ANTH 210 Chapter 15 Review
In his ethnography African Art in Transit (1994), anthropologist Christopher Steiner traces the social life of African art such as wood carvings and clay figurines as they pass through various hands from creators to consumers through Abidjan, the main port city of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa. Place each group in the correct place in the chain of manufacture, distribution, and consumption.
Artisan workshop -> Street traders -> Street hawkers, western tourists, fine art galleries
Artistic expression is used in many ways in many different cultures. However, common threads are often found between very different creative forms of expression. What is the commonality between rara bands in Haiti and the dances of young women living in homeless shelters in Detroit?
Both are marginalized groups protesting inequality through artistic expression.
Imagine that you are a curator of a prestigious fine art gallery who believes in the idea of a universal art aesthetic and the universal gaze. Identify the ways that you would likely choose to display works of art in the gallery.
Correct Answer(s) Pieces of art would be accompanied by title, date, and name of artist. Pieces of art would be displayed on white bare walls. Incorrect Answer(s) Pieces of art would correspond to audio listening guides where the history of the time during the piece's creation would be discussed in detail. Pieces of art would be displayed along with an explanation of the artist's background.
When analyzing art and culture, anthropologists discuss different types of gazes, or ways of viewing and thinking about artwork. Identify which of these statements describe the idea of the universal gaze and which describe the photographic gaze.
Describes Universal Gaze embodies an idea with which anthropologists disagree an intrinsic way of perceiving art that informs whether people think something is art or not Describes Photographic Gaze studied by anthropologists Lutz and Collins in National Geographic photographs the presumed neutral viewpoint of the camera that in fact projects the perspective of the person behind the camera
Identify the following purposes of ethnographic film as distinctive to contemporary ethnographic film or characteristic of both classic and contemporary ethnographic film.
Distinctive Purpose of Contemporary Ethnographic Film: to portray a web of relationships between humans, environments, and globalization to show local communities in global contexts Characteristic of Both Contemporary and Ethnographic Film: to demonstrate how images can be useful for ethnographic analysis mastering available visual technologies for use in ethnographic research
Many West African art traders have migrated to the United States, particularly New York City, in order to sell West African art of "wood" (carved statues and masks) and "mud" (clay figurines). The hub is a building in New York City called The Warehouse, shown in the image, where thousands of West African objects are stored before they are distributed across the city and country. Identify the effects of this long-distance trade.
Effect of West African Art Trade in U.S. West African production of art has changed. Western cultural ideas about art and beauty have changed. West African art traders improve their economic circumstances. Not an Effect of West African Art Trade in U.S. Western ideas about authenticity have changed.
Anthropologist Kyra Gaunt focused on the study of music and culture, which is called ______. She described how girls use hand-slapping, foot-stomping, and singing to create a musical expression that does not rely on musical instruments. _____ is her term for music that combines body movement and voice. She concludes that black music is not rooted in _______, but in ______.
Ethnomusicology Kinetic orality Biology enculturation
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, many organizations in the United States began arranging Middle Eastern art exhibits or events in an attempt to increase cross-cultural understanding to counter anti-Muslim rhetoric. Identify the types of Middle Eastern art that U.S. art events and exhibits usually displayed.
Example of Middle Eastern Art Usually Displayed in U.S. historical art focusing on Islam's past achievements art created by Middle Eastern women music and rituals of Sufiism Not an Example of Middle Eastern Art Usually Displayed in U.S. graphic art from contemporary Islamic publications political cartoons critical of the United States or Israel
True or false National Geographic magazine has consistently displayed a neutral viewpoint about key historical events in human history in an attempt to show that all people are the same, no matter their cultural background.
False
Compare and contrast the differences or similarities between fine art and popular art by placing each description in the correct place on the diagram.
Fine Art: associated with cultural elites mainly found in museums, theaters, and galleries Popular Art: associated with the general population mainly found on the street or radio, and in movie theaters Both: influences culture type of creative expression and communication
In her ethnography The Games Black Girls Play (2006), ethnomusicologist Kyra Gaunt analyzes the schoolyard songs and games created and performed by young black girls. Identify whether or not the following are conclusions she reached.
Gaunt's Conclusion Girls' games create kinetic orality. Black girls' games are an important part of enculturation and identity formation for young black girls. Not Gaunt's Conclusion Commercial hip-hop invents songs and vocal patterns, and girls imitate them. The unique movement and rhythm in black girls' games is due to genetic sharing across generations.
what term does Arjun Appadurai use to refer to the global cultural flows o media and visual images that enable linkages and communication across boundaries?
Global mediascape
Why did Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins analyze the photographic gaze of National Geographic magazines?
It allowed for an exploration of how visual images can influence cultural perspectives and reader behaviors.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, early anthropologists helped set up ethnographic museums displaying indigenous art and cultural artifacts. During this time, modernist European artists also began incorporating indigenous themes into their work. Identify the problematic ways that indigenous art was represented in museums in the early twentieth century.
Problematic: Museums tended to display art from other cultures without reference to its original context or meaning. Art and objects displayed in ethnographic museums were acquired during colonial encounters. Art and objects were displayed in museums as examples of "primitive" art. Not Problematic: Indigenous artwork was displayed only in fine art museums.
Identify the location of the earliest known example of human artistic expression.
South Africa
Anthropologists of art examine existing art forms and their interactions with society, but also how particular Western concepts shape what many people consider to be art. Identify the traditional Western assumptions about art that anthropologists challenge in their work.
Western Assumptions About Art that Anthropologists Challenge the qualitative differences between Western art and "primitive" art the idea of a universal art aesthetic the distinction between fine art and popular art Not Western Assumptions About Art that Anthropologists Challenge the analysis of art within each cultural context
Identify the statements that a contemporary anthropologist would be likely to make about art.
