Reading Response: Non-Western Culture

Reading Response Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation  Reading Response The acceptance of non-western objects by avant-garde artists brought about the concept of primitivism. The evolution of art started when Pablo Picasso displayed his painting, which his friend Salmon called Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. During the 19th century, the number of non-western or African objects increased rapidly in European museums (Ratnam, 2004). Avant-garde artists’ perspectives of primitive art were the turning point for Europeans’ views of African cultural products. In particular, the viewpoint of primitive societies as inferior took a new direction. I have learned that people from western countries began recognizing and appreciating African cultures after they saw non-western objects in their museums. Although the beliefs of avant-garde artists were dependent on the social evolution from neo-Darwinian theories, these individuals started having a different perspective about non-western cultures. In my opinion, primitivism unlocked the doors for African artists whose artwork was unrecognizable. I believe that avant-garde artists failed to ignore the non-western objects since they saw potential in thos...