African Art Chronology Part 1.

African Art Chronology Part 1.

(adapted from Encyclopedia Britanica)
African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" 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 Diasporas, such as the art of African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa. Knowledge of the history of visual arts in Africa is very fragmentary. The earliest-known sculptures are the pottery heads and figures of the Nok culture of Nigeria (500 BC to AD 200). This also provides the earliest evidence for ironworking in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Iron Age directly follows the Stone Ages. The earliest evidence for the use of copper and its alloys comes from the Igbo village of Igbo-Ukwu, also in Nigeria, where sites of the 9th century AD have revealed cast bronze regalia among other works of art. These bear no relationship in style either to the famous brass castings of the Yoruba city of Ife (11th-15th century) or to those of Benin (15th-19th century), both in Nigeria. Other examples of antique pottery sculpture include the heads from Lydenburg in South Africa dated to about AD 500. Sculptures in stone are known from Sierra Leone, probably the work of Sherbro carvers and datable to no later than the 16th century, and from the Kongo peoples of the area near the mouth of the Congo river. In the 16th century, ivory was being carved with extraordinary skill at Benin and by the Sherbro of Sierra Leone. The earliest-known sculptures in wood may be certain portrait statues of kings of the Kuba, central Zaire, thought to date from the 17th century. Some of the finest sculptures in wood date, however, only from the 1920s: for example, the works of Yoruba masters such as Olowe of Ise (d. 1939) and Areogun of Osi-Ilorin (c. 1880-1954). The earliest-known textiles in sub-Saharan Africa are the bast fibre fragments from Igbo-Ukwu (9th century AD) and the cotton and woolen cloths found in the Tellem caves of the Bandiagara region of Mali (11th century and earlier). None of these artistic manifestations represents a beginning of any kind: each appears as fully developed in style.

Art Collecting in General: A Novices Guide

Art Collecting in General: A Novices Guide

Art collection is an extremely stimulating and inspiring hobby for all. It isn’t only for the wealthy as well as famous,but even habitual everyday people too. You will discover various forms of art that you can select, especially because art’s definition can greatly vary from one self to another. On the other hand, it doesn't really matter whatever its appearance is, you’re the one to make the call resting on which can be attractive and how much are you willing to spend for this kind of piece.

To Go For Prints Or Originals?

In the art globe, some people possibly will look downward on others due therefore to their different tastes in picking out art. For instance, you will find those individuals who only buy original works and would never even consider buying prints.However, it is best to acquire note that if you’re just starting to collect art and is doing this for enjoyment subsequently originals are not really necessary to buy, especially whenever they’re way out of your budget.

There is really nothing wrong with buying prints. In fact, they are one excellent way to have framed art that would look beautiful on your wall, simillar to how an
original would look, but at a way lower price. Although here, you would not be having the same texture as to the original work; given that originals
usually show dimension and texture, while prints won't. Nevertheless, well printed artworks are not settling of course.

In fact, a lot of art enthusiasts possess art prints by different artists, which were being fairly bought inexpensively from the Internet, galleries as well as art
fairs. Amazingly, such items still appear refined and classy, instead of cheap looking akin to what the majority expect.

All Framed Up (!)

Once you spot an original or print that you simply like, you have the option to frame it by physically or get somebody in addition to do it for you. Generally, you can find frames in an unlimited price range, ranging from cheaper metal frames to over-elaborate and hand carved wooden frames costing you a fortune.

With regard to using mats, which can be in a different way of framing your picture surrounded by its frame by the use of papers or illustration boards, you ought to take note that such could detract your print. If you don't know how to frame, then you should acquire your piece and get it framed first. While doing so, observe how they’d offer you diverse mats plus frame styles.

You don’t need to hasten up when picking out the mat you want to use. In fact, you are likely to take your efforts and deliberate on it carefully, since the mat and frame color combinations can have an incredible effect on how fine or bad your artwork would look. You should also consider how the frame would fit-in inside whatever place you’ll position it, like your private home or your office.

If you desire a spotless and contemporary look, it’s recommended that you use the Nielsen brushed metal frames, which are not only inexpensive but continue to be elegant looking too. These frequently come in several colors. Nevertheless, it’s secure to opt for black or bronze. If you’ll be placing them in a gallery, bronze would also accomplish perfectly, especially since it wouldn’t financial impact a person too much. In fact, the majority people that buy art from galleries would have the art they bought re-framed in able designed for it to match their home decor.

If your more of a wooden type of person, it's also possible to get wooden frames which are sincerely stained. Cherry and mahogany are the foremost preferred variations when it comes to wooden frames, since their deep and glowing color
bring a sublime expression toward any artwork.

