arts bibliryaphy sub sahara

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Pandey 4

Name: Deep Sagar Pandey

Instructor: Dr. Jill Foltz

Course: Arts 1301

Date: 10 October 2018

Sub-Saharan Africa Artwork Analysis

Introduction

The selected artwork is that of the wooden carving of the Nigerian Yoruba people in the Oyo region. The art is under the title “Standing males and females figures," and it is dated to have been carved in the 20th century. The artwork was given out as a gift to the Dozier Foundation where the piece has been preserved. The piece is a 126KB in size and a dimension of 1024 by 768 pixels. The artwork captures deceased twins from a specific family of the Yoruba community in Nigeria. The photograph was initially taken at a family shrine where deceased twins are laid, and their images are carved and displaced in a shrine where the family treats the images as if they are the real children. In the image, the carvings of the deceased twins are being treated with gifts and food as a sign that the family remembers the twins and takes care of them even in death. In the image, some male and female children have captured an indication that the family has lost a series of twins.

Elements

The artwork has made use of horizontal, vertical, curvilinear, and diagonal lines. The carving shows the faces of the children which are sad and this has been demonstrated clearly by the use of lines. Also, the dressing is featured clearly by the use of lines, and this creates a clear difference between boys and girls. For instance, the girls appear to have their bodies entirely covered apart from their faces as compared to boys that appear to have an uncovered body. Also, lines have helped in demonstrated the head scarfs and hats that the images have where some appear to be big and others small. The quality use of line has it possible for one to note each child and how the child is dressed. They have also made it possible for one to notice the different body part of the child as well as other images captured in the artwork for instance food products and the two plates. The lines have been used stably thus making the image to possess a lot of sense on the viewer. Moreover, the lines have made the children sit upright thus making the artwork appear organized and well-coordinated.

Round and oval shapes throughout the artwork are the most common. The body of the children is round and so their clothing to promote uniformity and coordination. The food products on the ground are oval in shape while as the plates have a round shape. This is an expression of an ordinary body shape that people are familiar with, and thus the artist demonstrates originality of the image. The artwork has dark colors which limes with the dark color of the African people thus showing a sense of nationality. However, warm colors like white and other lighter colors have been sparsely used to create contrast. Also, the attire used in the image is similar to attires used in the 20th century to wrap children after passing away. The color hence has been used by the artist to demonstrate the Yoruba people mourning traditions.

The texture of the piece is rough which is perfect for the kind of message being communicated. The rough texture has made it possible for the artist to capture the different attires and Yoruba tradition like taking care of children with food and other needs which a smooth texture could have hindered.

Principles

The artwork has quality balance because the weight is evenly distributed in the entire work. The quality of balance can be said to the reason behind the stable standing of the artwork. Moreover, the quality balance with the balanced use of color makes the artwork to appear unique and admirable. Moreover, Sub-Saharan Africa has been associated with dark colors due to their skin color, and hence the use of a similar color strikes a balance between the origin of the piece and its use something that promotes a smooth flowing unity in the entire artwork. However, the focal point of the artwork that is helping the viewer to understand the image is the head part of the image which includes the face and head.

Analysis

The Yoruba community believes that in the case twins dies, images of them have to be carved and placed in a shrine from where the family members would take care of them as if they are alive. This is an ancient tradition that continued being practiced until the 20th century. The image demonstrates how a two deceased used to be treated and respected by members of their families and how the shrine could be regularly visited to make sure that foodstuffs meant for the children were provided. Thus, the image is a quality cultural image.

Conclusion

In overall, the image is among the highest and most informative sub-Saharan Africa portraits that demonstrate to the world the African heritage and culture. It is a unique artwork since not many cultures around the world that have great value for the dead like the Yoruba people used to have in the earlier centuries.