BY MULUGETA GUDETA
There is a big museum in Dakar Senegal where the works of Pablo Picasso Spanish artistic genius of the 20th century are exposed for viewers and visitors. The museum contains some of the most important, though less known, works of the Spanish painter whose interest in African arts was triggered by the famous African masks, wood carvings and other artistic works that served him both as sources of inspiration and meditations.
Picasso is often described a cubist painter although he was not the originator of that artistic movement known by this name. He nevertheless made a big impact with his artistic innovations and even combined cubism and African Art to great artistic effects. But what is cubism? The Wikipedia Encyclopedia describes cubism as, “an early -20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from a single viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context.[1] Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century.”
As many of us know, Pablo Picasso was not only a painter famed for his immortal works like Guernica, a masterpiece he painted in memory of the Spanish town of Guernica that was devastated by the fascists during the Spanish civil war and the Demoiselles D’ Avignon, another masterpiece about a group of nude prostitutes on a Spanish beach that was described by art critics as both “tragic and aesthetic” and a culmination of his development as an artist until the time that he discovered African Art.
We also know that Picasso had a particular attraction towards women subjects, and nude pictures detailing their physical features. Some writers consider Picasso a womanizer who used his lovers in his paintings. He also had several wives and lovers who posed for him and from whom he had children.
Leaving Picasso’s personal tastes aside, because this is not his most interesting aspect of his life, one can focus on the vast arrays of art works he left behind after his death in 1979. His works are so diverse and so original that he has become a perennial inspiration on many generations of painters in almost all parts of the world. In Africa, Picasso is famous for his relationship with African Art.
What is African Art? How did Picasso come to discover it?Picasso is known to be a very innovative artist who did not want to remain imprisoned within the traditional European artistic conventions. When it comes to his shift to African Art, it was largely the reflection of Picasso’s urge to discover new forms, colors and structure and integrate it with European artistic conventions in order to create original works. “African Art is much different in use from its Western Art counterparts. Western Art is used to decorate walls and can be studied for its perspective, lines, symmetry and many other artistic forms. African Art was used as an integral part of the society’s rituals, dances and ceremonies.”
It would be relevant at this point to consider the nature or characteristics of African Art which includes “ innovation of form—i.e., the concern on the part of the African artist with innovation and creativity; visual abstraction and conventionalization; a visual combination of balanced composition and asymmetry; the primacy of sculpture; the transformation and adornment of the human body; and a general”
Secondly, what are the different types of African art? Masquerade, metalwork, sculpture, architecture, fiber art, and dance are important art forms across Africa and may be included in the study of African art.”
Some critics attribute five elements to African Art. These are one, the use of human figures because African Art is artwork created not just to please the eyes but also to uphold religious values and this is the reason why the human figure is given primordial importance. The second characteristic is defined as luster or luminosity which is conventionally defined as glow, shine or brilliance. Most African Art products use vivid colors that give the figures or pictures vivacity or liveliness.
The third characteristic is called “composed demeanor” which is plain terms means, character or deportment. This may be interpreted as African Art having a soul or souls of its own and is a living entity and not a lifeless portrayal or reality. This may be due to the religiosity or religious character of the works that possess spiritual dimensions expressed in a clam presentation which is of the spiritual calm that it possesses.
The fourth point is youthfulness which means that the subjects portrayed in African Art are mostly young people or young figures. This can also be interpreted as meaning that African Art has great dynamism, energy or vitality. The fifth point is that African Art has symmetry and balance, according to art critics. Seen from the outside or without an analytic eye, African Art may appear to be “primitive” without form and composition. But, as many students subsequently discover Africa Art possesses al the key elements of modern European art structure. If African Art reflects some aspects of modern art, when did it all begin? According to one argument, “The oldest images scientifically dated are in Namibia, in what are known the Apollo 11 Caves, from about 24-27 000 years, yet most experts agree that Africa’s rock art may date to more than 50000 years ago. The earliest known rock art preserved in the Saharan sands in Niger dates as far back as 65000 B.C.
