Tag Archive | "About"

When racism masks racism, should we be worried about future Presidential elections?


Obama supporters will throw that word around at ANY disagreement with Obama. I stated that the Global Poverty Act bill that Obama sponsors to give 845 billion dollars to poversed nations, which we all know is mainly the countries in Africa, and we have poverty here we NEVER have been able to fix. Then they call me a racist and a bigot for KNOWING this won’t help the US, and for KNOWING the money will end up in a lot of warlords pockets to supply weapons. This is racism covering up their own racism. Is this the future of voting in America when a African American runs for President? I’m all for it, just a well qualified one is all I ask.
It doesn’t work like that cannon, the govenrment we give it to gets it, it’s not given directly to the people.

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Questions about Guinea Africa?


Need help.
1. What music is prevalent withing this country?
2. Are there any tribes that are present and live in that country? If so, name them and explain the hierarchy and customs.
3 Are there any famous art forms that come from your country? {quilting, masks, etc.}
4. Who are some famous/historical figures/people that come from your country? Please explain, who they are and why they are important?

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Art & Painting : About Picasso’s African Art



Picasso created art influenced by African masks, such as his early controversial cubist piece, Les Demoiselles de Avignon, which depicts several women in a brothel wearing African masks. Understand Picasso’s influential works with information from an experienced artist in this free video on art. Expert: Koorosh Angali Contact: www.angali.com Bio: Dr. Koorosh Angali is an accomplished scholar, poet, musician, actor and performance artist. Filmmaker: Todd Green
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About African Art


Though many casual observers tend to generalize “traditional” African art, the continent is full of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African Diasporas, such as the art of African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa.

* Emphasis on the human figure: The human figure has always been a the primary subject matter for most African art, and this emphasis even influenced certain European traditions. For example in the fifteenth century Portugal traded with the Sapi culture near the Ivory Coast in West Africa, who created elaborate ivory saltcellars that were hybrids of African and European designs, most notably in the addition of the human figure (the human figure typically did not appear in Portuguese saltcellars). The human figure may symbolize the living or the dead, may reference chiefs, dancers, or various trades such as drummers or hunters, or even may be an anthropomorphic representation of a god or have other votive function. Another common theme is the inter-morphosis of human and animal.

* Visual abstraction: African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks generalize stylistic norms. Ancient Egyptian art, also usually thought of as naturalistic depiction, makes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual canons, especially in painting, as well as the use of different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted.

* Nonlinear scaling: Often a small part of an African design will look similar to a larger part, such as the diamonds at different scales in the Kasai pattern at right. Louis Senghor, Senegal’s first president, referred to this as “dynamic symmetry.” William Fagg, the British art historian, compared it to the logarithmic mapping of natural growth by biologist D’Arcy Thompson. More recently it has been described in terms of fractal geometry.

* Emphasis on sculpture: African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over two-dimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paintings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture.

* Emphasis on performance art: An extension of the utilitarianism and three-dimensionality of traditional African art is the fact that much of it is crafted for use in performance contexts, rather than in static ones. For example, masks and costumes very often are used in communal, ceremonial contexts, where they are “danced.” Most societies in Africa have names for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the sculpture, but also the meanings of the mask, the dance associated with it, and the spirits that reside within. In African thought, the three cannot be differentiated.

Our art gallery is http://africanpaintingsgallery.com This site is a new project of http://websitedesignkenya.com Our prices are NEVER fixed. Our mission is to promote east African art.

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Masked Lovebirds – Revealing The Truth About Different Masked Lovebirds Species


The masked lovebirds specie is eminent lovebirds which have originated from Africa. They have different mutations. This variety is likewise identified as black-masked species. Despite their masked face, they have vivid colorations that makes lovebird enthusiasts become fond of them. Experts say that they are quieter than other lovebird species and varieties although they still have that playful nature in them.

Masked lovebirds have different color mutations and adding to their beauty is the characteristic body designs which make these creatures unique and identifiable. They are notable for their masked face with the mutation that is best seen in the bodies. A familiar variety of them is the blue and the green mutations. On the other hand, there are rare varieties in the form of the slate or dark blue and the cobalt or the medium blue. These lovebirds can grow to about six inches long.

