Tribal Art

African Art in Detail (N° 20818)

This book opens with the question, "What is African art? The answer is a brilliantly colorful and detailed look at the myriad of materials and genres, forms and meanings, cultural contexts and expressions that make up the artistic traditions of this vast and varied continent. By considering the artworks in their contexts-ancient and modern, urban and rural, Western and Eastern, decorative and functional-this book is nothing less than a virtual tour of African culture. Masks, textiles, royal art, sculpture, ceramics, tools, and weapons-in each case, the book presents examples that reveal the most significant aspects of the execution, materials, and design of objects made of wood, stone, ivory, clay, metal, feathers, leather, basketry, and cloth. Photographs of each piece, accompanied by close-ups of the finest details, offer new perspectives on these works and allow for intriguing comparisons between seemingly unrelated objects and media. The details presented evoke the hand and eye of Africa's most accomplished artisans, past and present. In sum, these photographs, accompanied by Chris Spring's illuminating commentary, offer an experience of African art that is both broad and deep, richly informed and intimately felt. At the same time, they constitute a kaleidoscopic vision of art, from prehistory to gestures that foreshadow the future.

Author: Chris Spring
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Condition: NEW
Language : English
Number of pages : 144
Dimensions : 220 x 220 mm
Hardcover with dust jacket
ISBN : 978-0674036222