‘Primitive art’ is a rather indefinite term that refers to the cultural artifacts acquired from the ethnic groups that were deemed ‘backward’ or ‘uncivilized’ by western standards. The term came to use after the Age of Discovery, in the 15th century in Europe and had a clear ethnocentric undertone, that is, the perspective from which the art and artifacts of these cultural and ethnic groups were labeled ‘primitive’ was ridden with preconceptions and a Eurocentric bias. This means that this classification was a reflection of a Christian-Caucasian worldview.
What Constitutes Primitive Art?
Tribal Art: This term is used to classify the traditional artworks and crafts of indigenous people from the tribal societies of Africa, India, Australia, the Americas, and the South Pacific and Indonesia region.
- Aboriginal Rock Art: It is one of the oldest stone age art forms on Earth with its origin in Australia.
- Oceanic Art: The term is used to refer to the artworks and crafts produced by Indigenous natives from the ‘Oceania’ region, which denotes a wide region that includes the Australian continent, the New Guinea island, and a variety of smaller islands between the New Guinea and South America region.
It is also called Pacific art because all of these islands are on the surface of the pacific ocean and feature a range of diverse art and craft forms due to the distance between these regions and distinct cultural heritage.
- African or Sub-Saharan Art: It is used to refer to art and artifacts with the lineage of the native African tribal and ethnic groups.
Primitivism
The art that was labeled or tagged as ‘Primitive’ featured motifs, forms, designs, and patterns that were markedly different from those of European artists and sculptors. These designs and motifs were characterized by a unique artistic and visual appeal that moved and inspired European artists in the latter half of the 19th century.
The European artworks which were marked by Primitive motifs and designs were, therefore, began to be classified under the umbrella of the term ‘Primitivism’. The movement inspired great artists such as Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso to produce timeless masterpieces like Oviri or The Savage Woman and Baboon and Young.
