Art And Aesthetics Of Sans, Inuit And Aboriginal People

Introduction to the Primitive Society of Sans

The chapter talks about the Sans, who are basically a society in Africa engaged in hunting and gathering activities. The life of these people are so different from us, that it is simply not possible for us to relate with the consciousness or thinking level of this group of people, Sans. The life style of the Sans is still very primitive as their means are hunting and gathering which was originally the occupation of the early humans. Eventually, humans have progressed and they have indulged in little advanced and organized activities like agriculture and more. These people have created their own society in which they live in a group of twenty or twenty five people. They cultivate and make everything that they need for their daily life. There is hardly any political organization within the groups. However the aspect which is common between these people and us is the emotional feelings which we experience in our daily lives. They too exhibit their emotions in a very similar manner like all of us. They show courage in the face of adversity, ingenuity while facing hardships. These people also value relationships and family bonding. They take time to find their life partners with whom they set their families. They are responsible and socialize among relatives as they want others to like them.

There is a dilemma which we face while dealing with this cultural group as their means of livelihood are still like the early men but in terms of their emotions and family set up they are familiar to us. Thus to bridge this gap and to relate better with the Sans, the analysis of their art and ideas is done. We all are familiar with the term Bushmen who are the Sans. Africa was explored much later by the Europeans and much before them there were the Africans who started exploring their own land and people well. These Africans from some other part, were taller and darker than the Sans, who are basically of short stature with yellowish skin. While the former spoke in Bantu, the Sans conversed in Khoisan languages. The Sans continued with their primitive ways and settled around the Kalahari Desert. The men of this cultural group hunted animals and all of it was eaten up. The women provided calorie based nutrition to the men and the family from the herb available.

This group though primitive in their life style, have their own ways of dressing up. They mostly wear dresses made of leather, men wearing loincloth and women draped in aprons only. They also used a kaross, which is a pouch in which they could keep their babies as well as food. These karosses were decorated with colors, men’s clothes were fringed and worked, and women’s aprons were decorated with ostrich beads. They make their jewelries with strings and ostrich egg shell beads. Leather bracelets, beaded necklaces, wooden or leather arm rings, ornaments for waist, legs, head gears made of flowers, fur, etc. are common. These people also use body paint for dressing up. Fats, soot, clay, herbs, etc. are used for body painting. The Sans also make tattoos and scars to look more attractive to other sans. A stylish haircut is also common among the group which is also a form of art.

Artistic Expressions and Ideas of Sans

These people also use wooden and bone pipe utensils, make string motives and draw designs on tree barks to decorate them. The paintings, engravings, rock paintings, cave paintings, etc. depict the livelihood and life style. Music and dance is an integral part of their culture. They sing using stringed bow instrument and dance by the fire in their free time. They also perform the healing ritual dance which is an important part of their culture. The Sans have secular and simple art works which are beautiful. Body decoration to ornaments, everything is a part of their art and ideas. It is said by many artists that beauty can also be a form of art and this is seen among the Sans. The physical attributes are beautiful but not the gifts which nature has bestowed on us.  Through the clothes they wear, the ornaments they use for adding to their beauty, the body paintings they do, the tattoos they make to look attractive, are all forms of art and beauty which add to the aesthetics. But they are not directly like the art which is inspired by nature that has been the theme of art in most of the Western contemporary works.

The following chapter focuses on the lives and cultures of the nomadic Eskimo tribe or the Inuit of the North American Arctic region. According to many studies, the Inuit people in the pre-Neolithic era were quite different from the Inuit people of the twentieth century. The Inuits are moving towards the western culture which has not only changed their way of living but also the food they have been consuming for so long. It is assumed the Inuits migrated from Northeast Asia into North America somewhere between 4000 and 6000 years ago. By 10,000 B.C., the Inuits resided in multiple locations in the entire Arctic region. It was also believed that these Inuits were culturally strong and spread their culture to multiple locations in the Arctic region. They shared this cultural ethnicity with their North Siberian relatives. On the art side, Eskimos or the Inuit people became popular within the western collectors and the various museums. The most popular work of art included the ivory carvings, durable and intricate figure work from wood and bone, delicate pieces from ice and snow, and human and animal figures. The Inuit women also worked with leather and fur to prepare beautiful arctic clothing. The designs on the clothing named as parkas differed from the place to place as they were worn on their group festivities. Creating tattoo patterns was always very popular with the Inuits. Along with these the Alaskan Eskimos were known for their basketry and art of pottery.

