Every piece of art has got certain attributes that place it in a specific region to tell about the culture of the people therein. A critical observer may use the subject matter to understand what such an artwork seeks to communicate and also dwell on the various elements and principles of art and design to enhance its analysis. This essay aims at embarking on a description of a Malawian wood frieze bas relief sculpture under the title “Women’s Labor for the Harvest, Cooking and Serving.” The study will take an in depth look at the artwork’s features to ascertain how effective they are in communicating with the critical observer.
Frieze art, which is goes hand in hand with architecture, is universal and goes back to over four centuries BCE. Friezes have been known to add to the grandeur of the classical Greek temples as well as Roman buildings. The fine art decorations may sometimes be displayed on the exterior, especially the entablature, or in the interior where they are usually place above the eye level. The Malawian specimen is in the latter category and is movable as opposed to stone-sculptured friezes common in exteriors. Although it is undated, it bears evidence that bas relief art has also been produced in Africa.
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Line as an element of art and design has been employed on the wooden surface for framing purposes and also to give the outlines of the subject matter. The artwork consists of five human figures and a baby on one woman’s back with the adults going about their duties. Lines have also been used to outline the branches and leaves that indicate a vegetative background around the subject. More so, the artist who produced the artwork has used various lines to mark the decorations on the subjects’ clothes, hair and body features for easy decoding on the part of the viewer. The spiral lines on the edges, on the other hand, serve as the artwork borders or the frame and help add aesthetic value to it. A critical observer will observe how the border line tends to twist and understand that much time has been invested in giving the carving a fine touch that captivates the viewers.
Use of shape as another element of art is evident in the Malawian artwork. Shapes are the two dimensional features that the viewer can make out while studying it. The square shapes at the background, beyond the vegetation present a form of enclosure. The fact that they are set in a way that they form diagonal crisscrossing lines give add to the idea of conflict whereby the viewer is kept in oblivion of what lies beyond. More so, it is notable that the enclosure if elaborate on the right hand side where the men are seated and tend to fade towards the right. It enlightens the viewer to understand that the women are closer to the field where they roam in search for food, water, and firewood. It should be noted that the enclosure does not represent a house because there is a plant that is seen between the enclosure and the humans. The interpretation here is that the African is at is at home in the bush. It is also here at the bush that the women get their food. This further explains the fade on the side of the women. One can deduce that the fields stretch as far as the African woman can reach. Shape will further guide the viewer in the attempt to identify with the work of art. Sometimes lines will meet to come up with the shape required to jog the viewers mind into decoding the message. In the left end of the artwork, for example, the oval shape on top of human figure is understandably a pot. A critical observer will, therefore, interpret it to mean that the person in question is carrying water or grain in a pot. The fact that it is an earthen pot further classifies the artwork in a time frame and region. A critical observer will understand that the artwork is set to represent Africa in its wild state when industrialization had not brought modern containers. The human shape of the individual carrying a pot, on the other hand, has been fitted with a conspicuous breast that has been deliberately introduced to inform the reader that the subject is a woman. Mortar and pestle, ancient grinding technology used to make flour, further communicate the African setting placing the women at the centre of food preparation. The use of shape does not merely stop at outlining the people and the various properties used. The artist has also been cautious to give the subject various attributes that qualify them as Africans. Thick lips, broad noses and elaborate ears are some of the shapes that the artists have embarked on to five their subjects an African touch. So is the kinky hair, especially for the man without headgear, which appears rough even when short.
The artists will also use texture as an element of art to appeal to the sense of touch and sight. Whereas artists use lines and color in drawing and painting to express a sense of depth, the sculptors are more realistic where an observer can feel the contours of the subject my merely touching the artwork. In the case of the subject artwork, for example, it is a work of bas relief whereby the various shapes tend to protrude from the flat piece of wood such that the viewer can make out their meaning when viewing them from different angles. It is worth noting that the bas relief artworks are capable of casting shadows from the protruding shapes when light is cast from an angle. More so, they are carved in such a way that they do not lose their proportionality. Texture has also been highlighted in the twisted frame which appears to protrude more than the subject matter, enclosing the art with a shadowy border.
