Expressionism Is A Much Less Important Current In Sculpture Than In Pa

Expressionism is a much less important current in sculpture than in painting, since the ethnographic sculpture by the Fauves might have evoked a strong response among sculptors Only one important sculptor shared in this rediscovery Brancusi, a Rumanian, moved to Paris to study advanced art around 1904 But he was more interested in the formal simplicity and coherence of primitive carvings than in their savage expressiveness; this is evidenced in The Kiss which was executed in 1909 Brancusi had a 'genius of ommission' - to Brancusi a monument is an upright slab, symmetrical and immobile - a permanent marker like the styles of the ancients and he disturbed the basic shape as little as possible The Embracing Lovers are more primeval than primitive They are a timeless symbol of generations - innocent and anonoymous Brancusi's 'primevalism' was the starting point of a sculptural tradition that still continues today Until now, African pottery, wooden carvings, and textiles had been viewed essentially as handicraft because, it was argued, the religious, military, sexual, or decorative functions of the works suggested that they had not been created as art, to be appreciated for their own sake It was the magical and mystical quality of the Primitive African art that inspired Brancusi; and the quality that counted most Because the appreciation of art in African sub-cultures is closely related to its use in everyday life, there is a distinct contrast with the Western concern with conservation/preservation and appreciation of art within a home, museum, or gallery setting This is one of the primary reasons that many objects of African art have been placed within the categories of artifacts, handicrafts, folk art, or primitive art In addition, it is essential to understand African art as it is appreciated, conceived, executed, and used within the African culture from which it originated In this respect, the artist has been recognized--even though he or she may remain anonymous --and the objects he has designed and created have become valuable- in terms of their importance as they reflect the culture from which they are derived and the way in which they are valued and appreciated by their respective culture--and credible works of art It is this approach to African artistic production that will be used i n interpreting and drawing conclusions about the musical instruments described in these entries Objects of African art, previously referred to as primitive, functional artifacts, handicrafts, or tourist arts are now gaining the recognition and prestige that they have long deserved and are becoming more commonly referred to simply as art According to a recent New York Times article describing an exhibit concerned with bridging the gap between western and non-western art: Around 1910 Brancusi started to concentrate on two basic forms of such uncompromising simplicityie the Newborn or The Beginning of the World; and soaring vertical 'bird' motif, ie Bird in Space He was fascinated by the antithesis of life as potential and as kinetic energy We are not likely to understand the art of the past if we are ignorant of the aims it had to serve The further we go back in history, the more definite but also the more strange are the aims which art was supposed to serve The same applies if we leave towns and cities and go to the peasants, or better still, if we leave our civilized countries and travel to the peoples whose ways of life still resember the conditions in which our remote ancestors lived We call these people 'primitives' not because they are simpler than we are - their processes of thought are often more complicated than ours - but because they are closer to the state from which all mankind once emerged Among these primitives, there is no difference between building and image-making as far as usefulness is concerned Their huts are there to shelter them from rain, wind and sunshine and the spirits which produce them; images are made to protect them against other powers which are to them as real as the forces of nature P ictures and statues, in other words are used to work magic It is difficult to understand these strange beginnings of art unless one can enter the mind of the primitive peoples and find out