The term 'criticism' is derived from a Greek verb, which means "to discern, to judge, to operate by discriminating" (Kerchache. 1988.p277). This act of discrimination requires the application of values. This is an important element in the development of African art, as value judgements were based on aesthetic criteria, determined by Western notions of art and underlying social processes.
Hairstyling and hairdressing have great cultural significance in Africa. Coiffures have been regarded as diagnostic of ethnic origin, gender, phase of life cycle, as well as simply fashion; and have been related to power, age, religion, and politics. The transitory yet highly visible nature of hair ensures its suitability as a medium for personal and social expression.
Among the recurrent formal qualities that can be found in African sculpture, scarification, along with hairstyles, is generally represented idealistically, implying its importance as a major aesthetic and cultural component. Among the Yoruba there is a "veritable connoisseurship" (Kerchache.1988.p280) bestowed upon scarification patterns in sculpture. Not only are they perceived as aesthetically pleasing, they are also functional, for example indicating one's lineage.
"An effective educational museum might be described as a collection of labels bearing instructions, each of them illustrated by a carefully selected specimen."George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary at the Smithsonian, 1896
The term 'fetish' was first used by Portuguese sailors who landed off the west coast of Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. The word is derived from the Portuguese 'feitico', which simply means, "something made or something manufactured" (Shelton.1995.p.53), and was subsequently used as 'fetisso' in African pidgin.
Tourist art can be defined as, "a form of contemporary art produced locally for consumption by outsiders" (Jules-Rosette. 1984.p9). It can be perceived generally as an object made for purposes of commerce in a general market. Tourist art is thus a product of both social and economic processes, like all material culture, and has been relegated by critics, to a sub-category that implies cheapness, crudeness, and mass production.
Wind instruments fulfil a variety of functions in Africa. A musician can change the tone of a wind instrument so that it mimics speech, allowing people to talk when they are far apart, and in a similar vein hunters call animals with them. They can also be used to talk to the gods or be thought of as the voices of their ancestors.
