Us "westerners" had the idea that African Art was primitive. With this we thought that the art came from an underdeveloped and poverty fill towns. As we started the 20th century most famous artists like Picasso started to become aware of and inspired by the African Art such as this one. (Picture) 9th century bronze staff head in form of a coiled snake found in Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State, Nigeria. Located in the National Museum Onikan, Lagos, Nigeria.
During the 50's, European architects transformed buildings into big-scale sculptures, replacing unnecessary decoration, by integrating textured murals and large bas-reliefs in walls. During the 60's, African Art influenced Brutalism, both in language and symbolism, particularly in the late Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer and Paul Rudolph. (Picture below) The Hall of Private Audience at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, India, an early example of the architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_art
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aima/hd_aima.htm
Interesting. I didn't know that Le Corbusier had any connection to African architecture. Brutalism seems like such an ugly word for a style of building born of a landscape where flat roofs and square buildings make sense. Le Corbusier and others in Europe just cast it in cement and called it Post-Modern. Don't forget your sources; you can edit and add them.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful picture nice choice.
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