The Eskimo Tribe of the North American Arctic Region – Inuit Culture

The Inuits considered the art of song, dance and music as a greater part of their culture. Throughout the Arctic, their form of arts used to be performed for both ceremonial and recreational purposes. They had songs sung to remember their ancestors and the subject matter emphasized on hunting, animals, birds and the legendary being of their past. The Eskimos or Inuit people considered dance as a way to express themselves. Their dance forms generally were a combination of both freestyle and formal dances performed by the experienced members of the Inuit community. Today’s life has become easier due to the existence of art according to the opinion of traditional Inuit. After the creative act came to an end, Eskimos realized that pleasure was caused to the continuity of the art. The Inuit language had no aesthetics but they used the term takminaktuk referring to beautiful things. Inuits also considered beauty in individuals which they enhanced by wearing ornaments and decorating their bodies and with tattoos and white paint respectively. Tattooing on women had not much religious significance but they believed it enhanced their beauty. As beauty was so sacred, Eskimos of different regions had different notions of beauty.

Eskimo children were made to learn the way of life by way of creating toys that could improve their skills of adult life. Eskimo girls were given toy dolls to learn the significance of motherhood and on the other hand, Eskimo boys were given the model animals to learn about the art of hunting and fishing. Eskimo adults used art as their recreational activity to during the hours of confinement in their igloos due to long Arctic winters. Eskimos considered their art to improve their future lives. Shamanism was one of the key component of Eskimo religion where shamans were believed to cure the illness and mitigate the environment crises. Shamans had supernatural powers that could possibly hurt people’s enemies and cause considerable damage to their lives. As a part of their religious belief, Inuits considered that tattoos could influence their lives after death. Their belief in supernatural activities and the form of arts associated with that gives something to support their culture. According to Inuit culture, art bridges the gap between the material world and the spiritual world above. Eskimo people live together having homogeneous techniques of livelihood and living a nomadic life which never allowed them to get attached to materialistic things. This helped them to lead a minimalist lifestyle without any luxuries. The roles of men and women were different in the Eskimo culture which was reflected in their art, body art and clothing.

Art and Aesthetics of Inuit People

In the current world, not many cultures would agree upon the Eskimo culture being culturally rich but the traditional Eskimos produced items that held an aesthetic value and considered of very high value by Western art collectors and also by the Inuits themselves. Eskimos indulged into art creations for vital and intense purposes. Art possesses the power of impacting the course of future events such as bringing vital and desirable effects like food, health and fertility, which Inuits were convinced of. The role of art in the Eskimo culture can be seen as being very important, although the materials available with them were not sophisticated and they underwent several hardships in the environment they resided in. However, the Eskimos were contented with the art they produced with utmost conviction.

The Aboriginal people of Australia believe in what is beyond the empirical. The cultures of the Aboriginals have been influenced by mythology and so their art and aesthetics are also governed by the same. There is a connection seen in the art works of the Aboriginals of Australia and the belief they have in the existence of God. The culture of these Aboriginals is such that they have been engaged in hunting and gathering activities for so many years and managed to sustain and survive till the 20^th century. Most importantly these people are rich in their art and so the anthropologists find it interesting to study these people and their art works. The art works by the Aboriginals are so attractive that the artists worldwide want to understand the origin of such arts. The Aboriginals believe in the ‘transcendent spirit of nature’ and find mystery in it. Ritual art is a theme of the art works of these people.

The Australians believe in something known as the ‘Eternal Dreamtime’. It is believed that during this phase there were some mystic or super natural beings who roamed around the countryside. The waterholes are believed to be created by these beings and their activities. The spirits during the Dreamtime gave rise to many aspects of nature which are essential for supporting life. There were more plants, animals, humans, and aspects like rituals, descent principles and song which came into existence during the spirits’ travels. The Dreamtime still persists among the Aboriginals through myths and rituals.

