Introduction:

You have an African relative who you enjoy visiting. One day during a school art lesson about Cubism, you notice similarities between the cubist paintings and your relatives African artworks. You wonder if there is a connection between them, and if so, who influenced who?

The Task:

Your task is to research and document in your notebook African artwork and the art movement called Cubism. You will have to choose and compare a Cubist painting to an African artwork (this includes an African mask or statue). You will have to decide what the connection is between the Cubist painting and the African artwork, and explain who influenced who?

You will hand in your completed research notebook and present your findings to the class in the form of a Power Point presentation.

Use the following questions to help guide your research.

• What is the definition of Cubism?
• How can I learn about an artist?
• How can I learn about a work of art or an art movement?
• Who were the most influential western artists of the Cubist movement, male and female?
• What does African art look like?
• Are there similarities between Cubist images and African art?
• How can similarities and differences be explained using the elements and principles of art?

The Process:

1. Begin by looking at the resources.
2. Find and record the definition of Cubism.
3. Isolate the most influential artists of Cubism and view examples of their artwork. Remember, pay close attention to the artists location and time period of their work.
4. View examples of African artwork.
5. Choose an example of a Cubist painting and an example of an African artwork, check for copyrights and obtain a copy.
6. Ask yourself the question, what are the similarities and differences between the Cubist painting and the African artwork?
7. Describe the similarities and differences between the Cubist painting and the African artwork using the elements and principles of art.
8. Decide 'who influenced who?' and prepare your Power Point presentation (5-8 minutes long) to support your evidence.
9. Present your Power Point presentation to the class and turn in your research notebook.

The Resources:
On the Internet:

• The Museum of Modern Art: www.moma.org/research/library
• Art History of Africa: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/clemons/RMC/exhib/93.ray.aa/African.html
• National Museum of African Art: www.nmafa.si.edu/
• Museum for African Art: www.africanart.org/facingthemask/intro.html
• National Museum of Women in the Arts: www.nmwa.org/collection/20th_century.asp
• Cubist style paintings: www.artchicken.com/3cubismish.htm
• Artcyclopedia: www.artcyclopedia.com/history/cubism.html

Books:

• The Oxford Dictionary of Art / edited by Ian Chivers and Harold Osborne, Oxford; New York: Oxford Press, 1988
• African Art: An Introduction, by Frank Willet, New York: Praeger publishing, 1971.
• Discovering African Art, by Jacqueline Chanda, Davis publications, 1997.
• Constructive Concepts, by Willy Rotzler, New York: Rizzoli publishing, 1989.
• Picasso and the Invention of Cubism, by Papa Kemel, Yale University Press, 2003.
• Cubism and Culture, by Mark Antliff /Patricia Leighton, Thames and Hudsen Press, 2001.

Artists:

• Alice Bailly
• Georges Barque
• Paul Cezanne
• Pablo Picasso
• Henri Matisse

 Learning advice:

You will need to hand in your research notebook organized in this way:

• Websites visited and the information you have learned.
• Books visited and the information you have learned.
• Artists researched and the information you have learned.
• Definition of Cubism.
• One image and a description of an African artwork.
• One image and a description of a Cubist painting.
• A comparison of the images using the elements and principles of art.
• A conclusion to the learning task answering the question, who influenced who?

Your Power Point presentation needs to include the following:

• A definition of Cubism.
• Your image and description of an African artwork.
• Your image and description of a Cubist painting.
• Your evidence from your research answering the question of who influenced who?

Conclusion:

Now that you have answered the question, who influenced who? You should have gained an understanding about how culture influences art and vice versa. You should have gained a knowledge about the beginnings of 'Modern Art' in Europe and America.

You have also learned how to research and organize information about artists, art movements and culture and how to present this information to your class.