History
Art created by cultures outside of the West, many of the cultures also created monumental works of architecture, but
often for very different reasons
and discuss:
a.Why do you believe each culture undertook the creation of your selected monumental work of architecture and
sculpture despite the difficulties of accomplishing them? What can we assume about a work of art without such
knowledge?
b.How do the reasons for their works compare with those of a more modern example of monumental art work, such as
Mount Rushmore, the 9/11 Memorial, etc.?
Question 2:
The tradition of mask-making and masquerade can be found the world over, but no place is it as pervasive, diverse
and rich as found in the traditional arts of West and Central Africa. Although these masks are often seen as works
of art in the West, they typically were not intended to be a work of art. Interestingly, in many African societies
there is not a word for “art.” In 3 well-developed paragraphs select 3 different traditional African masks, each
from a different African society. Discuss:
a.How is the mask used and what is its purpose?
b.Does putting the mask on display in some place like an art museum or gallery change what you think of it?