Overview of the Collection
This online African art collection explores the many boundaries within African art and African culture.
This collection first explores the boundaries between the visual and the verbal. Different societies in Africa deal with the verbal and the visual in many different ways. The objects chosen for this exhibit explores how the visual crosses over the verbal boundary to communicate meaning through the aesthetic image.
The boundary between this world and the spirit world is prevalent throughout all societies in Africa. The African peoples have a strong connection with the Spirit World and often look to the spirits and their deceased ancestors for help and guidance. These objects are used to cross over the boundary between this world and the Spirit World. Explore the objects and view a clip of one of the objects being used to cross this boundary.
Next, the collection looks at people within the societies and the interactions between them. This exhibit defines the boundaries between men and women, and also the boundaries between adults and children. Each group has a specific role within the communities and the boundaries between them are clearly defined. Explore these two galleries and learn how these groups of people live within their designated roles and how each group effects the other.
The last boundary this exhibit explores is the boundary between Christianity and African Spirituality. When Christian Missionaries arrived in Africa they worked hard to convert the African people to Christianity. Often these Missionaries were successful, however in many cases African societies blurred the boundary between their Spirituality and the new Christian ideas. The objects in this gallery are examples of the cross culturalization of these religions.
Please take your time and look around our collection. Feel free to leave any feedback or remarks about our collection.
Thank you,
Karla K. Flattery
University of Northern Iowa
Art History, Arts of Africa, Fall 2011
This collection first explores the boundaries between the visual and the verbal. Different societies in Africa deal with the verbal and the visual in many different ways. The objects chosen for this exhibit explores how the visual crosses over the verbal boundary to communicate meaning through the aesthetic image.
The boundary between this world and the spirit world is prevalent throughout all societies in Africa. The African peoples have a strong connection with the Spirit World and often look to the spirits and their deceased ancestors for help and guidance. These objects are used to cross over the boundary between this world and the Spirit World. Explore the objects and view a clip of one of the objects being used to cross this boundary.
Next, the collection looks at people within the societies and the interactions between them. This exhibit defines the boundaries between men and women, and also the boundaries between adults and children. Each group has a specific role within the communities and the boundaries between them are clearly defined. Explore these two galleries and learn how these groups of people live within their designated roles and how each group effects the other.
The last boundary this exhibit explores is the boundary between Christianity and African Spirituality. When Christian Missionaries arrived in Africa they worked hard to convert the African people to Christianity. Often these Missionaries were successful, however in many cases African societies blurred the boundary between their Spirituality and the new Christian ideas. The objects in this gallery are examples of the cross culturalization of these religions.
Please take your time and look around our collection. Feel free to leave any feedback or remarks about our collection.
Thank you,
Karla K. Flattery
University of Northern Iowa
Art History, Arts of Africa, Fall 2011