African Influence on Art Movements

African Influence on Black and European Artists

• African sculpture and spiritual objects circulated in Europe from the 1870s, following colonial conquests.
• These objects were displayed in cities like France, London, and Munich, influencing European artists.

Yoruba Influence

• The Yoruba are an urban civilization in Africa, dating back to the Middle Ages.
• Their holy city, Ife-Ife, was a flourishing artistic center, influencing the West from the 10th to 12th centuries.
• Yoruba religion worships various spirits under one god, with a focus on Ashe, the power-to-make-things-happen.
• Ashe means "So be it" or "May it happen," and is embodied in Yoruba sculptures and spiritual objects.

Ashe and Iwa Rere

• Ashe is the divine force that transcends ordinary questions about its makeup and confinements.
• Iwa Rere, or good character, is another important aspect of Yoruba religion, synonymous with coolness, gentle generosity, and proper custom.
• Iwa Rere is characterized by exhibiting grace under pressure, and gradually assumes virtual royal power.

The King's Crown

• The Yoruba king is the highest link between god, the people, and the ancestors.
• The king's crown features a bird symbolizing the Ashe of the "mother," powerful elderly women who can eradicate arrogance and selfishness.
• The veil protects ordinary people from the king's gaze while he is in ritual with the spirit.

Kongo Influence

• Kongo art encompasses areas of Gabon, Angola, Central Africa, and the Republic of the Congo.
• Kongo religion believes in a God Almighty and has ritual experts or banganga, who worship specific immortal spirits.
• The Lemba healers, descended from the 1660s, have continued to practice Kongo rituals.

Minkisi or Nkisi

• Minkisi are sacred medicines embodied in intentional objects, used to heal and protect the human soul.
• They are living entities, often featuring glass or mirrors, nails, and horns, and are found across the Americas.

European Modernism and African Inspiration

• In the early 1900s, Western artists like Picasso and Matisse began exploring African art, moving away from naturalistic styles.
• The School of Paris was a catalyst for this movement, with artists exposed to different styles through museum culture.
• Post-Impressionism, pioneered by Gauguin and Cezanne, featured thicker brush strokes, bolder colors, and more emotion.

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

• Impressionism, characterized by small, thin brush strokes, open composition, and muted tones, depicted nature and everyday life.
• Post-Impressionism, led by Picasso and Matisse, featured more expressive, emotive, and vivid works, incorporating African influences.

Avant-Garde Movement

• The Avant-Garde movement, pioneered by Picasso and Matisse, collected African sculptures for their aesthetic value.
• Artists like Max Weber, who studied with Matisse, incorporated African influences into their work, leading to a more abstract style.

African Influence on Black Artists

• Romare Bearden's "The Conjur Woman" (1964) is an example of African influence on Black American art.
• Other artists, such as Timothy Washington, Betye Saar, Sedrick Huckaby, and Lanise Howard, have also been influenced by African art and culture.

African Influence on Black and European Artists

• African sculpture and spiritual objects circulated in Europe from the 1870s, following colonial conquests.
• These objects were displayed in cities like France, London, and Munich, influencing European artists.

Yoruba Influence

• The Yoruba are an urban civilization in Africa, dating back to the Middle Ages.
• Their holy city, Ife-Ife, was a flourishing artistic center, influencing the West from the 10th to 12th centuries.
• Yoruba religion worships various spirits under one god, with a focus on Ashe, the power-to-make-things-happen.
• Ashe means "So be it" or "May it happen," and is embodied in Yoruba sculptures and spiritual objects.

Ashe and Iwa Rere

• Ashe is the divine force that transcends ordinary questions about its makeup and confinements.
• Iwa Rere, or good character, is another important aspect of Yoruba religion, synonymous with coolness, gentle generosity, and proper custom.
• Iwa Rere is characterized by exhibiting grace under pressure, and gradually assumes virtual royal power.

The King's Crown

• The Yoruba king is the highest link between god, the people, and the ancestors.
• The king's crown features a bird symbolizing the Ashe of the "mother," powerful elderly women who can eradicate arrogance and selfishness.
• The veil protects ordinary people from the king's gaze while he is in ritual with the spirit.

Kongo Influence

• Kongo art encompasses areas of Gabon, Angola, Central Africa, and the Republic of the Congo.
• Kongo religion believes in a God Almighty and has ritual experts or banganga, who worship specific immortal spirits.
• The Lemba healers, descended from the 1660s, have continued to practice Kongo rituals.

Minkisi or Nkisi

• Minkisi are sacred medicines embodied in intentional objects, used to heal and protect the human soul.
• They are living entities, often featuring glass or mirrors, nails, and horns, and are found across the Americas.

European Modernism and African Inspiration

• In the early 1900s, Western artists like Picasso and Matisse began exploring African art, moving away from naturalistic styles.
• The School of Paris was a catalyst for this movement, with artists exposed to different styles through museum culture.
• Post-Impressionism, pioneered by Gauguin and Cezanne, featured thicker brush strokes, bolder colors, and more emotion.

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

• Impressionism, characterized by small, thin brush strokes, open composition, and muted tones, depicted nature and everyday life.
• Post-Impressionism, led by Picasso and Matisse, featured more expressive, emotive, and vivid works, incorporating African influences.

Avant-Garde Movement

• The Avant-Garde movement, pioneered by Picasso and Matisse, collected African sculptures for their aesthetic value.
• Artists like Max Weber, who studied with Matisse, incorporated African influences into their work, leading to a more abstract style.

African Influence on Black Artists

• Romare Bearden's "The Conjur Woman" (1964) is an example of African influence on Black American art.
• Other artists, such as Timothy Washington, Betye Saar, Sedrick Huckaby, and Lanise Howard, have also been influenced by African art and culture.

Explore how African sculpture and spiritual objects influenced Black and European artists from the 1870s to the 1900s. Discover the impact of colonialism on art movements.