Dina Tallat yousef

01004162041
Title: The African art source to
design textile printing of hanging in
Tourist village

Introduction
- ART is a human phenomenon a rise from an individual origin
makes its beautiful sensation, so found it take a distinct nature
reflects culture life features of nations, and by considering that
the culture is result of human intelligence reaction with
surrounding nature environment to bring his material and
immaterial needs, so art and culture are source of cultural and
civilized legacy for any community. The African Arts are
neglected because considered as study of gender & religions ,
and the impact of the African Art was unknown to people,
where the African Art hasnt any respect except in the
beginning of 20th century. It was by searching of modern artist
about a new art value reflect Politics and Economic
Circumstances in the beginning of this century. These
Circumstances which push the artist to search about past
legacy in native arts, attracted many European artists toward
Middle-Southern East and African countries, like Paul Klee
trips to Tunisia, Egypt and Tropical African countries , Visits of
Emeal Loundy and Fax Besteen to Ghenia and the effect of
the African Arts started to be shown clearly in many artists
works . Its good to mention that the African artist affected the
Geographic Climatic nature, culture traditions and the
religions beside customs, traditions and Economics
circumstances which have a great on artist feeling formation.
The African artist skilled in : wall photography , leather works ,
pumpkin decoration , crockery works , digging on wood , Ivory
and Distinct ( copper , gold , silver ) metal works. In addition to
, Textile dying and printing which represent a great art value
between professions and other Industries , and with scientific
and technology development in modern time becomes the
computer usage a high necessary to save , reduce effort and
time. We cant decrease from the valuable skills of the artist
and in same time cant ignore the importance of computers
which give the artist a high capability where his skills can be
formed in a new art design.

The Study Importance:-

- Study of the African artistic elements and use it to invent

modern printed hanging designs through the computer.

The Study proplem:Summarized into the following :

1- How to take advantage of the impact of aesthetic values in
the African Art on the Contemporary Art.
2- How to deal with the African Art element which have
fashioning values created by the African artist to invent
designs suitable for hanging printing by computer.
3- Scarce of Arabic studies and research in the African Art ,
where the art has not been given moment of the study and
evaluation , although it has a cultural value and clear effect
on the Contemporary Artists.

Aim of the Study :1- To innovate designs, inspired by African artistic elements, to
suit printed hangings through the computer.
2- To study the aspects and characteristics of the African Art,
the factors which affected the African artist and how far the
Contemporary Art was affected by the African Art.
3- To study the plastic values of the African artistic elements.

Research Assumption :1- The use of computer for the production of designs inspired
by the elements of the African Art is a new concept for the
art of printed hangings.
2- The works of great artists of the Contemporary Art which
depend on ideas inspired by the African Art could be an

important source for giving ideas that could be used in

designing printed hangings through the computer.

Research Domains :Era : Contains Africa from 175 million years ago till 20th
century.
Place : The African continent (west and south)
Artistic : Frame work : Designing textile printed hangings.

Methodology of the research :- Historical Method

By following up the historical development of the African
Arts.

- Analytical Method
The researcher carried out artistic analysis for the designs
inspired from the African Art elements.

- Experimental Method
The researcher made the artistic and applied experiments
resulting from historical and analytical studies.

Basics of study :1- African art :

African art has been on exhibition throughout the world with
many different perceptions. The true value of the enriched
presentation of this art form has a great impact on the world
culture and life style. The values of African art come in a
diversified display of art forms that represent the cultural
rituals, religious beliefs, symbols, and the diversity of Africa.
There has unfortunately been a broad difference between
the true content of what African art actually symbolizes and
the interpretation of westerns based on their private

interpretations. Western culture for many years has given a

generic explanation of African art. They do not value nor
take into account the impact of African religious beliefs,
cultural customs, nor the significance of making a particular
art form and its functions. It is vitally important to consider
these factors to correctly interpret African art. The lack of
understanding has led to the lack of pursuing the truth about
the distinctive forms of African art. It has also led to
misconceptions about their style. Some have even
suggested that African art forms are childlike. Actually their
expression was often a sophisticate and deliberate
exaggeration of features of certain forms that represented
their gods. These misconceptions could also lead to the
misinterpretation of African culture as well as its art. This
unit has been specifically formulated to increase the
awareness level and expand the knowledge of art viewers
about African art. It will also help to dispel misconceptions
and therefore develop an understanding of the true cultural
importance as well as the meaning of African art.

2- The Wall hanging :Hanging is a flexible body in space allows to be dropped to

hang on walls and contain processed fashioning art.
Hanging as a word means a common expression to use
Textiles in other than clothes and use its original purpose
which is hanging , mostly accompanied by a word illustrates
the use place and hanging tybe , so hanging wall means that
hanging dropped on a wall.

Research tools :-

Photoshop CS3 Software.

