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The influence of African art on western art
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The Purpose of Sexuality in African Carvings
Unlike sexuality in western carvings where sexual orientation goes beyond heterosexuality, in African art sexuality was limited to heterosexuality. A critical analysis of African carvings demonstrate that apart from expressing the society’s perception of sexuality, deities were also assigned sex in most instances incorporating both male and female organs. This does not imply that sexuality in African art has also experienced the sexuality debates like western art. Intersex carvings are an important observation in African art, and this demonstrates the role played by the supernatural in African beliefs as pertaining sexuality. Sexuality in African carvings demonstrates the spirituality of sex and the fact that sex is believed to be of significant importance in worship.
Sex transcends the mere act of copulation, but is used to indicate that there is a deep connection between sex, worship, and African traditional beliefs. In essence, sexuality in African carvings is used more for the purpose of deification rather than to demonstrate human eroticism. Sex was considered sacred among most African traditional communities, and to talk about sex let alone incorporate sex in carvings was considered a taboo (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 79). It was only when such carvings were intended to glory some deity that sex was freely used in carvings in African communities. It is for this reason that most carvings that depicted sexuality were exaggerated in terms of the size. This was to create a distinction between the sexuality of ordinary people and the sexuality of the supernatural (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 79). The paper will look at how sexuality was used in African carvings to bring in...
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...ved with a phallic protrusion on its head to indicate virility and power. The purpose was principally psychological to make an individual feel protected.
From the discussion, one realizes that sexuality in African carvings was primarily meant to give reverence to god other than just depicting human sexuality. Therefore, sexuality debates in western societies should not be used when analyzing sexuality in African carvings.
Works Cited
Avant, Rodney. A Mythological Reference. Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2005. Print.
Irele, Abiola and Biodun Jeyifo. African Thought. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. Sex and Society. New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation , 2010. Print.
Valsiner, Jaan. Comparative Study of Human Cultural Development. Madrid: Foundacion Infancia Y Aprendizaje, 2001. Print.
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
The display of Benin art in museum and galleries reflect the attitudes and perceptions of Europeans towards non-western artefacts, especially African. Thus as European attitudes change towards non-western art since the discovery of Benin art in 1897, Benin art has been revaluated and re-categorised.
This essay deals with the nature of a cross cultural encounter between the Benin people and Portuguese traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in the depiction of Portuguese figures in Benin brass plaques. It will propose that this contact between people with different cultures was on the basis of 'mutual regard' (Woods, K. 2008, p. 16), and although the Portuguese had qualms about idolatry in Benin it will show that assumptions by Europeans up to the 20th century of the primitive nature of tribal African societies was inaccurate with regard to the Benin people, who had a society based on the succession of the King or 'Oba', a Royal Family and Nobility. The essay will finally suggest that Benin’s increase in wealth following the arrival of the Portuguese led to a resurgence in bronze sculptures and the introduction of a new form, the rectilinear plaque.
The center of discussion and analysis about the sex/gender system focus on the differences between African, European and Creole Women. The sex/gender system describe by Morgan focus on their production, body and kinship. European women are seen as domestic, African women’s work overlaps between agricultural and pastoral. They’ll work in the field non-stop, even after giving birth. African women hold knowledge about the pastoral and agricultural work “in the planting and cultivation of fields the daily task of a good Negro Woman” (145). While Creole women were subordinated, with the job of produce and reproduce. When it came to body, European women’s bodies were seeing as fragile. After birth the rest for a while before they could stand back again or return to their activities “European observers believed the post-delivery period of abstinence lasted three months, and others commented up two- to three year period o...
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Brave New World Theme of Sex" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008.
Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,
In the article “An Anthropological Look at Human Sexuality” the authors, Patrick Gray and Linda Wolfe speak about how societies look at human sexuality. The core concept of anthology is the idea of culture, the systems of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors people acquire as a member of society. The authors give an in depth analysis on how human sexuality is looked at in all different situations.
Over the years many artist have viewed sensitive subjects within their work. Sex is one of the sensitive subjects that has been viewed in a positive and negative way. Before and during the 19th century, most paintings, sculptures, and art pieces focused on the features of a human's body. During this time, most artist believed that showing these features of a human could show the role a woman and man had in life. Sculptures in early times focused on the body of a man and showed distinctive features from head to toe. Most sculptures were representations of Greek Gods, which showed their strength and power throughout their body. Showing the sexual side of men in art, lead to showing the sexual features of a woman. The sexual features of a woman was shown throughout paintings and sculptures that mostly represented fertility. suppose to symbolize the sexual union between him and the woman. The idea of showing sex in art has been shaped and formed into various perspectives.
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
Even today, women continue to endure pain and suffering in order to satisfy the sexual desires of their men. Is it difficult to see that the idea behind this is control and in many cultures including ours, women are brainwashed into believing the unattractive to be attractive. The practice of foot-binding and how it relates to cultures across the globe may not be jus...
Kendal, Diana. "Sex and Gender." Sociology in Our Times 3.Ed. Joanna Cotton. Scarborough: Nelson Thomson, 2004. 339-367
Boxed inside thick glass in the African exhibit at the Cantor Museum stands an object that is about 20 inches long and approximately 15 inches high. The overly round head is connected to protruding shoulders that dip down into a deep curve of the back. The legs, short and stub-like. The plump bulbous figure, resembles that of a cow. The relic is visually stimulating and perplexing. The title reads: “Artist Unknown. Bamana peoples, Mali. Shrine Figure (Boli) 19th century”, yet the viewer may wonder; What is it? What purpose does it serve? Did it belong to one person or as a community as a whole? Why is it the shape that it is? What is it made of? How exactly was it made?
middle of paper ... ... ’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements.
In the article "Queer Complicity in the Belgian Congo: Autobiography and Racial Fetishism in Jef Geeraerts's (post)colonial Novels" Thomas Hendriks explains that in Africa’s interior white men and women are considered supernatural and godly.