correlated in every way in one aspect, learning art theory; obviously it will provide you the importance of art history at the same time, in studying, and engagement with art. When understanding art, philosophy attempts to come up with theories about art. This theory is maybe a set of principles that define and explains the full meaning of art. However, sometimes, just because a theory is wrong doesn't mean it has no value, we can describe the importance of every art theory even if it is wrong or right. For that reason, an art theory may satisfy necessary or enough conditions, and it will always find exceptions. As we go to the purpose of studying art theory, history should always be part of it. According to Robert Williams, Studying theory should be approached historically, that it is within a comprehensive history of art that the study of theory has most to offer. For example the contemporary art, that involves multifaceted of artists, artwork, audience, institutions. All of these aspects demonstrate with each other, and changes through history. This complex ideas change through history and produce tension between common and uncommon creativity. Works Cited The Introduction of the book (Art Theory) of Robert...
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