Deck 17: Art and Media

Question 1

Why is Morrinho important to anthropologists?

A) It exposes the intersections of class, poverty, power, and kinship through a miniature city.
B) It reveals the fascination Brazilians have for models.
C) It displays the ways that foreign powers have infiltrated Brazil's art world.
D) It acts as a channel for the local population to expose corruption.

Answer 1

It exposes the intersections of class, poverty, power, and kinship through a miniature city.

Question 2

Anthropologists see art as all the ideas, forms, techniques, and strategies that humans use to do what?

A) use objectively valuable materials in a beautiful way
B) communicate their cultural values to other societies
C) teach cultural norms to children in an entertaining way
D) communicate their creativity and inspiration

Answer 2

communicate their creativity and inspiration

Question 3

In Steiner's research among the wood carvers of Abidjan, what characteristic is pivotal in determining the monetary value of art?

A) artists' formal training
B) buyers' perceptions of an object's authenticity
C) length of time required to produce it
D) combination of colors (e.g., black and yellow are preferred)

Answer 3

buyers' perceptions of an object's authenticity

Question 4

What is one result of the attention focused on Morrinho?

A) art students receiving scholarships to study at a university in Madrid
B) the number of Internet users in Paris increasing dramatically
C) an opportunity for the creators to install a replica of it at an arts festival in London
D) new guidelines in regulations about television broadcasts for children

Question 5

Early anthropologists played an important role in the acquisition of art that came from Oceania, Africa, and Latin America. What was it referred to at that time?

A) high
B) native
C) primitive
D) ethnographic

Question 6

What unique evidence of artistic endeavor did archaeologists discover in South Africa's Blombos Cave?

A) paintbrushes
B) carved bison bones
C) cave paintings of giraffes
D) red and yellow ochre

Question 7

How does the author refer to the aesthetic experience?

A) as a universal perception of what art is
B) the perceptions of art based on logic
C) scientific studies of how art is perceived
D) the perception of art through one's senses

Question 8

Cooking and building, fashion and oratory, decorating and dressing, and sewing and play are all ________ through which artists and audiences communicate.

A) sculpture
B) media
C) games
D) programs

Question 9

What do anthropologists emphasize in definitions of art?

A) It is solely the domain of elites.
B) It is created only by professional artists.
C) It is a product of individual rather than community production.
D) It is shaped by the viewer's perception as well as the artistic intent.

Question 10

What does the analysis of European Paleolithic cave art indicate?

A) These designs were painted by one individual.
B) There were no burials associated with the paintings.
C) The paintings depicted an equal number of humans and animals.
D) The paintings were modified over a 20,000-year period.

Question 11

Immanuel Kant and Georg Hegel argued that humans' determination of beauty is determined by:

A) culture
B) nature
C) popularity
D) their age and sex

Question 12

Art in Western traditions is often associated with notions of what kind of culture?

A) popular
B) tourist
C) high
D) authentic

Question 13

What does the complexity of cave art suggest?

A) The paintings may have been used in storytelling or for record keeping.
B) Early humans did not yet have advanced cognitive skills needed to create true art.
C) Early humans had limited knowledge of the technology required to create art.
D) The type of paint used for painting was simple watercolors.

Question 14

According to the archaeological record, how old is evidence of human artistic expression?

A) 10,000 years
B) 100,000 years
C) 50,000 years
D) 1 million years

Question 15

Cross-cultural research leads anthropologists to argue that appreciation of art is acquired through what social vector?

A) social media
B) institutions
C) enculturation
D) schools

Question 16

What is reflected in decisions about what is displayed as fine art?

A) wealth and power stratification
B) egalitarianism
C) artistic skill and prowess
D) gender equality

Question 17

In Christopher Steiner's ethnography of art in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire, who are the primary consumers of locally produced art?

A) Arab businessmen
B) African farmers
C) Western businessmen
D) Western tourists

Question 18

What does the anthropological approach to world art attempt to do?

