Transcript Chapter 16 - Arkansas State University

Chapter 15
Creative Expression:
Anthropology and the Arts
Chapter Outline





Some Characteristics of Art
Some Functions of Art
The Arts and the Expression of Cultural and
Personal Identity
The Artist in Society: Artists and Their
Audiences
Marketing Cultural Identities Through the Arts
Art



Universal means of expressing the
identity of a culture.
Evidence of art appears early in the
human fossil record.
There is no known culture without art.
Understanding Art in Culture



In most societies, art is inseparable
from other activities.
Separation of art from social behavior is
characteristic of modern society.
In non-industrial societies, art is
embedded in all aspects of culture.
Question

Emphasis upon both the ways in which non-Western
art is produced and is viewed within a culture
a) is a major focus of art historians' approach to
non-Western art.
b) is considered by anthropologists to be essential
for understanding the meanings of all forms of
artistic expression.
c) is traditionally an important aspect of museum
displays prepared by art historians.
d) is central to approaches of both art historians
and anthropologists.
Answer: b

Emphasis upon both the ways in which non-Western
art is produced and is viewed within a culture is
considered by anthropologists to be essential for
understanding the meanings of all forms of
artistic expression.
Five Types of Arts





Graphic and plastic arts
Music
Dance
Folklore
Sports and games
Functions of Art




Communication with and control over
nature and the supernatural.
Display of cultural themes.
Cultural and social integration.
Express cultural identity and history.
Communication With Natural
World

Cave paintings represent the restoration to
nature of the animals that are killed.
 Ritual art, dedicated to the spirits who protect
life, lessens danger.
 Dance movements imitating animals are
believed to exert control over animals.
Question

Prehistoric cave paintings of an animal's image or
contemporary hunter and gatherer's dance
movements that imitate the movements of animals
illustrate all except which of the following
statements?
a) Hunter-gatherers primarily created art and dance
for its own sake.
b) Art was used as a protection from danger.
c) Art styles reflect a cosmology that included an
active and personal force of nature.
d) Art had a central function as part of ritual acts to
maintain or control the relationship with nature.
Answer: a

Prehistoric cave paintings of an animal's
image or contemporary hunter and gatherer's
dance movements that imitate the
movements of animals do not illustrate the
following statements:
– Hunter-gatherers primarily created art
and dance for its own sake.
Symbolic Communication
Symbolic elements in art are culturally
specific:
 In Western culture, the phrase “once
upon a time” is a signal for a fairy tale.
 Totem poles reflect the social hierarchy
in their societies.
Foster Harmony in Society


The arts make dominant cultural themes
visible, tangible, and more real.
The arts give voice to disunity and
conflict within a society.
Express Cultural Identity and
History


In many cultures, the most important
artistic efforts represent ancestors.
In Imperial China, the arts were central
in legitimizing the emperor.
Deep Play: Balinese Cockfight

Symbolic contest between male egos.
 Expresses Balinese social hierarchy.
Question

Which of the following does not illustrate ways in
which art conveys important information about the
social hierarchy?
a) portraits of Inca kings commissioned by Inca
royalty after the Spanish conquest
b) totem poles of the Northwest Coast Native
Americans
c) memory boards of the Luba of Zaire
d) Balinese cockfights
e) paleolithic cave paintings
Answer: e

Paleolithic cave paintings do not illustrate
ways in which art conveys important
information about the social hierarchy.
Ledger Drawings

Drawings, in ledger books, made by some
Native American peoples to record personal
and historical events.
Types of Art

Body Art
– Marking and adorning the body as an expression
of cultural and personal identity, or which serves
other functions.
 Orientalism
– Scholarship and art generated by Europeans
focusing on the Middle East.
 “Primitive” Art
– The term used by the Western art world for the art
of non-Western, “tribal” societies.
Quick Quiz
1. From the broad anthropological perspective taken in
this chapter's discussion and analysis of art and
artistic expression, it appears that
a) what is "art" can be determined by universal
standards.
b) the phrase "art for art's sake" is the most
useful way to understand the place of artistic
expression within diverse cultures.
c) art is inseparable from other activities in most
non-Western societies, and is not produced or
performed solely for giving pleasure.
d) art and artistic expression must be viewed as
outside of its specific cultural context.
Answer: c

From the broad anthropological perspective
taken in this chapter's discussion and
analysis of art and artistic expression, it
appears that art is inseparable from other
activities in most non-Western societies,
and is not produced or performed solely
for giving pleasure.
2. Creative acts such as dancing, weaving, singing, or
playing a musical instrument in non-Western
societies
a) do not necessarily occur as an 'art form' or
'artistic performance' in itself.
b) are generally expected to adhere to tradition, a
high value being placed upon following or
repeating the traditional form
c) are characterized by innovations or new designs
or movements.
d) reflect their culture's expectation that artistic
expression be unique and original.
e) rest upon the reputation and recognized skill of
the individual artist/performer.
Answer: b

Creative acts such as dancing, weaving,
singing, or playing a musical instrument in
non-Western societies are generally
expected to adhere to tradition, a high
value being placed upon following or
repeating the traditional form.
3. Changes in artistic style, along with innovations in
technique, appear
a) in cultures where artistic production is not
generally valued.
b) to increase when art is not primarily associated
with religion.
c) to have been much more significant in prehistoric
times, as documented by archaeologists.
d) in all cultures at approximately the same rate.
e) to be more frequent in sedentary agricultural
societies, where there is more time for creative
expression.
Answer : b

Changes in artistic style, along with
innovations in technique, appear to
increase when art is not primarily
associated with religion.