Internet
Books
Researches

Introduction to Africa
Today, Africa is considered to be the cradle of human ancestry,
from which we may all trace our descent. Based on the evidence
to date, most scientists concur that humankind evolved and
modern humans emerged on the African continent.
Recent discoveries of cultural artifacts dating back 70,000 years
also suggest that the earliest forms of visual expression may be
found in Africa. For many thousands of years, Africans have
contributed to the cultural heritage of the world, creating
masterful works of astonishing innovation and creativity. Africas
rich artistic legacy is the subject of this publication, which is
based on the superb African art collection at The Metropolitan
Museum of Art. The Metropolitans Department of the Arts of
Africa, Oceania, and the Americas historically has focused on the
fi ne arts traditions of sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of works in
the collection relate to historical traditions from western and
central Africa, regions with the highest concentration of fi
gurative sculpture. In recent years, the scope of the collection
has expanded to embrace works from eastern and southern
Africa. Artworks from the African continent are represented in

other collections within the Metropolitan, most notably the

Department of Egyptian Art, but also the Islamic Art,
Contemporary Art, and Photographs departments. The ancient
arts of Egypt are not included in this resource because they are
the subject of another Metropolitan resource for educators.
Finally, while there have been important developments in modern
and contemporary African art since the mid-twentieth century,
this publication focuses on tradition-based genres of African art.

The Role of Visual Expression in Africa

Because many tradition-based African artifacts serve a specific
function,
Westerners sometimes have not regarded them as art. We need
to recognize, however, that the concept of art for arts sake is a
relatively recent invention of the Western world. Prior to the
Renaissance, most art traditions around the world were
considered functional as well as aesthetic. The objects African
artists create, while useful, also embody aesthetic preferences
and may be admired for their form and composition.

1- Aesthetics
Many African societies associate such smooth, finished surfaces
with cultivated refinement.
African aesthetics generally have an ethical or religious basis. An
artwork considered beautiful is often also believed to be good,
in the sense that it exemplifies and upholds moral values.

2- The Human Figure

The human figure is the main subject that traditionally has
engaged African artists. African figurative sculpture usually
departs from natural proportions.
There is often a conceptual basis behind artistic conventions such
as the simplification and exaggeration of the human features. For
example, in many African artworks, the head appears
proportionately larger than the body. This formal emphasis has
symbolic meaning, as the head is believed to have a special role
in guiding ones destiny and success in many African societies.

3- Animals and the Natural World

Animals with special attributessuch as antelopes, snakes,
leopards, and crocodilesare represented in art for symbolic
purposes. For example, the nineteenth-century Fon king Guezo is
represented by a buffalo, an animal signifying strength and

determination, selected as his emblem through fa divination

.Representations of animals consuming other animals
may serve as a metaphor for competing spiritual or social forces .
Their depiction is meant to encourage other, less destructive
means to resolve a difficult social encounter. Features of different
types of animals may also be combined into new forms that
synthesize complex ideas.

4- Masks
Masks are one of the most common forms of art in Africa, playing
an important role in the daily life of a community. Masks are used
for many purposes: to entertain, teach, initiate, honor ancestors,
to mourn, to judge, to celebrate, to worship, or to venerate. They
may be worn for important ceremonies or festivals such as
coming of age, a wedding or funeral, as part of the ritual of secret
societies, at the coronation of kings or chiefs, or to make crops
grow or bring rain. They are also used in healing rituals to drive
away illness and to frighten away evil spirits.

3 basic types:

 Face masks (attached to head by being tied, usually worn in

combination with some kind of headdress).
Shoulder masks (rest on shoulders, often have strips of fiber
at base which conceal wearer's body, often more than 8' tall).
Head mask (covers entire head).

Abstraction and Idealization

Realism or physical resemblance is generally not the goal of the
African artist. Many forms of African art are characterized by their
visual abstraction, or departure from representational accuracy.
Artists interpret human or animal forms creatively through
innovative form and composition. The degree of abstraction can
range from idealized naturalism, as in the cast brass heads of
Benin kings, to more simplified, geometrically conceived forms, as
in the Baga headdress. The decision to create abstract
representations is a conscious one, evidenced by the technical
ability of African artists to create naturalistic art, as seen, for
example, in the art of Ife, in present-day Nigeria.
Idealization is frequently seen in representations of human
beings. Individuals are almost always depicted in the prime of life,
never in old age or poor health. Culturally accepted standards of
moral character and physical beauty are expressed through
formal emphasis. Masks used by the womens Sande society, for
example, present Mende cultural ideals of female beauty. Instead
of a physical likeness, the artist highlights admired features, such
as narrow eyes, a small mouth, carefully braided hair, and a
ringed neck. Idealized images often relate to expected social roles
and emphasize distinctions between male and female. In Bamana
statuary, full breasts and a swelling belly highlight a womans role
as nurturer. At the same time, complementary male and female
pairs of fi gures express the concept of an ideal social unit
through matched gestures, stances, and expressions.

