What is Tribal Art

[BigEd]

This is a debate that I'm having with an artist and art critic in another forum. If you look in my gallery I just submitted a piece using the Grim Reaper as a theme. This piece was actually done at the request of several different internet bone gallery's I've become involved with lately. You know Skulls, skeletons, sole catchers, grim reaper, Death all that Goth crap. Any way this critic was angry with me for drawing it. This is a direct Quote
" Awesome dude ,,err not
I personally find this stuff embarrassing - 
Now there's a challenge creating a tribal art of our time - designing new tattoos," 
 
This was my rebuttal

This may be true, yet there is one universal truth about art. All art is tribal.
Take this piece. Truthfully the content contained in this drawing is not for every ones (or tribes if you will), taste. If I were to show this at my moms bingo club (or tribe) or maybe show this at my aunt church group (or tribe) I would be run out and stoned. This would not be to their taste. I do understand that some would find this type of content shocking, disgusting and even embarrassing. Yet this is what true art is about . What is just lovely to some tribes is always shocking, disgusting and even embarrassing to other tribes.
This piece on the other hand was not drawn for those particular tribes that find this type of content shocking, disgusting and even embarrassing. In fact this reaction (shocking, disgusting and even embarrassing) was the reaction I was hoping to extract from those particular tribes. So thank you for that input. No it was draw, as what is going to be a series of grims for the gallerys of a particular group of tribes that have a taste for this sort of content. 
I like submitting to this forum because the critiques I receive here are insightful and those who give them, One... they do not focus on the type of content, Two... rather they focus on the technical aspects of that content. This has helped me to step up my game if you will so that I can produce a better piece of art in the particular content that I have chosen for the particular tribes that I have aimed the piece at. Making me a better artist.

 

Of course He harshly disagreed.
 
To me all art is tribal. Most people out there do not what the be molded into a group or a certain type of person, yet buy their actions they do so. They end up associating with those with the same likes, tastes and attitudes. This a tribe. Regardless if they will admit it or not.
As for art. Sophisticates feel the need to put a name to every different type of art style that comes along. This is so the heaving masses of different tribes out there can have and explanation for themselves to justify there reasons for liking or disliking a particular type of art even to the point of trying to put a ban another tribes art because the they don't understand the content and it stirs a feeling in them that makes them uncomfortable.
We as artists feel that we have an obligation to break down those barriers. Yet we also have a need to be noticed to get a little attention. That is why we create then put the content of that creation on display. If we are truly unique but are ignored, though we may continue to be unique for ourselves, we will ultimately create for a certain group or tribe. We justify this buy saying that we are just trying to get a little recognition so we can go back to being unique. If then our unique style suddenly becomes recognized giving us the attention we crave we will continue with what works. Though we may create different variations on that style as we grow older, we will never really grow out of it. The sophisticates then will put a name to this style or we ourselves will name it thus creating a new tribe. (Those who's tastes fit that style). Then that particular art form and tribe will grow beyond us. Other artists wanting recognition will then emulate our unique style crushing its uniqueness. Thus the tribe matures and takes on a life of it own. Lets face it all art is tribal.
Your thoughts.
Thanks
Eddie



 
 

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[smb]

Interesting! I've never really thought much about that... I guess pretty much everything in human life is tribal, then.

 

You've got to give your critic credit for his brazenness though! Then again, it's easy for people to insult others online. I suppose they think that the likelihood of getting a punch on the nose from someone on the other side of the country, or the world even, is pretty slim!?!!