module #10 African and Islamic Art

   I chose the two film "African Art Legacy o oppression" and "Islamic Art: Africa and Central Asia" because I realize how little information had been shared about the continent of Africa in my educational experience and this was an opportunity to learn more. African art is one with nature, incomplete and meant to growyh organically with the people. Masks made of wood, mosques made of mud, pyramids made of earthen materials all intended to last until being reclaimed by nature from whence it came. Dirt, rock minerals, wood were main mediums for art and architecture in Africa. Much of the art was iconographic and pleasing to the eyes. Most of the art did not survive long periods of time because of the medium that was used for it  and as a result of the environment in which it was preserved. Perceptual art was based on artist interpretation while conceptual art flowed from the artists imagination. Africa is a large and diverse continent where masks, art and architecture tell a story about various cultures. Elements of traditional art was emphasized and passed through generation which kept ancient practices relevant with added improvements. Much of the African art was created to harness the human spirit. Ancestral spirits are important to the art and often included the art in ritual ceremonies. The Islamic art which came later during the middle ages demonstrated the reach and influence of Islam during the development of the Renaissance period in Europe and northeast Africa stretching from the Ottoman empire, through the Euphrates valley, down to Sub-Saharan Africa, and east to the outer regions of Russian including the Timurid and the Mughal empires. This diversity under one Islamic influence over time was a catalyst for connections in art, religion, architecture, and culture. This connection influenced community planning, and social ties such as how minarets and domes were constructed across these cultures. No ugliness or problems were illustrated in islamic art only beauty and peace. How the artists feel about life is unimportant and unlike western artists preoccupation with self, the only thing that mattered in Islamic art is extolling the beauty of the almighty and the glorious creation of nature. The videos which I viewed directly correlates to the reading assignment and additionally reminds us of the lessons that we have been studying throughout all of the preceding chapters of the text. The inextricable connection between art and the development of an advanced and civilized societies the world over. A main theme of these lessons illustrate the movement away from iconic art in Islam when compared to their western counterparts in Europe. In Islam the artists for the beauty that was everything that wasn’t human or animated including geometric designs and the art of writing. The architectural designs seemed to invoke our connections to the universe and the circle of life.