Primitive Art in Civilized Places

ISBN: 9780226680644

定价: 33.00

内容简介

INTRODUCTION
What do we mean when we talk about \"primitive art\" ? I am not aware of
my other term in anthropology or art history that has come under such
tisglmntled attack by people who feel that they should dissociate them-
;elves from it but still on some level wish to believe in its legitimacy. The
:esult has been a large number of definitions encumbered by extended
tisdaimers. C. A. Burland??? for example??? aware of arguments that had been
nade in the post-World War II years against the label \"primitive???\" stuck
~y it nonetheless??? proclaiming that it \"is wooly and inaccurate??? but by
:onstant usage it has come to mean something which is widely understood\"
Hooper and Burland 1953: 19). One scholarly discussion of the term
~pened with the remark??? \"We all feel qualms??? I suppose??? when we read or
lear about primitive art \" (Claerhout et al. 1965: 432)??? and a substantia
mmber of commentators seem to share the feeling of disappointment
~xpressed by Rent Huyghe of the Acad6mie franqaise??? who noted that the
etm??? although \"partly justified . . . is no longer fashionable\" (1973: 67).
:~ven in the late 1980s??? many writers simply cannot get themselves to
tbandon either the term itself or the evolutionist connotations that perme-
tte it. H. W. Janson s widely used History of Art??? newly revised in 1986???
s typical:
\"Primitive\" is a somewhat unfortunate word Still??? no other
single term wi serve us better Let us continue??? then??? to use primitive
as a convenient label for a way of life that has passed through the
Neolithic Revolution but shows no signs of evolving in the direction of
\"historic\" civilizations. [ 1986: 35]
hegin by presenting two sets of definitions of \"primitive art.\" The first
epresents fnrmulations with authenticated provenances; the second is a