Western Painting - Tribal Art - Native Art From the West

Tribal Art - The Concept

Tribal Art refers to the artifacts and objects, the tribes of rural areas create. Produced mostly for religious reasons, rather than as a model of artistry, its myriad uses differ from tribe to tribe. Right from the decoration of the objects of daily use to spiritual ceremonial functions, Tribal Art can be witnessed in several life events. Tribes are often isolated from civilizations, with no tradition of literacy. Therefore, art is a potential means to represent and preserve tribal traditions, mythology, and history. In the Western Art scene, the most well known Tribal Art genres are from the tribes in the remote areas of Central and South America.

The Details
While the geography and the climate of a region primarily influence Tribal Art, the social and religious needs of a tribe and the availability of resources are also other important factors determining its evolution & proliferation. Due to the lack of technology access, artisans mostly employ hand-tools made of natural materials, such as stone, wood, tusks, bones, skin of animals, dyes made from minerals, baskets woven with natural grasses, pottery made of clay, and sand for painting, to mention some. The designs and symbols used relate to favorable weather, good crops, successful hunting, illness cures, and other natural happenings common to the tribe. The most creative works of Tribal Art are the images of dream and supernatural visions. Tribal Art is unchanging in style, owing to the limited influence from the outside world. They usually sustain on the internal trade exchanges among the tribes.