The Primitive Art Analysis

Human expression from early civilizations provides insight into the culture of the party creating it, and additionally offers a glimpse into what ideas and beliefs captivated the minds of such groups. Without a direct line of communication, however, it is difficult to definitively construct the meaning of the creation. In "The Trouble with (The Term) Art," 2006, Carolyn Dean argues the phrase, "primitive art," and other labels used to describe non-western works before the concept of art developed, are troublesome because the definition of art itself is flimsy. In addition, Dean questions whether western civilization is doing a disservice to pieces from regions such as Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, by attempting to decipher their significance from a notion that was not established "until at least the 18th century." She further explores the idea that art scholars perhaps say more about themselves then the pieces they study when interpreting ancient fragments of communication, and she encourages the discussion of western influence in the field of art history,

She is opening a conversation window to discuss western perspective, and that in itself is a huge step in examining "primitive art." Unfortunately, Dean also may be devising the society from which "primitive art" exists herself, as this new open perspective takes shape. She may thorugh the process of detaching herself from a western perspective, miss the intention of ancient civilizations, perhaps her cultural heritage is aligned with an aspect of age-old folks. The point being, it is impossible for modern art historians to know the heart of the past. Carolyn Dean is effective in communicating the role western society must take in examining ancient art removed from our culture, the art historian needs to question what they see, whether right or wrong about the