Not many candidates attempted this question, but the few that did performed excellently well.
(a) Definition of Cubism
Candidates defined cubism as:
- a new style of art in the 20th century, whose forms are fragmented into planes or geometric facts. These planes are arranged to foster a picture, but not naturalistic reality.
- the parent of all abstract art forms
- a western art movement of 10th century born in1907.
(b) Nearly all candidates mentioned Pablo Picasso; Georges Braque; and Paul Cezanne as exponents of cubism. But they erred by naming the latter (Cezanne).
His paintings resulted in almost two--dimensional forms as he was trying to give critical analysis of the objects in his post-impressionist painting. Especially "the batters" (1905).
Other cubist exponents which are unknown to the candidates are Fernand Leger and Joan Gris.
(c) How African Art influenced 'Cubism'
Candidates mentioned particularly that
- European artists saw geometric shapes in the African wood sculptures;
- an early painting in 1907 by Pablo Picasso (Les Demoiselles d ' Avignon) was influenced by African wood sculpture;
- the African sculptural forms suggested to the cubists the rendering of forms in geometric patterns which are the basis of cubism;
- Picasso in his contact with the African mask greatly influenced his style
- hence the birth of abstract art.
Other technical facts not mentioned by the candidates are:
- the planes and the suggested chisel masks produced on the flat surfaces of the African masks ~ the artists the critical and analytic inspiration;
- these African forms included the exaggerated body parts and the very expressive nature of figures, formed the basis of Picasso's style in formalizing abstract ideas;
- other artists were inspired by their discovery
