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The Pocket Universal Principles of Art
book

The Pocket Universal Principles of Art

by John A Parks
December 2017
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
208 pages
3h 39m
English
Rockport Publishers
Content preview from The Pocket Universal Principles of Art

097 Tribal Art

“Tribal” art refers to art made by people living in communities cut off from, or only recently acquainted with, the international community. These cultures are nonliterate, generally organized into small villages, and subsistent on hunting and gathering along with small-scale agriculture.

Most tribal art is integrated into ritualistic practices or otherwise forms a ceremonial role within the community. Anthropologist Alfred Gell suggests that many tribal artifacts have a “magical utility,” in which their form and decoration assist with some important task. The decoration on a spear, for instance, may help it to its target. Without knowing this cultural context, an outsider may be hard-pressed to understand the nature of the artifact. ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781631595431