A) advocate the display of art from different cultures without specifying its original context
B) attempt to understand the development and meaning of local art forms while preserving their specific cultural contexts
C) emphasize evolutionary framing and evaluation
D) deemphasize the focus on the movement of art beyond local or national borders

Question 19

What is one of the crucial aspects of the anthropological approach to understanding art?

A) reconsidering Western art in a non-Western context
B) ignoring the "social life" of art as it moves beyond local borders
C) displaying art with detailed reference to its original context
D) supporting the ways in which museums display anthropological art

Question 20

What do anthropologists call the assertion that human beings have an intrinsic way of determining what is beautiful?

A) the universal gaze
B) authenticity
C) fine art
D) universal art

Question 21

What term does Arjun Appadurai use to refer to the global cultural flows of media and visual images that enable linkages and communication across boundaries?

A) critical transformation
B) media worlds
C) social media
D) global mediascape

Question 22

What does Kyra Gaunt's research into kinetic orality in U.S. playgrounds demonstrate?

A) Young black girls tend to imitate the music and gestures of hip-hop performers.
B) Black male musicians created a new art form.
C) Kinetic orality is a unique rhyming pattern found in the south Bronx.
D) Young women raised in black culture learn to perform a rhythmic pattern of clapping and stomping as part of the socialization process.

Question 23

What is the central focus of research by visual anthropologists?

A) the production, circulation, and consumption of visual images
B) understanding how social relationships are mediated by art
C) ways that Internet images reflect social hierarchies
D) examining the relationships between popular, tourist, and high art

Question 24

West African art traders often rely on a network of what?

A) relatives who are able to provide false credentials for the artists entering the country
B) fictive kin who may offer a place to stay and advice
C) tourists who have already purchased all the pieces they want
D) businesspeople traveling between West Africa and the United States who are trying to earn extra money

Question 25

What is the term used to describe a viewer's perception of an object's antiquity, uniqueness, and originality within a local culture?

A) aesthetics
B) popularity
C) authenticity
D) value

Question 26

What, in addition to adding to the festive air, do the songs used in a rara performance accomplish for the local culture?

A) They critique local political conditions.
B) They give the performers a chance to improve their abilities.
C) They allow local subcultures a chance to express themselves openly.
D) They help the musicians become popular on the Internet.

Question 27

What is accomplished through the use of vulgar, sexual language and profanity in the Betiz songs played at rara festivals?

A) They encourage people to be more sexual.
B) They are a form of popular laughter in the face of daily conditions.
C) They challenge the Church's message against birth control.
D) They offer local populations a chance to dress provocatively.

Question 28

What is meant by the term photographic gaze?

A) the view in the lens of the photographer
B) the personal perspective of the photographer
C) the relationship between the photographer and the distribution channel of his or her work
D) the view of the subject being photographed

Question 29

What form of technology emerged in the twentieth century as a dominant form of global communication, impacting art and art production?

A) telephones
B) the Internet
C) television
D) computers

Question 30

Côte d'Ivoire's art traders actively engage in the construction of:

A) political protest.
B) meaning.
C) identity.
D) authenticity.

Question 31

What is the predominant export destination of West African art?

A) art museums
B) a French art gallery
C) a New York warehouse
D) the Internet

Question 32

What would ethnomusicologists be most likely to study?

A) portraits in National Geographic
B) communication through social media
C) the use of playground rhymes by U.S. rap artists
D) the marketing of oceanic arts

Question 33

The late-night rara processions described in the text, along with the ensuing response of a member of the military, reveal what important aspect of this art form in Haiti?

A) that music is the only acceptable form of political protest
B) that careful choice of wording in a song can allow the singers to critique any aspect of Haitian life
C) that music is the one artistic arena that involves both the civilian and military
D) that the extent of the critique faces clear limits

Question 34

The author states that immigrants he had never met recognized him on the streets of New York. Why was this possible?

A) The author had shared copies of his work with members of New York's Chinatown.
B) He was filmed in a festival video in China that was later viewed by immigrants in New York.
C) Photographs of the author were visible on book covers found in many local bookstores used by immigrants.
D) The author violated copyright laws and was featured on police bulletins.