The bark paintings of aboriginal artists depict different events or mythological stories of their Dreamtime. Producing varied and profuse art is an inherent characteristic of aboriginal artists. The other characteristic features of the Aboriginal culture and art are ceremonial dance, singing, carving, storytelling, graphic art, etc. The use of paint has been common among these people for making the appearance of a person better. There are some Aboriginals who use grease for painting their bodies first and further paint some patterns on their body with ochre. Clothes have minimal use among this cultural group. The pubic tassel is used as a form of decorative item rather than a piece covering their bodies. The use of arm, head, waist bands, necklaces, etc. is observed among this group. Some Aboriginals residing at various places use body paints, birds’ feathers, leaves and twigs to enhance their appearance. The others forms of art besides body painting include rock wall painting, rock carvings, paintings on barks of trees, mimi drawings, etc. The tjurungas are bands which are produced by the Aboriginals giving a three dimensional impact. The ritual objects are also well painted and incised to give it a proper pattern. The bullroarers are also created using a lot of creativity and they produce a sound which is eerie. There are certain carvings made of the different animals and ancestral beings. They make live trees with the help of large cut outs of designs. Sand sculpture making is also a part of the aboriginal culture. There are some who make baskets and further decorate it with red parakeet feathers, human hair, white down, fur, pandanus fiber, etc. Plastic arts and graphics are an important aspect of the aboriginal culture. All aboriginal art works originate or at least are inspired by the Eternal Dreamtime and religions. The objective of art as per these people is to create magic or initiate the transition of people into their adulthood. There are many interesting facts about Aboriginal paintings and other art works. They give an inspiration through their art work, like inspiring the people to hunt, fish, farm, etc. The main elements which are commonly used in aboriginal art works to create a mystic magic include strings, bullroarers, wooden poles, carved sticks, ground sculptures, etc. The Aboriginals believe in the substantiation of humans by art. There is a link created between the Dreamtime spirits and the humans who have descended from them. This also prevents the killing of animals or other humans by totemic groups as they consider it to be cannibalism or homicide. Aboriginal aesthetics have been highlighted through the ramification of their art works. The sacred mythological reference is reflected in arts of the Aboriginals. Arts have found its place in the ceremonial initiations for both men and women. In the ritual settings the art has a great role to play for the Aboriginals. The efficacy of art lies in the transubstantiating capacity which it possesses.

Aboriginal Art Works – Reflection of Mythology and Beliefs

It is suggested by the research made in the above journal that ethnic and cultural identity are quite different from each other and although language is not important to Inuit identity’s definition, it plays an important role within the culture of Inuit. The article emphasizes on the importance of language and the way Inuit people perceived to express their cultural identity. Cultural identity may refer to the basic consciousness of the group of an individual’s amongst other people with regards to customs, living habits and values and language, etc. The research conducted by the authors in this journal tried to explore the practices and attitudes Inuit people have towards their own culture and language. The Inuits community was mostly into fishing and hunting activities that they considered important for leading their daily lives. The Inuits have Inuktitut as their primary language and mode of communication but as time passed, the people could speak English with good fluency and having relevant degrees. Different languages hold different positions in the local culture be it the native or the second languages. The younger generation of the Inuit community preferred English as their medium of communication and the elder tried to cope with the language barrier but eventually got a hold of it. The Inuits of the Arctic region are use their native language and till date it is spoken by most of them. Inuktitut language is valued by its natives as it becomes their way of expressing their thoughts and feelings and also who they really are.

The evidences for the first inhabitants of Alaska seems to be still unknown to the world. The Inuit believed that their culture and art had certain supernatural powers that were powerful and could possibly change the lives of the Inuit people. The Eskimo history shows that they have contributed to the world of art immensely as their art is recognized by many Western artists and collectors who praise their work. The Eskimos worked with multiple materials to create wonderful piece of art which included carving from ivory, temporary creations from snow and ice, weaving and sewing their arctic clothing and making models of humans and animals. Their art was very vivid and made them belief that it is the way of creating a meaningful life even after death. During the long winter months, Eskimos remained confined in their igloos and used art as a form of recreation. Their art had the power to bring their families and communities together as Inuits believed that it is a delight to watch their family members enjoying making clothes and tools which is aesthetically pleasing. Inuits also considered dance as a way of expressing their feelings and thoughts. The community had formal and informal dances depending upon their occasions and accordingly celebrated with joy. The dances were mostly based on subject matters like hunting, birds and animals and their legendary mythic past. The community had older dancers who gave energetic and remarkable performances. Beauty held an aesthetic value to the Inuits as they focused on keeping themselves beautiful by adding accessories such as nose-pins, rings, bangles which were hand-made. Eskimo art was believed to enhance the daily lives of its people but also improved their future lives and perceive it to be healthy, safe and prosperous.

Reference List

Anderson, R. L. (1990). Calliope’s Sisters. New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs

Dorais, L. J. (1995). Language, culture and identity: Some Inuit examples. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 15(2), 293-308.

Crandall, R. C. (2000). Inuit Art: A History. California: McFarland.