CHAPTER 16: STYLE AND TECHNIQUES IN THE USE OF ELONGATED CARICATURE FEATURES IN FIGURE PAINTING

Abstract

INTRODUCTION       
The history of figure painting dates back to the pre historical period when the ancient dwellers were using animal blood with organic and inorganic materials to paint on rock and stone surfaces. Their figures were caricature-like as they lack good knowledge of human anatomy (Janson, 1966). For instance the rock engraving in the cave of Addaura produced by Monte Prellerino C 15,000 -10,000 BC titled “Ritual Dance” is highly represented in a hilarious manner. The human figure titled “Spirit Man” with a spear in his right hand throwing it at running kangaroos in an aboriginal painting from Western Arnhem Land, North Australia C 1900 on a tree back are represented in a stylistic manner. 
Likewise, the early African art which has been characterized by subjective proportion of human forms and shapes, the arts constitute one of the most diverse legacies on earth (Adepegba, 1995). He mentioned that from c. 6000 B.C., rock drawings in Africa have included representations of animals and hunters which are figure paintings. He is of the view that from the beginning of tribal differentiation, tribal art has become a way of isolating one tribe from another, and tribal art can take the form of scarification, body painting, or sculptural masks used in religious ceremonies. (Adepegba, 1995) also is of the opinion that diversity also appears in separate geographical regions, where natural resources controlled the materials used, while tribal power, wealth, or sophistication was responsible for the type of objects produced. 
Often, African art production has been related to ritual or tribal ceremonies, as well as serving more secular decorative functions. However, it is not always easy to determine the function of a particular work. Each African society has varied artworks including figure paintings, carving of human figures and other objects, ceramics wares, indigenous textiles and designs, terracotta figures, bronze works, ivory carving and many others. 
For instance, the traditional Zulu beer pots which are made by women employing the coiling technique, the Kuba of the Democratic Republic of Kongo embroiderer pieces known as “kasa velvet” produced by women with raphia squares woven, the Zimbabwe stone figure which are carved from soapstone, soft but very dense materials that can be carved with great precision and often used for smaller detailed works, the “zigwa” human figure of Tanzania, which has a traditional stretched bust tightens to free up 
space for slender arms extended large fingered hand with abdominal projection in beaks, overhangs a marked size, is carved in an elongated style.