It is common for the masked lovebirds to be small in size. They carry a green plumage with brownish and blackish heads as well as a golden collar encircling their necks. They have yellowish throat and upper breast area along with a cast in reddish-orange shade. They also have bluish rum feathers and upper tail that also have uneven orange and black markings in them. They have dark brown eyes enclosed by a ring. The female masked lovebird is bigger than their male counterpart.

Masked lovebirds are among the eye-ring lovebird species including Nyasa, Fischer’s and the black-cheeked lovebirds. This variety is mainly identified as eye-ring species because of the noticeable ring around their eyes. They can interbreed since they are openly related although they are diverse species. Even so, it is recommended to separate a species from the others to sustain their innate appearance.

They have originated from the Africa continent, specifically from Northeastern Tanzania. Normally, masked lovebirds inhabit arid regions with trees and bushes which have nearby water. The masked lovebird could be a fine beginner bird being plausibly resilient, a willing breeder, easy to sustain and is inexpensive.

Masked lovebirds are smart, good-natured and witty animals; characteristics that really appeal to people who are looking for pets. They are also very sociable and are passionate for a company, one reason why they are usually raised with one more lovebird species. Because when are raised alone, it may bring in some undesirable characteristics that usually results because they may call for more attention.

Do You Want To Know How To Take Care Of Your Lovebird & Build Great Friendship With Your Bird? Discover more information about Masked Lovebirds, visit Lovebirds Care.

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Know About Traditional African Art


When most people think of traditional African art, the beautiful and elaborate masks usually come to mind. While the African masks are a large part of the art from this continent they only represent a small part of the widely diverse types of work. Traditional African art varies in its composition, religious or social meaning, and types of materials used from region to region. In addition to being an art form rich in culture and beauty, African art has influenced modern art in a number of important ways.

Not only was traditional African art created to express emotion and cultural issues, in some cases it was made to be useful. Craftsmen and artisans often made things of great beauty to be functional as well. It wasn’t uncommon for an artist to make amazing textile products that often became ceremonial clothing or to be made into sacred pouches for various religious occasions. Artists also worked as tailors and seamstresses, as others specialized in weaving and spinning. Depending on the need and the talent of artist’s, creating ornamental and functional pottery fell to those who worked with metal, clay, and wood. These African artists in the Diaspora created a division of traditional African art all their own.

Masks aren’t the only art form to be worn in ceremonial practices either. Many African artists were called on to create other types of pieces for ceremonies. Some of the ceremonies in which traditional black African art was worn were harvest, and rain ceremonies, as well as wedding celebrations and New Year festivals. This art took form in breastplates and special jewelry. Most of these objects were made of wood or metal. When not in use, these magnificent works of art were carefully stored and treated with a near religious fervor.

Like most societies, those in positions of power were gifted with some of the most spectacular of the traditional African art. An example of this preferential treatment can be seen in Kente cloth. This cloth was woven specifically for the political leaders of the Ashanti state. The cloth was always brightly colored and had gold thread interwoven into the pattern. In other regions, court artists were commissioned to create sculpture of wood, metal, or clay to pay homage to the royal family and important officials. Today these works are useful in learning more about ancient African culture before colonization took place.

It would be difficult to overlook the masks that came from Africa. The exaggerated eyes and facial expressions of these masks are known throughout the world. This form of traditional African art work was created with feathers and other small items of cultural significance. The construction was usually bronze, wood, or other metals.

Traditional African art is one of the most influential and copied art forms. It has captured the imagination and admiration of modern artists for generations. It teaches of a culture long gone, of traditions forgotten, and proves that ancient Africans had a vital, civilized society before Europeans colonized its shores. Traditional African art is an amazing example of well-made, meaningful artwork.

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and a Master of Fine Art degree in Painting from The Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, USA.

One of Africa’s most celebrated and renowned artists, Mr. Ogundipe has exhibited extensively in Africa, Europe and the USA. His African oil paintings have been described as hypnotic, colorful and densely patterned.

In 1996, Mr. Ogundipe was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Fellowship. And in 2005 he was invited to become a member of Africobra, an organization founded in the 1960s and whose membership comprises of distinguished African-American artists.

