Contemporary African Art

World of Art

by Sidney Littlefield Kasfir

The twentieth century has been a period of major disruption for traditional institutions in Africa. But even as old forms of art patronage were being suppressed, new avenues of artistic expression opened up. Postcolonial art in Africa has built seamlessly upon already existing structures in which precolonial and colonial genres of African art were made. It is in this sense, and in the habits and attitudes of artists towards making art, rather than in any adherence to a particular style, medium, technique, or thematic range, that the art is recognizably "African." Sidney Littlefield Kasfir, Associate Professor of Art History at Emory University, has taught, curated, and carried out extensive field research in Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya, and has made briefer research trips to nine other African countries. Her critical history examines the major themes and accomplishments in African art from the past fifty years, achieving an impressive balance between the critical reexamination of frequently discussed artists, groups, and workshops and the introduction of less publicized or more recent material.

Genres: Art, Art History, Africa, History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2000

About the author

Sidney Littlefield Kasfir is Professor in the Department of Art History at Emory University where she is also Faculty Curator of African Art. She is author of Contemporary African Art and editor of West African Masks and Cultural Systems.

Reviews

[Emma Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Outdated and convoluted.

At points, she seems to critique in ways that I do not see as appropriate. For example, in regarding African artists who are formally trained at art schools: "As young intellectuals, these students also develop an awareness of the postcolonial condition. Some student artists become so mired in the implications of this that they substitute a politicized notion of ‘origins’ for the less certain outcomes of solitary experimentation. ”Parts of her argument made me think... who are you really to say? She is a white woman and this reads a little like she is critiquing the ways they express their post colonial experience as overdone or too politicized for her. She seems weirdly opposed to art schools in Africa in some parts of the book, but contradicts herself in others. But, it just reads overall like she does not approve of African artists receiving formal art educations. As if it disrupts authenticity. Like she distrusts their ability to reflect their own experience. She wants them to fit her own outdated ideals of African art.

Concerning other content of the book, she focuses a lot on institutions that art takes place in. There is not a lot of stylistic analysis, which I would have liked to see more of.

[Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting introduction to African art in the later half of the twentieth century, addressing many of the internal and external influences on African artists. I found this extremely helpful to get a background, though casual readers may wish to look for something a little more up-to-date.

[Dave Pier]

Some interesting scholarship here. I wouldn't recommend it as a textbook for a typical course on contemporary African art because even in the revised 2020 edition, it deals only slightly (and somewhat dismissively) with developments of the past 15 years, which are what students tend to be most interested in.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have commented, it's pretty dated. But the sampling of art works provided in this book give one a sense of the dynamism and vibrancy of 20th century African art.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty dated already and not comprehensive enough, but good for reference and anyone who is interested in what kind of art is happening in (or more aptly, out) of Africa.

[Melanie Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well-written book on a subject that has pretty much no other books on it. The examples and history were easy to read and relate to the work.