TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ART IN NIGERIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study attempts a definition of traditional and modern art. Traditional art is the art handed down from generation to generation, which is not tampered with by the outside world. The traditional art is rooted in belief and commitment, part of the cultural pattern, which was understood as an integral part of an inherited pattern of life. Modern art on the other hand is referred to as a marriage of the old tradition with the new artistic expression in terms of materials, techniques and tools by the college-trained artists. The current state of the arts in Nigeria is examined and suggestions are made for the reconstruction and revitalization of the art profession, and making it a respectable and viable one in the Nigerian society.


(Humanities Review: 2001 1(1): 33-40)