Question 35

What are the key aspects of any art market that ethnographers strive to understand?

A) production, consumption, and distribution
B) aesthetics and authenticity
C) the scope of legal and illegal sales
D) the extent of online marketing and payment methods

Question 36

According to the text, what is one of the reasons for the production of rara festivals?

A) to develop a dynamic economy, where locals make money by selling tourist art
B) to support locals' desire to become involved in the global art market through dance and song
C) to facilitate protests about historical social inequality and political repression
D) to let go of daily stress and have a party

Question 37

According to the author, what is a critical form of media that allows Chinese immigrants and those at home to remain in contact with each other?

A) letters
B) cell phones
C) festival videos
D) newspapers and magazines

Question 38

As discussed in the text, where is the art known as "wood" and "mud" primarily produced?

A) South Africa
B) West Africa
C) Eastern Africa
D) Central America

Question 39

Following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, many institutions felt that art might offer a way to foster understanding between different cultures. What was the surprising discovery made by anthropologist Jessica Winegar about such efforts?

A) Incidents of violence against Muslims increased.
B) Muslim artists were welcomed into the world of high art.
C) They reinforced stereotypes and existing dichotomies.
D) Incidents of violence against Muslims decreased.

Question 40

The presentation of local art on the global scale may provide not only a means of economic activity but also a venue to do what?

A) assert local cultural identity in the face of rapid change
B) lead to local art being considered a new form of high art
C) have an impact on social dynamics within the producers' communities
D) help the local cultures become connected to the Internet

Question 41

What did Lutz and Collins conclude after their investigation of National Geographic photos?

A) They depict the harsh realities of life in many different places.
B) They avoid images that might disrupt readers' views of the world.
C) They open up a broad cultural perspective that most readers would otherwise never see.
D) They help readers remember that peoples of the world are more alike than different.

Question 42

Different cultures have different visions of the meaning and value of art. Provide the author's definition of "art," and use this as a starting point for explaining why Western art became the standard for galleries and museums. Distinguish between Western and so-called primitive art, and explain the role anthropologists played in raising awareness of the latter. Highlight both the positive contributions attributed to and criticisms of anthropologists relative to notions of "ethnocentrism" and the "universal gaze." Provide two examples to discuss how and why "primitive" or "ethnic" art has become a collector's item.

Question 43

Why did Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins apply the photographic gaze to National Geographic magazines?

A) On average, more than 100 million people worldwide read it monthly.
B) It was the only source of information available about cultures of the world prior to cable television becoming widely available.
C) They were paid more than $25,000 by the publishers to help increase subscription rates.
D) They wanted to explore the power of visual images to shape cultural perspectives and behavior.

Question 44

Filmmakers Chris Boebel and Christine Walley document the devastating impact of globalization and the loss of industry in what country?

A) China
B) India
C) United States
D) Haiti

Question 45

Discuss the relationship of art and the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. How did the institutions-galleries, museums, and others-come to a decision about why art might be useful as a means of bridging the cultural "gap" left by the attack? What was the result of their effort? What could have been done differently and why?

Question 46

The author states that in addition to its aesthetic content, people also use artistic expression to express a wide range of emotions and sentiments, including frustration with the status quo. Define the term popular art, and explain why the rara festivals in Haiti are an example of this form of expression. Describe who participates in a rara performance and provide two specific examples of how these performances allow the participants to express their religious beliefs and frustration with social and political inequality in Haiti.

Question 47

The author discusses the importance of art found in caves inhabited by humans in the Paleolithic era for understanding the lifestyles of early humans. Summarize the important finds in Africa and Europe to explain how archaeological excavations of the painters' studio found in the cave have shone new light on our knowledge and understanding of the technologies developed by early humans, including when humans created art. Use two additional examples from southern Europe to discuss ways that evidence from the Paleolithic era has expanded our understanding of the social life and religious beliefs of "cavemen" and the way that human cultures have developed, including when we see evidence of widespread production of art.

