

	first read the background information to this theme: Culture of the Other assignment 1 Is primitive art really primitive? assignment 2 Who is the noble savage? hypothetical statement for your project 1 What is the place in which non-western art belongs? hypothetical statement for your project 2 What souvenirs does the tourist take away from his/her distant destination?

	Culture of the Other In 1891, the French painter Paul Gauguin turned his back on the western art world. He left for Tahiti in the Southern Pacific, where he thought he would find pure sources of inspiration. The culture of 'the Other' prompted him to create masterpieces using strong, expressive colours. Thereby, he enriched western art in a surprising manner. His search for the primitive in mankind produced works involving all sorts of exotic images: dream-scenes with riders on horseback and exotic women on the beach. Now we acknowledge that his urge towards 'the primitive' says more about us westerners than it says about the so-called Other. Gauguin's predilection for other cultures was based on a nostalgic desire to see the Other as the 'noble savage'. And we recognise that in other forms of art too, such as music. An image of foreign cultures was shaped which fitted within the thinking of the westerner of those days: outside the West, there lies an exotic world, primitive, pure and honest, which has long been lost here. Such concepts do no justice at all to what really goes on with people in a different culture, and with such works of art, in fact, a false picture of the Other is maintained. In the last twenty years, you can see that non-western art is much more accepted at its own value. Ever more frequently, art from Africa, Asia and Latin-America appears side by side with western art. People speak in terms of mixing and integration. Modern exhibitors often say that the borders have meanwhile disappeared and that these days origin, skin colour, age and place of birth no longer matter. Could that really be the case? The famous African painter Chérie Samba from the Congo perhaps thinks differently about that. His work was exhibited in Paris in 1989, and he was presented as the discovery in young African painting. Represented in his work are all the themes which preoccupy the African of today: in vivid colours, he paints about sex, AIDS, corruption, war and poverty. Samba was idolised by the art world. But then suddenly the magic disappeared and the criticism emerged. His paintings were said to be facile and slick. Samba is supposed to have played skilfully on themes which correspond to the image that we in the West have of Africa. Suddenly, Samba is 'out'. Nowadays, it remains to be seen whether western art institutions and exhibitors will invite Samba into the established temples of art. But, back in Kinshasa again, Chérie Samba is still painting. And although he has obviously developed further as an artist, he naturally still paints using exactly the same themes, in his own characteristic style. Practical assignments On this website, we have compiled links which can help you in carrying out the assignments. Also, make use of search engines and newspaper-sites to find information that you can use, because there is certainly even more. And if you find an interesting link yourself? Send it to us and we will add it to the collection. Top assignment 1 Is primitive art really primitive? 'Ethnocentrism' is a term which means that the habits in another culture are judged in terms of the habits of one's own group. For example: in certain cultures it is polite if a child does not look directly at an adult when being addressed. In our culture, by contrast, that is thought impolite. If you say that children from that culture are therefore ruder, that is an ethnocentric remark. Explain why the concept 'primitive art' can be interpreted as an ethnocentric remark. Why is the concept 'naïve art' not ethnocentric? Top assignment 2 Who is the noble savage? The image of the 'noble savage' is currently still very much in evidence. Explain in your own words what is meant by the concept. Describe an example that you know of, to which the concept 'noble savage' is applicable. In this context, think of stories, films, television series or music videos that you know. Top project 1 What is the place in which non-western art belongs? Statement: Samba will never become Picasso Centuries of colonial domination and a yawning welfare gap between North and South: that is what still characterises the relationship between the countries of the rich West (Western Europe and North America) and the Third World. This relationship naturally influences our thinking about people from other parts of the world. This also has its repercussions on the way we think about art. Everywhere in the West, museums of cultural anthropology are to be found. These museums have extensive collections of objects from other cultures. Usually, it is these implements which teach us something about life in another culture. Some objects are executed in a simple manner but are special because we do not know their use, while others may stand out because of their beauty. Are museums of cultural anthropology the places in which to display contemporary art from other cultures? Work out: On what are artists dependent in order to be able to survive? Do you think that a non-western artist gets the same opportunities as his/her colleague in the West? Who determines the criteria as to what is art and what is not? Who determines the price of a work of art? What is meant by 'noble savage'? Open the Culture.cd using the code , go directly to the screens "BACKGROUND - Orientalism" and "BACKGROUND - Card game". Involve the concept 'orientalism' in your explanation about the 'noble savage'. Look at the film-clips in the screen "FASHION - Beautiful". In the various film-clips, you will find all sorts of references about the way in which beauty is determined by the cultural background. Discuss several of these examples in your project. End with a conclusion/reaction to the statement. On this website, we have compiled links which can help you in creating your project. Also, make use of search engines to find sites that you can use, because there are certainly even more of them. And if you find an interesting link yourself? Send it to us and we will add it to the collection. Do you have your own website? Put your project on it, and we will be happy to place a link to your site on the Worldmix site. Top project 2 What souvenirs does the tourist take away from his/her distant destination? statement: After three hundred years, Westerners are taking back the little mirrors and beads again Chérie Samba has become part of a mechanism which we do not only encounter in art: trends and fads. His work was suddenly terrifically popular in the West, and consequently was very much sought after. Once the rage was over, the art world no longer found his work so interesting. And yet his popularity will have had an effect on his productivity, his surroundings, his development and his earnings. As a result of international tourism, more and more inhabitants of developing countries come into contact with rich tourists from Europe, the United States and Japan. This stream of tourists has an influence on the local economy, but local art receives an impetus from it, too. Work out: Describe some of the effects on indigenous cultures and economies which have arisen through meetings with westerners. Are Western ideas adopted? Is the influence of western money positive or negative for the receiving country? What happens to the westerners themselves? Find out how tourism to destinations outside Europe and North America has grown in the last decades. Open the Culture.cd using the code , go to the screen "TOURISM - Authentic" and look at the film-clip (click on the picture to start up the film-clip). This lady fears that artists lose their originality if they start producing for tourists. Do you agree with that? Also go to the following screen: "TOURISM - Income". Behind every moving picture, you will find a story about adjustments made by local artists and craftsmen in response to tourism. Involve these examples in your project and give your opinion. End with a conclusion/reaction to the statement. On this website, we have compiled links which can help you in creating your project. Also, make use of search engines to find sites that you can use, because there are certainly even more of them. And if you find an interesting link yourself? Send it to us and we will add it to the collection. Do you have your own website? Put your project on it, and we will be happy to place a link to your site on the Worldmix site.