An artist may also use color, or even omit it, in order to communicate certain artistic information to the observer. In the artwork in question, for example, the artist has opted to splash dark hues on the human subjects and the spiral framework to give them an African touch and a luster that captivates the reader. The shining cheeks and foreheads draw the viewer to concentrate on the black subjects paving way for contextualization. It is also notable that the artist has left certain surfaces in their plain widen for. To give the artwork a sense of light where the brown patches among the leaves tends to open the viewer into a deeper background.
Sometimes the artists will introduce the principles of art in his endeavor. A critical observer, in this light, will use these to understand what the artwork seeks to communicate. Depth, for example, is a major principle that is hard to overlook. The viewer can note what is in the foreground by checking how the artist has overlapped various items. In this light, the humans are at the foreground while the trees come immediately after the humans. By noting that the men on the right obscure the trees, a feeling of depth is introduced in the observer. Depth reminds the viewer that the artwork represents the real world on a surface that is almost flat like a paper or canvas.
Balance, as a principle, is also well maintained such that the artwork can be judged as symmetrical. This involves the distribution of the subject such that were the artwork to be split in half, every half would carry an equal weight. In the case of the Malawian artwork the woman in the middle would be at the midpoint with two more people on either side. When balance is maintained in an artwork, the viewer is drawn to concentrate on the finer details distributed all over the frame. The eye, therefore, does not focus on a specific point but wanders his eye outwards from the centre of the frame.
The effect of light on engravings is one unique thing that separates them from paintings in matters appeal. The fact that they have certain surfaces that are protruding make these artworks get conceived differently depending on the angle of light. This dictates the appropriate viewpoint the viewers should take and the angle of light so that the shadows may be cast in the most effective way that brings out their aesthetic value. More so, the artist may opt to polish the specific surfaces that are expected to reflect the light to achieve the desired effect.
Art will often reveal certain socio-economic setups in the community that is being depicted by artists. Ii may also reveal the level of civilization and the economic status of the people involved. The artwork in question, in this light, concentrates on the African woman as the pillar of the society. It is for that reason that the stools have been reserved for men while the three women are on their feet going about their duties. The men, on the other hand are portrayed as lax in their sitting position revealing that they have mo role to play in the gathering and preparation of food. It is also apparent that the African man has been placed on a pedestal where he is not to be disturbed except when it is very necessary. The enclosure in the background can be interpreted to explain that the left hand side is used as an entry and exit. The position where the men are placed will then be the core of the society such that all power radiates from there. It is also notable that the men to women ratio are not balanced. A critical observer will make note from the frieze that there are more women than men in the setting. The artist, therefore, deliberately chose to remind the viewer that the society in question supports polygamy. More so, the realization that women are in constant activity informs the critical observers that there could be more women out in the fields while the two men may be the only males in the setting. The resilience of the women, further, is highlighted in the reminder that the African woman will go about her duties with the child strapped on her back. Even while at home, the baby is not allowed to roam around confirming that the woman is in full knowledge and at ease with her societal duties.
The level of civilization in the society depicted can also be deduced from a close observation of the artwork. The utensils used, for example, reveal that pottery is the only industry that he society refers to when shopping for home appliances. It is for that reason that pots are used to fetch water as well as cook. Plastic and aluminum are not common in the society. This informs the viewer that the artwork refers to the past ages before industrial revolution spread its tentacles to Africa. It is also apparent that house building is not a concern of the generation depicted considering that there is not even a simple shed to serve as a kitchen. Neither are the men in the setting eating from a house. More highlights of an undeveloped society are embedded in the bare feet which reveal that shoes are unknown in the society. The clothes too, with their elaborate patterns, appear to be made of leather adding to the idea of an uncivilized society. The viewer, therefore, can borrow from the setting to understand the economic activity and status of the people depicted.
In conclusion, the artist behind the bas relief sculpture has employed a number of attributes to give the artwork a meaning and an African touch. Meant to depict an African community going about its duties in a rural setting, a critical observer can understand that food is being collected, processed and served in the three stages depicted. More so, an African touch is added by concentrating of the human shapes and attributes. The use of dark color is also a factor that further communicates the African features. So is the vegetative background that is suggested by the leafy additions. The African’s home is in the bush whereby the woman wanders to the infinite in search for food. The sculptor has employed a number of artistic devices to communicate his general idea. Elements such as line shape and form will always come in handy to captivate the viewer. So are the principles such as depth and balance which guide critics in the grading of artworks.
