THE BEAUTY OF AFRICAN ART

The African Art 

Unlike the art of Western societies, traditional African art was a functional and necessary part of everyday life and it would be impossible to understand African culture without an understanding of their art. Sculpture also served to symbolize authority and played important roles in maintaining social control.

African sculpture is new and unfamiliar to most Americans
and yet it is the product of ancient civilizations and many centuries of artistic tradition. Initially the masks and figures may seem strange or even grotesque,
but when viewed in terms of their own cultures the sculptures of Africa can be seen to be sophisticated, powerful and dynamic.

African Art Part of Everyday Life

Unlike the art of Western societies, traditional African art was a functional and necessary part of everyday life and it would be impossible to understand African cultures without an understanding of their art. Religion, government, education, work and entertainment were all closely inter-related in traditional African societies. All of the arts, whether musical, oral or sculptural, were deeply woven into the very fabric of social life and played a central role in binding together all members of the community through corporate activity.

Examples of African Art

Below is an examples of well known African artworks.

Rock Paintings

Rock paintings are the oldest known African art form; the oldest are thought to be 27,000 years old. The ancient Africans produced these artworks in caves and on rock faces. Great examples of these can be found in the Drakensberg Mountain Range in South Africa where approximately 30,000 rock paintings have been discovered. The very early paintings depict everyday life of the ancient Africans including representations of people and animals. As time went on these paintings became more abstract. For example the San (Bushmen) would eventually create artwork that would depict spirits in a very abstract interesting way.

One final note must be made on this collection. The sculpture-producing regions of Africa are confined for the most part to Western and West Central Africa. The weight of the traditional art shown here is from those areas in which the S.M.A. Fathers have worked. Though not truly representative of all areas which produce sculpture, this catalog and exhibition are designed to show something of the range of forms and the purposes to which art was put in sub-Saharan Africa. Hopefully, those who see this art will gain a deeper understanding of the richness and vitality of African art and the cultural heritage and creativity of the African people.

This Article is made of work from the following website:http://smafathers.org/museum/resources-ebooks/the-african-art/   interesting-africa-facts.com/African-Art/African-Art.html  

Compiled by: INORE FAMOUS