The Anthropology of Art - Softcover

Layton, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521368944 ISBN 13: 9780521368940

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1991

Synopsis

Robert Layton provides an authoritative introduction to the richness and diversity of art forms in non-Western societies. He addresses the problems of aesthetic appreciation across cultures, the varied uses of art, and the fundamental problem of what constitutes "art" in societies varying from the traditional kingdoms of West Africa, with their specialist craftsmen using precious metals, to Australian hunter-gatherers, with their sand paintings and body decoration. Art forms discussed include bark, sand and rock painting, ivory, bone and wood carving, brass casting, masks, and house and body decoration. To understand the meaning of these diverse productions demands an understanding of cultural contexts. Layton relates particular art productions to rituals, myths and power relations. He also discusses and illustrates current perspectives on art within anthropological and sociological theory. This is a revised version of a book first published in 1981.

About this title

Book Description:

An authoritative introduction to art forms in the non-Western world addresses the problem of cross-cultural aesthetic appreciation in societies ranging from traditional West African craftsmen to Australian hunter-gatherers.

Review:

"...a sparkling introduction for anyone wishing to understand something of the art of exotic societies and the contribution made by anthropology to the study of it." The Times Literary Supplement

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0521368944
• ISBN 13: 9780521368940
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 276