Art And Humanities
The following is a Saylor.org art history course. This course will introduce you to the art and architecture of Africa from a Western art historical perspective. This Western perspective is influenced by developments in modern European art, which have claimed African art as an inspiration for more “primitive,” intuitive art forms. Note that the visual arts, as traditionally performed and held in various African societies, are largely incongruent with Western artistic values. For example, most traditional African art was not meant to be displayed, but rather viewed when in use and in motion, especially in mixed-media masquerades. Meanwhile, body adornment and textiles have long been important forms of visual communication and expression in Africa, whereas painting, common in Western art, is not a historically prevalent practice in many African regions.
African Art Useful Links
This is the course information for African Art.
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Unit 1: Orientation
This unit will provide a foundation for the study of African art, familiarizing you with Africa’s history and geography, introducing terminology basic to cross-cultural studies, and demonstrating some of the overlaps and diversity in form and function of objects from different regions.
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Unit 2: The Maghreb: Nort...
Unit 2: The Maghreb: Northernmost Africa and the Sahara This section studies prehistoric rock art in the Maghreb and briefly reviews the history of the region’s development and its present-day nomadic cultures. Arab culture has affected this region, particularly through the religious influence of Islam. After conquering the Phoenicians, the Romans infiltrated North Africa, and while substantial Roman architectural ruins remain, Arabs used some of them to construct mosques. Subsequently, most mosque architecture reflects a syncretistic blend of Arab traditions and indigenous forms of building throughout Africa. Note that Muslims pray individually in an open, communal space, traditionally punctuated by a courtyard area and a minaret ascended by clergy to call the faithful to salah (daily prayers).
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Unit 3: The Nile Valley
This unit will discuss how Egyptian art emphasized the notion of the king as an extension of the divine. Egyptian religion was polytheistic, and focused on a pantheon that included composite human/animal deities. While these two Egyptian notions (divine kingship and polytheism) would prove common in later cultures throughout Africa, the ancient Egyptians’ quest for monumental permanence did not. The seat of power in Egypt shifted over time. Starting in the Northern delta, royal complexes gradually moved South into Nubia, in the modern nation of Sudan, which Egyptians settled by the end of the Dynastic period in the late first millennium BCE. From there, power shifted eastward to Abyssinia – modern Ethiopia – into the Christian period.
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Unit 4: The Sudan
Islamic movements into Nubia resulted in the emergence of the modern country of Sudan, a name derived from the Arabic bil?d as-s?d?n, “land of the Blacks.” As Arabs moved westward, “Sudan” referred to a large swath of territory extending nearly to the western and southern Atlantic coasts, crossing boundaries of several modern countries and populated with diverse ethnic groups. Today the area is heavily Muslim, though many communities integrate Islam with indigenous spiritual traditions.
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African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask - PREVIEW
African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask - PREVIEW
Unit 5: The Atlantic Coas...
Unit 5: The Atlantic Coastal Regions and Lower Nigeria This unit looks at several groups that came to the West as a result of the slave trade and have formed diaspora communities. The social and spiritual structures of groups in this region are diverse, ranging from autonomous communities governed by elder societies to dynastic monarchies that are still maintained within modern nations. These differences are reflected in their respective art styles.
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Sierra Leone Heritage : Sowei Mask : Curator's Not...
Sierra Leone Heritage : Sowei Mask : Curator's Notes with Bill Hart
Unit 6: Central Africa
A number of groups reside across the boundaries of modern eastern Nigeria and Cameroon along the Cross River. In Cameroon, several ethnically and culturally related kingship societies nonetheless are distinct by tradition. In the colonial period, the “Congo” region encompassed the modern nations of the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Kongo peoples (including several sub-groups) extend across the borders of these nations. This background is important to keep in mind when trying to categorize the works of the various groups this unit examines, because there are not always clear differences in style or type, and there is much interaction between the two groups.
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Unit 7: Eastern and South...
Swahili is an indigenous East African language and culture that has been influenced by several centuries of trade with and hegemonic infiltration by Indian and Arab Islamic culture, as seen in the region’s architecture. Note that other indigenous groups with strong ethnic identities extending west from the coast remain in the region. However, this course’s discussion of these groups is limited due to a lack of accessible examples. Note that South Africa was the last African country to maintain legal apartheid (overturned in 1994) and retain white European rule from the early colonial era. These influences took a toll on the livelihood of traditional arts crafted by the region’s people. As a result, we will focus on this area’s early art, with a few limited examples of more recent objects.
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Great.Zimbabwe.(Ancient.City).HISTORIA Pt 1
Great.Zimbabwe.(Ancient.City).HISTORIA Pt 1
Unit 8: Contemporary Afri...
In this unit, we will learn about the spread of African art forms and contemporary African artists. These are starting points for further investigation. In discussing and analyzing contemporary African art, critics have focused on the extent to which expressions of ethnic and cultural heritage may be intended by particular artists. Pay attention to how the modern works discussed are described and contextualized through references to past art as well as to modern art of the West. Also note how the artists themselves (when applicable) and commentators describe the meanings and inspirations in these works.
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