THE BIRTHPLACE OF CIVILISATION

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

‘Mesos’ meaning

‘middle’ and ‘potamos’ meaning ‘river’.

This stretch of land was known as “the Fertile crescent”.

WHERE

People started to divide themselves into groups relating to important aspects in their society e.g. religion, leadership and labor.

Money started to replace trading systems

People stopped gathering food and starting to cultivate it themselves through farming and domestication of animals.

Beginning of civilization

Started using irrigation by 6000BC

NEW PHASE

These were the first people to inhabit Mesopotamia

They were a city state and were therefore politically independent.

They were known for their development of gods, by defining the mortal- spiritual relationship.

They developed a form of writing

called cuneiform writing - wedge shaped, using pictures to communicate.

THE SUMERIAN’S

Religion The leaders of Mesopotamia were not seen as gods but

representatives of the gods

Mesopotamians believed in a large variety of gods, each represented creative and destructive forces of nature

Each city would have one god alone to serve. The god was seen as the ruler and owner of the community.

They believed that in the afterlife they would go beneath the earths surface.

In ancient communities art was always influenced by religion and was made as a service of religion

Religion Continued…

The main purpose of art was shaped by the idea that it

had magico-religious properties.

Art was primarily created to honor the gods and protect those who served the gods.

Art was also made to honor the kings who served the gods

Mesopotamian artists transferred their skills from generation to generation. Artists had to have knowledge to follow the correct procedures, this was applicable to art materials.

The materials used to create art depended on the surrounding land.

Mesopotamia was scarce of both wood and stone, the scarcity of hard stone was one of the main reasons that the sculptures found were small in size.

Clay was used to make buildings and the earliest Mesopotamian sculptures

Bitumen(tar) was used for decorative application on pots and peoples skin

Art Materials

This is a group of twelve three-dimensional statues varying in height and size and were carved

out of gypsum (a soft mineral).

The largest figure is 76cm high which is represented as a god, the medium figures represent priests and the smallest ones represent worshippers.

The sizes represent the hierarchy in Mesopotamia.

Sculptures: The statues of Tell Asmar

> The statues seem to be praying as respect to the gods.

> Figures are motionless and stand with one foot slightly in front of the

other

> The unrealistic stylized proportions draw more attention to the heads

> The faces are individual and seem naïve

> The bodies of all figures are stylized in a conical shape, with

all other body parts being reduced to a cone/cylinder shape

> There is also a repetition of triangular shapes in the noses, beards,

hair and arms.

Their large goggle-like eyes seem to be fixed on the god they are worshipping

The cavities of the eyes have white shells inlaid with black limestone making the figures seem alive

The hair and beards are

stylized

The difference between male and female was identified through their clothing

The men are bare-chested and wear a long fringed skirt while women wear long draping usually covering their left shoulder

Exposed bodily areas have very little detail

Figures

There are about twenty statues representing king Gudea with his hands together

These statues were placed in temples throughout the city to get favor with the gods

This is a diorite (granite like

rock) statue

Statues of Gudea

This object consists of two sets of wooden frames that held together mosaics set into bitumen

It was excavated from what appeared to be a burial site for royalty in the city of Ur

The mosaic designs on the four sides of the box consist of inlaid shell, lapis lazuli and red limestone set in bitumen

It is seen as a symbol of the origin of civilization as it tells the story of power exercised in Mesopotamia

Mosaics: The Standard of Ur

The formalization of simplifying the shapes and poses of figures within the pictorial space was applied by the artist so that an order was created through the story

It is specifically the ‘Peace’ panel that suggests class structure of the era. The king is the largest while the workers are smaller

The exotic materials used in the mosaics shows the prosperity of the society

The two large panels have been titled ‘War’ and ‘Peace’ according to the narrative of the imagery

Each side is divided into three rows similar to a comic strip telling a continuous story

The figures are mainly profile

Relief sculpture was predominant form of art in Mesopotamia

Ashurnasirpal II was a powerful Assyrian monarch known for his violence. His palace was decorated with large reliefs reflecting both his physical and spiritual power

They were designed to intimidate and impress people with his power

The style is not completely realistic but relevant parts of the images highlight strength

The reliefs in the palace of Ashurnasirpal II

Housing structures in Mesopotamia were built with bricks made from clay and mud. This explains why very little of Mesopotamian architecture survived

The walls were usually slightly sloped because of the shape of their temples which were known as

‘Ziggurats’. This temple was not accessible to

everyone in the community, it housed priests and scribes

Architecture

John Mafangejo (1943-1987)

- The narrative and commemorative character of Mesopotamia has been used in artworks around the world

- The art of telling a story draws attention and teaches about history and traditional culture showing a personal experience, this is something Namibian artist Mafangejoinhabits in his artworks

- Mafangejo has included strong autobiographical elements to his artworks as well as his feelings and emotions in his expressive style.

Relating to South Africa

The medium of linocut is a relief printmaking technique in which white areas of the design are cut away from the block.

The areas are inked and printed to produce the image.

Mafangejo used the simplification of shapes that can be described as naïve and expressive version of reality –revealing a deeper insight into peoples lives.

He also creates highly decorative areas in his linocuts due to the repetition of lines and shapes creating patterns.

There is a stark contrast of black and white in his work

His works included a variety of subject matter. Reflecting his state of mind and daily experience's