Find and buy art online from Moyo Ogundipe at www.Maigida.com.

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is experienced in Traditional African Art, Modern African American Art . He has done many African Paintings and aftican art.Buy African paintings Online

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Learn About African Masks


African art is all the rage now and masks are a great way to decorate a room in your home with an African motif. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and vary widely in terms of the amount of money you can spend on them. If all you want is some nice looking African masks to decorate your walls with and aren’t interested in getting into collecting rare or antique masks then you can do this with surprising little cash outlay.

There is a wide variety of styles of African masks and each one tells a different story and also different tribes have their own style of carving that they use when they carve out masks. It will help you to study the subject a little before you start buying African masks so you can familiarize yourself with them a little bit as there are so many to choose from.

If you have very young children that live in your home then you really should show them pictures of them and familiarize them with them somewhat before you go hanging them all over your place, because to a very young child they can be somewhat frightening particularly when it is dark. They come in a wide variety of colors and you might bear this in mind when you are selecting your masks because you can use them to decorate your home in a color coordinated fashion.

You don’t need to travel to Africa to procure African masks because you can locate them easily online as there are a number of sources that have a wide variety for you to select from. If you are going to buy an expensive collectors grade African mask you want to make sure that it is authentic as there are so many African masks on the market now. ç

Written by Justin Khalid. Find the latest information on african masks as well as african tribal art

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African Tribal Art- All About Beauty and Simplicity


Art plays an important role in the lives of the various tribal communities of Africa. Starting from birth to death, every occasion of human life is represented in some form of art. This universalism of African tribal art makes it popular even in the midst of an art world dominated by renowned contemporary artists in a highly modernised and urban society.

Tribal art is manifested in various forms such as original paintings, jewellery, masks or pottery items. The uniqueness of African tribal art lies in the fact that it has a unique significance and is not intended simply as an item of beautification.

African masks, statues and original paintings have an inherent meaning and every possible step is taken by contemporary artists of African tribal art to keep that essence alive for future generations. The beauty and simplicity of this ethnic art form compels many people to build their own private collections of art pieces.

However, you need both time and money if you are passionate about collecting these pieces. Collecting rare African art crafts can be fulfilling and challenging. Here are some valuable tips for African tribal art collectors:

Analyze the piece

If you are buying an item of art from a museum, you can check the finer details of it then and there. If you are buying from any online art gallery, make sure you are dealing with a reputed gallery with genuine credentials. During delivery check the piece properly. That would also help you to find out whether it has been well cared for or not.

Ethnical provenance

It is important to know the ethnical provenance of the art piece as there is a lot of difference between the art forms of various regions. Moreover, depending upon the region, the art of different tribes come in different price ranges.

Lineage

Tribal art is as old as the civilisation. The older the art piece, the higher is its value in the market. For instance, to purchase an African tribal art piece that dates back to the thirties, you would need to do a lot of research and pay a much higher price.

Maintenance

To keep the glory of any tribal art piece intact for a long duration, it needs proper maintenance. Always remember that extensive restoration at times leads to the decrease in the value of a particular piece.

The ‘Rare’ factor

All tribal art collectors have a desire to possess some rare art pieces in their collections. For finding an authentic, collectable-quality rare piece of art, you need to have an eye for quality and scarcity. Finding a rare piece is not that easy but if you search properly, you can come across some such pieces.

Dimension

Tribal art pieces come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. If you are a true lover of art, size must not matter to you much. What actually should matter is the rarity of the art piece and its quality aspect.

Auction prices

At auctions, buyers many a time bid on emotions which sometimes leads to a much higher price for a particular piece. In reality, the particular piece may not actually be of such high value. Higher prices do not necessarily guarantee superior quality. In that respect, buying from an art gallery, either online or offline saves you from the rigours of bidding and the price tag is also realistic.

African tribal art pieces are definitely a collector’s item. If you want to add some pieces to your collection, browse around reputed galleries and keep in mind these above mentioned tips.

Tony Chalmers is a travel journalist who has written many insightful articles on African paintings which have been published in newspapers, magazines and web mags. He is also a collector and a proud owner of some beautiful original paintings of Africa which he picked up from an online art gallery.

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