Art has a purpose. A figure or an image is not produced just for its sake but to represent reality or reflect the impressions, ideas or visions of the artists. As many students agree African Art too has purposes that are summarized in the following words: “The core of African artistic expression is composed of human figures, animal imagery and geometric patterns. In reality African Art is not art but cultural object with a purpose. Its purpose is to instruct the people and facilitate communication between the people and the supernatural forces that influence their lives.”
We have seen above that Picasso’s artistic life is divided according to the dominant colors in his works. In European art, color is generally understood in terms of the primary colors red, yellow and blue. The dominant colors in African Art are on the other hand red, white and black.” And as we said above, the major forms found in African Art are “the human figure which represents chiefs, dead ancestors and others. The second form is abstraction and stylization which was preferred over realistic representations and the third form was sculpture.”
“Picasso became strongly influenced by traditional African masks and sculptures in particular. Picasso’s seminal painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon 1907 — a portrayal of five nude prostitutes was the most notable withdrawal from his typical style of Blue and Rose Period, leading to his African Period… Although the painting is seen as the first Cubist work, before beginning the Cubist phase of his painting, he spent several years exploring African art. During this time the French empire was expanding into Africa, and African artifacts were being brought back to Paris museums.”
Regarding the relationship between Picasso’s famous “Les Demoiselles D’Avignon” and African Art, a comment on the subject affirmed that, “Although the painting is seen as the first Cubist work, before beginning the Cubist phase of his painting, he spent several years exploring African art. During this time the French empire was expanding into Africa, and African artifacts were being brought back to Paris museums.”
Picasso’s interest in African Art is usually attributed to many factors, one of them being his attraction between African totem art and his own universe of creativity. “One reason for Picasso’s interest in African totem art (totem refers to African woodcuts that served to exorcise evil spirits), was that he identified with the element of exorcism.”
Picasso’s artistic oeuvre is divided into several periods during which time he composed some of his important works.
Thus, we have five periods in his entire works. The first period is called the period of young Picasso’s artistic initiation. This period runs from 1881 to 1901. The second period is called Picasso’s “Blue Period”, the third period, is “the Rose Period”, the fourth one is called “the Black Period” or “the African Period” and the fifth and last period is named “the Cubist Period”. Each of these periods reflect the dominant color Picasso used in his works while the Black Period is otherwise known as the African Period, while the Cubist period was his last discovery that is usually used to characterize his enti ebody of works.
Thus, Picasso’s black period, also known as the Negro Period, refers to the years 1906and 1907, in which Picasso falls under the influence of African art, on which he bases a series of drawings, paintings and woodcarvings that would lead to the creation of his seminal work, Les Demoiselles D’Avignon.
Speaking of this particular work of genius, some art critics consider it one of the best products of Picasso’s cubist period. “His subject matter is a brothel and the fie figures in the painting represent prostitutes. Picasso’s sketchbooks show his countless attempts at solving the compositional problems he had, with ordering the five figures in a manner that was both logical and artistically convincing. He finally cracked it by using a canvass of unusual dimensions…
The contrast between the sexuality and femininity on the one hand and the “African masks” on the other hand would shock even Picasso’s friends , who were avant-guard artists themselves.”
Pablo Picasso’s inspiration from African Art can also been seen as forging a link between Europe and Africa which are sharing universal human concerns as reflected in their respective arts. As such, there is no European artist who has made an impact comparable to that of Picasso who not only forged an artistic link between two continents but also inspired others both Africans and Europeans to be inspired by Africa’s rich artistic heritages. There are also many African artists who have been inspired and influenced by Picasso’s modernist art although none of them neared the breadth and depth of his inspirations and creativity.
In Ethiopia, there is no trace of Picasso among the past and present painters although Eskunder Bogossian was sometimes considered a modernist artist in his own right as was his contemporary Gebre Kristos Desta who was also a remarkable poet.
no successor worth his talent.
The Ethiopian Herald April 16/2022