Art can both challenge and reinforce dominant ways of thinking. Art is present in everyday life. Art is created and received. Not an Anthropological View on Art Art has intrinsic value across cultures.
Cross-cultural research leads anthropologists to argue that across different cultures, the appreciation of art is acquired through what social vector?
Enculturation
Fill in the blanks to complete the passage. ________ explores the production, circulation, and consumption of visual images, focusing on the power of visual representation to influence culture. In an age of globalization, this field studies the _____________, which helps enable communication across boundaries.
Visual Anthropology ; Global mediascape
The art traders of Côte d'Ivoire actively engage in the construction of
authenticity.
Anthropologist Jessica Winegar analyzed the way in which Middle Eastern art is normally presented in art galleries and events in the United States, with only certain types of "good" Middle Eastern art selected for exhibition. Identify the image that shows this type of art.
(Click) Two people looking at a painting
In Reading National Geographic (1993), anthropologists Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins analyzed the photographic gaze of the famous and influential U.S. magazine between the years 1950-1986. Identify the view of the world that the magazine provided to its mainly white, middle-class readers.
View of the World Shown by National Geographic All people and cultures are similar despite seemingly outward differences. The world is fundamentally doing well. National Geographic readers and their country help the world. Not a view All people worldwide struggle against power structures.
Anthropologists take a unique approach to studying art and culture. Identify the ways anthropologists study art.
Way Anthropologists Study Art Anthropologists study the way art connects to social norms and values. Anthropologists study the history behind pieces of art. Not a Way Anthropologists Study Art Anthropologists study the individual genius of fine artists. Anthropologists study art for its intrinsic value.
Creative expression and communication often associated with cultural elites is considered
fine art
Place the descriptions of art on the timeline in the order of when they first appeared.
400,000-300,000 years ago decorated bones and stone tools found in Afric 100,000 years ago painter's workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa 32,000 - 12,000 years ago cave paintings in France and Spain
In her ethnography The Games Black Girls Play (2006), ethnomusicologist Kyra Gaunt analyzes the schoolyard songs and games created and performed by young black girls. Which of the following is a conclusion she reached?
Black girls' games are an important part of enculturation and identity formation for young black girls
In a globalized world, locally produced art takes on new meaning and contexts, often accomplishing unexpected goals. Identify the statements that accurately describe local art.
Describes Local Art: Local art challenges ideas about the universal art aesthetic. Local art provides a means of economic growth. Local art challenges social structures. Does Not Describe Local Art: Local art challenges a community's cultural identity.
Identify the examples of indigenous media.
Example of Indigenous Media: a film created by a small village in China to share a local festival with villagers living abroad a group of refugees make a film about their journey Not an Example of Indigenous Media: photographs taken by National Geographic photographers showing traditional indigenous festivals worldwide the ethnographic film Nanook of the North focusing on the Inuit people of Canada
The author states that Chinese immigrants he had never met recognized him on the streets of New York. How was this possible?
He was filmed in a festival video in China that was later viewed by immigrants in New York.
Which population made up the majority of the 40 million readers of National Geographic at its peak?
Middle-class white people
The presumed neutral viewpoint of the camera that in fact projects the perspective of the person behind the camera onto human nature, the natural world, and history is the ________ gaze.
Photographic
Select the highlighted passages that represent accurate descriptions of Morrinho. Morrinho (Little Hill) has several meanings. First, it is a favela, or shantytown, in Brazil where real people live. Secondly, it is a simulation of the real shantytown, made by children from bricks and scraps. Thirdly, it is a digital landscape, a setting for a videogame that was developed by teenagers in Morrinho. Anthropologist Alessandro Angelini has studied ways in which Morrinho has developed significance in both the play world and the real world, on a global level.
a favela, or shantytown, in Brazil where real people live a simulation of the real shantytown, made by children from bricks and scraps. as developed significance in both the play world and the real world, on a global level.
Imagine that you are a West African trader trying to sell a piece of African art to a Western art collector who is visiting Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Which item would you likely be able to sell at the highest price?
a wooden carved figure that though dirty and imperfect seems authentic to Western buyers
What is Art
all ideas, forms, techniques, and strategies that humans employ to express themselves creatively and to communicate their creativity and inspiration to others
What kind of anthropologist would study the trends in boy band culture and their fans from the 1990s until today?
ethnomusicologist
Art in Western traditions is often associated with notions of what kind of culture?
high
The use of media by people who have experienced massive economic, political, and geographic disruption to build alternative strategies for communication, survival, and empowerment is referred to as
indigenous media.
Anthropologist Kyra Gaunt explored the enculturation process of schoolyard play through black girls' songs and games. What is the term that Gaunt uses for the activity shown in the image?
kinetic orality
Jessica Winegar studied post-9/11 attempts by institutions to bridge cultural differences with art. What category did she find was rarely featured at the exhibits designed to improve relations?
male artists
What form of technology emerged in the late twentieth century as a dominant form of global communication, impacting art and art production?
the Internet
Ethnomusicologists would most likely study
the use of playground rhymes by U.S. rap artists.
Although archaeologists are not sure about the exact use or meaning of Paleolithic cave paintings in France and Spain, or in the painter's workshop found in Blombos Cave, South Africa, these finds are still very important to our understanding of human history and art. Why are these early forms of art important?
they show capacity for symbolic thought
Although they are unsure of what the pigments were used for, archaeologists found enough evidence to conclude that the inhabitants of the Blombos Cave
understood chemical reactions and had a complex social organization.
An intrinsic way of perceiving art—thought by many in the Western art world to be found across cultures—that informs what people consider to be art or not art is the ________ gaze.
universal
Fine art
creative expression and communication often associated with cultural elites
