Module Ten Video Response

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

• I chose to review the following videos; African Art  and African Art: Legacy of Oppression. I chose to review these two videos because I did not know much about the subject, African Art is not something I am familiar with and I wanted to know more. 

• In the first video, African Art, I learned that art really is a part of everyday life in Africa and creative expression can be found throughout many facets of daily life including in architecture, hair, clothing, traditional rituals etc. Statues, Masks and other objects displayed in Museums were once used in ceremonies. Many of these objects were made of materials like wood and straw, which are susceptible to deterioration, meaning that older and nicely preserved artifacts are hard to come by, nevertheless many of the forms are handed down from generation to generation. Some were preserved with much more durable materials and can give us an in depth history. In dryer regions of Africa with less humidity, much older artifacts may be found on stone for example (which may feature drawings of animals). African Art peaked the interests of Europeans, who found it exotic and different to their realistic portrayals and expressions of creativity, however in this interest they misinterpreted the art and characterized it as something childish and primitive, which was not true and is a misjudgment of their culture. While European Art is deeply rooted in the perceptual, African Art is mostly conceptual. There really is a great diversity to the art found in Africa. 

• In the second video, African Art: Legacy of Oppression, it began by showcasing some pieces on display at the Tervuren Museum in Belgium, which holds the world's largest collection of Central African Art, over 250,000 pieces. Belgium previously held territory in Central Africa during the age of Colonization. King Leopold, the ruler of Belgium during its reign in Africa, led a bloody rule slaughtering almost half of the native population there. A criticism of the museum is that there is no mention of this along with the art. 

• I found the information on the Art of Africa in the book and the videos to be very complementary to each other. They both helped to supplement my knowledge on a topic I knew little of previously. The first video helped with my understanding of  the fundamental characteristics of African Art. The second video discussed African Art is association with historical and contemporary issues such as culture grabbing and colonialism.