Materials and Techniques

Many tradition-based works of African art are made of perishable
materials and are therefore subject to damage wrought by climate

and insects in Africa. Most artifacts in museums were collected in

the early twentieth century and were generally no older than a
century at that time. For that reason, they have been dated from
the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Unlike Western
art, which places a high value on permanence, many forms of
African art were meant to meet the needs of only the original
patron or even to serve a short-lived function. Importance was
placed on the creative process itself, whether it be art making or
ritual performance. The object itself could be renewed or
replaced.

1- Wood
African sculpture is generally made of wood, an impermanent
material subject to termite or other environmental damage.
Wooden sculptures from Africa in Western collections generally
date no earlier than the late nineteenth century, though some
older objects are known to exist. In arid climates like the western
Sudan, wood sculpture has been preserved for longer periods
(image 4). In such cases, the wood used for the sculpture may be
dated by radiocarbon analysis, a method of calculating the age of
organic materials (such as wood, bone, and shell) based on
measuring the radioactive decay of carbon. This method is useful
only if the artifact is more than 200 years old.
The type of wood chosen by a sculptor is sometimes symbolically
significant and may require ritual preparation. Some Dogon
sculptors, for example, must offer a sacrifice to the spirit of a tree
before using its wood.
Most African wood sculpture is made from a single piece of wood.
Carving in wood (as with stone or ivory) is a subtractive
technique.Some sculptures are smoothed and shined, some
painted with locally made or imported pigments, and others
encrusted with organic and other materials.

2- Ivory
Ivory from elephants holds both material and symbolic value. It is
prized for its physical properties such as strength, density, and

smoothness. The color of ivory is significant in some cultures,

since white is associated with ritual purity and spirituality in
general.
Ivory was generally carved by the same artist who sculpted wood,
using similar techniques. Carvers used a knife or adze and
polished the surface with a rough textured leaf or other abrasive
material. Fresh ivory, from the tusks of recently killed elephants,
was oilier and therefore easier to carve.

3- Stone
While the large-scale stone sculptures of ancient Egypt are well
known, in sub- Saharan Africa stone has not been as widely used
as wood as an artistic medium.
Although many traditions of stone carving have not continued in
the present day, some forms of sculpture are products of more
recent artistic developments.

4- Fiber
In Africa, cloth is made from locally available fibers, including
cotton, wool, silk, raffia palm leaves, and bark, as well as imports
such as rayon.
Pounded bark may have been the earliest form of cloth in Africa
and continues to be produced by some pygmy groups in central
Africa. The other materials are woven on looms. Weaving is done
by both men and women throughout Africa, although methods of
production are generally differentiated by gender.
In western Africa, for example, men weave long, narrow strips of
cloth on a loom that is oriented horizontally. Women produce
broader lengths of woven cloth on a vertical loom. Woven textiles
are decorated using diverse methods, such as dyeing, painting,
stamping, appliqu, embroidery, and printing.

5- Painting

The use of pigment for artistic expression in Africa may date to as

early as
70,000 years ago. Paintings on rock are found throughout the
African continent, the earliest examples in the Saharan region
possibly dating to 8000 B.C.
Historically, artists used naturally derived pigments, such as
ocher and indigo, although today commercially made paints are
also used. Often, certain colors or materials have symbolic value.
For example, white clay, called kaolin, is used widely throughout
Africa, applied on the human body or on artifacts, to signify
spirituality. Paint has become an increasingly popular medium
from the twentieth century to today, especially in the vernacular
sign paintings found throughout western Africa and in the work of
academically trained contemporary artists.

Conclusion
As contemporary African art continues to advance and stir up
debates with regards to classification, appropriation ideology and
concept has become a defining component of modern African art
and art the world over. Works reviewed in this paper and the
experimentation technique of bridging art and design, indicates
that adapting traditional African visual culture (symbols and
scripts) into modern art practice, will lead to a new form of African
hybrid aesthetics. And this new convention, will produce artworks
which are not only culturally oriented, but are contemporary in
form and content. Therefore, adaptation and appropriation in
hybrid aesthetics are creative conventions of reinvention which in
the process leads to modern innovations thus indicating the new
direction for which modern African art (sculpture, textiles,
painting, graphics, printmaking, ceramics etc) can digest western
art culture within African rich traditional culture to create a new
artistic and creative identity which will stand out like traditional
abstractionism of pre-colonial Africa revered the world over.

Finally, adopting such hybrid appropriative techniques will accord

modern African artists an original and dominant voice in global art
worlds and market for which at the moment many seem frozen
out based on their overarching mimesis of western art leading to
the dismissal of their art as inauthentic prototypes and fakes by
western Eurocentric hegemonies.