Non western art evolution from artifact to artwork: : how has the reception of African art within the context of western art history over the last 100 years affected non-western artists in developing their own post-colonial voice on the world stage? (original) (raw)

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This paper explores the evolution of non-Western art, particularly African art, within the context of Western art history over the last century. It delves into the frameworks established by Orientalism and colonial narratives that have historically defined and constrained non-Western artists, leading to the development of a post-colonial voice. Through critical examination of artists like Wifredo Lam and Pascale Marthine Tayou, the paper highlights individual struggles with identity and cultural hybridity, reflecting on the ongoing impact of Western perception and representation of African art.

Orientalism and Its Critics

How do we study the history and culture of a people unknown to ourselves without projecting our own values and views upon them? The goal of this class is to problematize the possibility and the means through which westerners have depicted and imagined non-westerners, thus the term "orientalism." Orientalism comprises a wide range of historical, social, literary, and popular writings as well as other forms of artistic production (painting, photography, films) that sought to uncover the essential features of non-Western civilizations, particularly in the Middle East and the continent of Asia. In its textual form, Orientalism was based on the study of original texts, which were assumed to be representative of the essence of these civilizations. Exoticizing the Orient through visual (pornographic) depiction was another aspect of Orientalism. Although we can trace the fascination with the Orient to ancient times, this class will focus primarily on the historical period of the expansion of modern Europe since the time of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. Linking Orientalism to the project of the Enlightenment serves historical and epistemological purposes. The historical and epistemological significance of Orientalism lies on the one hand in its particular way of dealing with the alien and construction of "the other", and on the other hand, in its institutional relation with European colonialism and imperialism.

‘Faut-Il Brûler L’Orientalisme?’

Cultural Dynamics , 2004

This article discusses the specificity of French Orientalism on North Africa and shows how in its divide and rule policy, French colonialism constructed a discourse that opposes the Oriental Arab to the European Berber. It argues that French Orientalism, the bulk of knowledge that has been built in the context of colonization, though it has changed through time, continues to operate today both in the discourse of the former colonized and that of the former colonizer. In addition, the article draws the attention to the important fact that knowledge is not only a means of control and governance for the colonial machine, but it also contains categories by which imaginaries are shaped and colonial relations and attitudes are perpetuated.

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