Teaching about traditional African art.
What must we know about African Art?
* There are many styles of art in Africa, and they are continually evolving.
* Art forms propitiated negative forces and were used in the healing process.
* Ancestor figures are not fetishes. They are symbols.
* African beliefs consider all trees, mountains, burial grounds, shrines, and carved artifacts sacred and dwelling places for spirits.
* Nudity is not objectionable in traditional African beliefs.
* African art, like art in other non-African traditions, is connected to political and religious leadership and is used in initiation ceremonies and ancestor worship. Therefore, it reflected prestige and pleasure.
* Carved figures do not represent God.
* Traditional African artifacts were not created for art's sake.
* Traditional African artifacts were not created for display in glass museum cases. Rather, they were were functional and served a specific purpose. As such, artifacts were often destroyed after use.
What forms of expression might African art take?
* freestanding sculptures, plaques
* masks and ceremonial shields
* body art and textiles
* metal works
* pottery vessels, other tools
* beadworks and jewelry
* woodcarvings and furniture
* rock art and animal imagery
In order to establish a context for African art, what basic facts are important to know?
* Africa is the second largest continent in the world.
* There are fifty countries in Africa.
* It has an area of twelve million square miles.
* Hundreds of languages are spoken in Africa.
* Environmentally, Africa ranges from snow-capped mountain peaks, and tropical rain forests to savannahs and semi-arid regions.
Generally speaking, masks in Africa:
* depict a variety of subject matter
* are based on naturalistic human or animal forms
* come in different sizes
* are worn over the head with the person looking out from beneath
* can also cover the whole face and shoulders
* are carved in wood, cast in bronze, molded in clay, and then embellished with metal, fibers, feathers, and beads
* can also have other surface decorations such as hair ornaments, earrings, or beards
* are often painted red, black, or white
Generally, sculptures in Africa:
* are religious in nature
* depict more human figures than animals
* range from the tiny to the bigger-than-life-size
* vary in style from the naturalistic to the abstract
* depict the mother and child relationship with a seated ancestor figure more commonly than the sculptures depict a male figure
In conclusion, teaching a lesson about African art can and does afford a significant source of learning about another culture. Students' assignments can take different forms such as:
* a masquerade to celebrate a victory in a game, elections, graduation
* a compare/contrast essay on the characteristics of sculptures depicting women and men
* a compare/contrast essay on the variety of masks worn in non-African traditions
* creating a personal mask as a form of disguise commensurate with the cultural background of students
Finally, when planning a lesson on African art, it's important to know the reason why you want to teach it!
--Themina Kader, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
* There are many styles of art in Africa, and they are continually evolving.
* Art forms propitiated negative forces and were used in the healing process.
* Ancestor figures are not fetishes. They are symbols.
* African beliefs consider all trees, mountains, burial grounds, shrines, and carved artifacts sacred and dwelling places for spirits.
* Nudity is not objectionable in traditional African beliefs.
* African art, like art in other non-African traditions, is connected to political and religious leadership and is used in initiation ceremonies and ancestor worship. Therefore, it reflected prestige and pleasure.
* Carved figures do not represent God.
* Traditional African artifacts were not created for art's sake.
* Traditional African artifacts were not created for display in glass museum cases. Rather, they were were functional and served a specific purpose. As such, artifacts were often destroyed after use.
What forms of expression might African art take?
* freestanding sculptures, plaques
* masks and ceremonial shields
* body art and textiles
* metal works
* pottery vessels, other tools
* beadworks and jewelry
* woodcarvings and furniture
* rock art and animal imagery
In order to establish a context for African art, what basic facts are important to know?
* Africa is the second largest continent in the world.
* There are fifty countries in Africa.
* It has an area of twelve million square miles.
* Hundreds of languages are spoken in Africa.
* Environmentally, Africa ranges from snow-capped mountain peaks, and tropical rain forests to savannahs and semi-arid regions.
Generally speaking, masks in Africa:
* depict a variety of subject matter
* are based on naturalistic human or animal forms
* come in different sizes
* are worn over the head with the person looking out from beneath
* can also cover the whole face and shoulders
* are carved in wood, cast in bronze, molded in clay, and then embellished with metal, fibers, feathers, and beads
* can also have other surface decorations such as hair ornaments, earrings, or beards
* are often painted red, black, or white
Generally, sculptures in Africa:
* are religious in nature
* depict more human figures than animals
* range from the tiny to the bigger-than-life-size
* vary in style from the naturalistic to the abstract
* depict the mother and child relationship with a seated ancestor figure more commonly than the sculptures depict a male figure
In conclusion, teaching a lesson about African art can and does afford a significant source of learning about another culture. Students' assignments can take different forms such as:
* a masquerade to celebrate a victory in a game, elections, graduation
* a compare/contrast essay on the characteristics of sculptures depicting women and men
* a compare/contrast essay on the variety of masks worn in non-African traditions
* creating a personal mask as a form of disguise commensurate with the cultural background of students
Finally, when planning a lesson on African art, it's important to know the reason why you want to teach it!
--Themina Kader, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
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Title Annotation: | Bright Ideas |
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Author: | Kader, Themina |
Publication: | School Arts |
Geographic Code: | 1USA |
Date: | Feb 1, 2005 |
Words: | 479 |
Previous Article: | The art gap. |
Next Article: | Glass kiln. |
Topics: |
Teaching about African art. |
Discovering the desert. |