After visiting the Native American section, the next part of the museum was the African arts section. Because there are simply so many African tribes, the sheer diversity meant that examining these Africa arts meant to focus on the individual aesthetic values.
The faces depicted in this part of the gallery illustrate the various facial expressions that African artists were capable of. These human head carvings also show an emphasis on facial paint and other face markings. even though the heads were not anatomically correct, the unique form gives these carvings special aesthetic value. The ability of the white paint to obscure the fourth carving's face meant that from far away, it was not easy to discern the carving from the face of a real hunter. These masks/carvings remain significant testament to a celebration of the human form. With the relative sophistication of ancient tools, these carvings are well centered (faces look equal) and demonstrate skill.
African art is somewhat special in this continual abstract portrayal of the human anatomy. These two clay figures illustrate an important artistic technique. Namely, by tweaking certain parts of the creation, the visual image of a human could be immediately conveyed. African artists demonstrates a certain sense of spirit when they decide to discard traditional human proportions. In essence, those artists could have conveyed the idea that humans aren't perfect beings. To show this androgynous forms is to admit that innate weakness. Overall, I was impressed not only because these two figures survived, but also by the novelty of it's existence. Most of the world's civilizations during these periods tend to glorify the ideal perfect human body and shun imperfection. It is notable that these figures did not have the sexual implications of archaic pieces like the Women of Willendorf. The imperfection in these figures have nothing to do with reproductive assets. When contemplating these figures, it is truly remarkable.
This piece appears to be some form of giant wooden carvings. But the complexity of this piece is what makes it a very intriguing showpiece. Without considering any symbolic significance, this carving have arguably three faces. Unlike Totem Poles, this carving is unique in it's three dimensional property. There is a certain depth lacking from Totem Poles. Yet, like Totem Poles, this piece consists of a series of faces. Regardless of time period, carving such a complicating piece by hand using old tools speak for the technical brilliance of African wood carvers. In addition, the complex interlacing faces gives this piece a rather mysterious background. All of those ingredients fuse together to create a striking wooden piece.
Overall, much like my experience with Native American art, walking through the African art section allowed me to open my eyes towards many of the fine nuances of these art pieces. In fact, the skill demonstrated throughout both sections is exemplary. A dedicated mind and willingness to adapt are what makes these fantastic art pieces the pride of humanity.
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