The Trouble With Primitive Art

The times of European supremacy in the world in the sense of imperialism and the sort has come to past, but some ideologies still remain from these periods. Some standards set by Europeans in those earlier periods of human civilization still remain and are hurting us on a global scale today. Many of the art outside of Europe were referred to as “primitive art” instead of just simply art. The understanding here is that many of the objects that we might refer to today as art objects that were created in areas “primitive” to Europe were not created specifically to wrench aesthetic or moral feelings from their observers, which is they do not qualify as artworks (Boundless 2015, 1). Although this is a subject up for grabs, especially since “art” has a myriad of definitions. In “The Trouble with (the Term) Art” Carolyn Dean seeks to provide a starting conversation as to how art has been defined along European minds, judgements, perspectives and rationales. The assumption here is that in that case the art community might be able to come up with a proper and fitting definition for what constitutes art, especially if the …show more content…
Dean quotes one Shelly Errington, who says that some objects in the twentieth century were taken of colonized nations of Africa, polished and called art objects although these object were not created to be put on show and this was done just because it was warranted during the period of human history. She categorizes these objects as “art by appropriation” instead of by deliberation. The feeling that a certain logic is not used in this assumption by Errington becomes very strong, many art objects that are referred to as “art by intention” were made for decorations. Decoration then would be their “other” purpose instead of just being cooped up in museum just to be admired for what they really are in themselves and this would include European art. By Shelley’s definition then few artifacts and their makers will qualify as arts and artists