Description
Book SynopsisA concise, accessible and up-to-date overview of the arts of Africa from prehistoric times to the present day. This indispensable introductory guide explores the art of the African continent from its early origins over 150,000 years ago to the contemporary, set in the context of post-colonial debates, the restitution of cultural objects and artefacts, and the challenges of the present. This enormous and complex field of study, once under-appreciated by the Western art world, is now of global importance and an essential subject of education in art history. For ease of reference and analysis, this indispensable guide is structured chronologically into manageable and meaningful chapters covering ancient art, the Middle Ages, travel and trade, encounters with Europe in the age of exploration, the colonial era, the rebuilding of the continent in recent times, and contemporary art. It addresses core, continent-wide themes in African visual and cultural expression, from the life-cycle
Trade Review'Highly engaging, entertaining, and delightfully instructive … a must read for any of us seeking to explore the unique ways of seeing emerging from the continent to which each of us can trace our ancestry' - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
'A visually stunning and long-overdue global historical treatment of African art from the entire continent. Its carefully curated images and daring insights take us into comparative realms that encourage greater familiarity with the many themes and changing character of African artistic expression over time. Brava!' - Dr. Candice Goucher, Professor Emerita of History, Washington State University
'Suzanne Preston Blier highlights the extraordinary richness of Africa’s visual culture … I applaud the extraordinary artists and creativity featured here' - King Aderemi Adedapo (Yoruba, Nigeria); Convener General, Council of Traditional African Leaders
'Blier’s breadth and depth of knowledge affords a timely introduction … at its heart are highpoints of the dazzling artistry that reflect unparalleled cultural dynamism that has flourished across the continent' - Alisa LaGamma, Pulitzer curator for Arts of Africa and Curator in Charge of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