Authentic African Art

Authentic African Art

The problem of "authenticity" of traditional African carvings, objects, rituals and / or social values or even to use objects of material culture is long standing and mystified: the contemporary cultural context, scholars have debated until the 60s ( Henri Kamer, Frank Willet and among others).

Many scholars and enthusiasts are convinced that today is no longer possible to find objects in Africa original material and aesthetic value, because the collection (in some cases it is an actual sack) has already taken place in more distant times for some ethnic groups (the first decades of the twentieth century for objects from Gabon and the Congo ‘this for many objects’ and Central Africa) in the early years after and in World War II (most of Dogon statuary and many items of West Africa) up to years for recent (the objects in Nigeria after the War in Biafra in the seventies) or recent (statuary Lamba / Loss northern Togo, the object of research and an exhibition in Paris last year alone).
I, personally, are of the opinion - based on the testimony of many of my correspondents who regularly and periodically visit the (few) African regions free of war - if it is true that many of the ethnic groups considered more important to be very, very difficult, but not impossible, to find a few really authentic and valuable object on the ground for other people can still find some beautiful specimen, particularly in cases where there is obviously still alive and quite a cultural tradition or ceremonial occasions Ritual / social structure when these objects "serve" again. And now, for example, those certain populations of Southern-Central Africa (eg the Himba or the rarely found San culture,) continued unabated to produce objects for their traditional uses and, therefore, these items are deemed „authentic "even though they were carved recently.
Let’s not delude ourselves; African art is a concept that goes back only a few decades ago.
Certainly we do not have (nor could we expect to) for African sculpture the exact dates to which we are accustomed in studies on Western art, i.e. dates supported by precise documentary evidence as well as the approximate and unreliable laboratory tests. Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions and so with we strongly support and believe that there is still such art in Africa. Although, if we take a start from the fifties, the African continent will go through very strong changes such as:

1. Globalisation
2. Transformations in the political and economical power structures
3. Urbanisation
4. Progressive abandonment of traditional religions
5. Decolonisation
6. People’s reappropriation of their African identity

What Will People Consider Artifacts in 100 years?

What Will People Consider Artifacts in 100 years?

Do you anytime stop to anticipate that one day, the activity we’re active with now will be advised history? A awe-inspiring anticipation because we anticipate of the accomplished as aback in the “olden days” area bodies had to airing barefoot to academy both means in the snow and they didn’t accept the Internet or radio to accumulate them aggregation on arid Saturday afternoons.

An absorbing anticipation is what will bodies accede to be artifacts aback they attending at us in 100 years? Will they attending at our aerial tech cell phones and blogs because we were so amused by the simple things in life? Will they attending at the war in Iraq and apprehend that it was the point aback the apple absolutely started to breach down? Will they anathema us for ruining the planet and the accustomed adorableness of the Earth for them?

Chances are, they will be attending at our technology, our blogs, our photos and celebrity attraction and booty that as the artifacts from these years of our lives. It is not necessarily a bad thing, we do not apperceive if the apple will be in ruin in 100 years or if it will be this utopia area worldly accord reins and worlds ache has ended. What we do apperceive is what we accept actuality today, and what we accept is not that bad.
We accept terrorism, we accept war and we accept abundant abandon to aftermost lifetimes. We additionally accept a lot of peace, adulation and achievement that can serve as abiding artifacts for the future. Approaching ancestors can attending aback at the artifacts we leave and apperceive we were an anatomy of bodies, who were aggravating to do the appropriate affair, while accepting ashore in the mistakes of the past.

Hopefully bodies of the approaching will abide to apprentice from our mistakes and use our artifacts as guides to always advance the world. They could additionally aloof in booty and attending at the affair pictures that we leave and smile because we at least knew how to accept during acceptable times!
People can sit and accept about the approaching and bethink the accomplished for what it was. What we can do is accomplish our mark for the approaching to appearance others and accomplish them accept what we as bodies were all about. We formed hard, we played alike harder and we admired to accomplish a difference. In the end, that will be all that matters.
Then, maybe in 200 years, the bodies will be attending back at us in history and admit that this was the time in history past cultures were absolutely focused on accomplishing the appropriate affair and creating a more good activity for anybody in it, including the bodies of the future.

Can they get all of this from the artifacts we leave behind? Of course! We accept apprentice from accomplished ancestors that way, haven’t we? That is why we leave abaft our mark, to appearance the bodies of the approaching what we did and area we are going. Who knew artifacts told that accomplished story?