Question 48

The importance of "provenance"-or the origins of a piece of "fine art" or an antique-has long been a critical component of its value for buyers. The text discusses a similar type of evaluation that occurs depending on the perceived "authenticity" of so-called primitive art. Using the specific example of the art produced by artists in West Africa, explain how this way of producing art is marketed as authentic and what that means. How does this approach to both art and its value and authenticity help engage these artists with a global market?

Question 49

As discussed in this text, globalization has meant greater economic overlap and communications between different nations. Anthropological studies of art traced the production and sale of art created in once-remote locations to galleries and shops on the other side of the world. When did so-called ethnic art become more popular? Using two specific examples discussed for Africa, explain how art produced in one part of the world is distributed and consumed in the United States or Europe. Identify the two primary types of buyers and discuss three categories of individuals most directly involved in selling the works of art abroad.

Question 50

What was one of the unique production methods used in the film Leviathan as discussed in the text?

A) It is in black and white.
B) It has no musical soundtrack.
C) None of the actors are famous.
D) It is shot entirely using extreme sports cameras.

Question 51

Pick an example of American art (either pop or fine art) or media and subject it to an anthropological analysis. In what context does it occur? Who is the intended audience? How does it intersect with race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, politics, or economics? Consider what specific questions you would want to answer if you were to conduct an ethnographic study of this art or media form. How would you structure your research?

Question 52

What global forces are predominantly at work as a result of local steel mill closures in the film Exit Zero?

A) unemployment and offshore production
B) pollution and environmental loss
C) loss of pensions and homes
D) flexible accumulation and deindustrialization

Question 53

What did anthropologist Faye Ginsberg mean by her use of the phrase "media worlds"?

A) tensions that result from the collision of visual worlds
B) the erasure of local cultures as a result of globalized media
C) global cultural flows of media
D) tensions that result from participation in online virtual communities

Question 54

From an anthropological perspective, who is eligible to create and experience art?

A) all groups
B) non-Western populations
C) skilled performers
D) trained artists

Question 55

The film Exit Zero traces the journey of an anthropologist's family as they cope with what?

A) loss of employment
B) cancer
C) migration
D) loss of a parent

Question 56

What is one of the things that helps make the film Leviathan a unique experience?

A) It is a multi-species ethnography.
B) It is a highly respected film not made by professional filmmakers.
C) It closely documents the impact of the fishing industry on the local community.
D) It uses scent to mimic the odors found on a fishing boat.

Question 57

Jessica Winegar studied post-9/11 attempts by institutions to bridge cultural differences with media. What category was rarely featured at the exhibits designed to improve relations?

A) historical art
B) female artists
C) male artists
D) music and rituals of Sufism

Question 58

What is indigenous media?

A) videos made about indigenous peoples
B) use of the media by those who have experienced significant disruption at a local level
C) films that are unusually clever in delivering a powerful message
D) the type of media used by Native Americans

Question 59

Define the term kinetic orality and describe the circular relationship Kyra Gaunt documented between the games black girls play and commercial hip-hop culture, especially as it pertains to the construction of gender.

Question 60

Which population made up the majority of the 40 million people who read National Geographic at its peak?

A) anthropologists and their students
B) people over the age of forty-five
C) students at elite high schools
D) the middle class

Question 61

Summarize Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins's study of National Geographic's photographic gaze. What is the effect of National Geographic's cultural lens? Then make a short list of visual media you encounter throughout the day-social media, news, television shows, websites, and advertising, for example-and list some clues that you think intentionally or unintentionally express the worldviews of the media owners, editors, designers, videographers, or others who made that media.

Question 62

Evaluate this statement: "As people become frustrated with the lack of intimacy provided by electronic technologies, this form of communication will become less important in coming decades." Is it true or false? Use examples from the text to support your conclusion.

Question 63

Consider the global trade of West African "wood" and "mud" artwork. Are these objects "authentic"? Refer to examples from Steiner and Stoller's ethnographies in your answer.