Folk Art

We explain what popular art is and what types of popular art exist. Also, why it is important, what are its characteristics and examples.

folk art - mexico day of the dead
Popular art plays an important role in shaping national identities.
Summary of Contents

Popular art is a category that designates art “produced by the people”. It is a changing and ambiguous concept (since the notion of town changes according to the historical period and geographical area), which also depends on another concept: that of fine arts.

The concepts of popular arts and fine arts come from a categorization that emerged in the Renaissance to value the cultural production of elites above other artistic practices. According to this distinction, “great” art aspires to beautiful and the “universal” (the same for all cultures), while popular art, associated with crafts, is simple, localist, utilitarian, decorative or merely technical.

This categorization was questioned starting in the 20th century when popular art was vindicated and considered a “first order” art, fundamental to maintaining identity and tradition in the face of industrialization and colonization processes.

This happened, for example, with popular art in Mexico, which in the 1920s came to be understood as part of the definition of Mexican art. On the other hand, many authors decided to ignore the difference between “popular art” and “high art” because they considered it Eurocentric and limiting.

Art is a manifestation that unfolds in all environments and it circulates in all directions, so “popular art” and “elite art” nourish each other and find various ways to manifest themselves.

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In addition to talking about popular art to refer to folklore or traditions, in certain contexts the concept is linked to mass expressions or “easy” consumption, as opposed to other more elaborate and less widespread aesthetic forms. In no case should it be confused with Pop Art, the artistic movement born around 1960.

  • See also: Street art
folk art
Popular art is alive and dynamic in all eras.
  • It is associated with the popular classes. Popular art does not come from ruling, aristocratic or intellectual elites. It is produced by the popular classes independently, outside the academy or official institutions.
  • It is transmitted between generations. The techniques, knowledge and worldview that keep popular art alive are transmitted through communication (generally oral) of traditions and craft practices.
  • It is usually anonymous and collective. Traditional folk art does not usually have an individual author to whom the work is attributed. On many occasions it is anonymous and results from production processes carried out by an entire community or group (not the one that refers to mass culture).
  • It is integrated with life. Works of popular art are the result of a connection between community members and their cultural memory, values, traditions and collective needs. Popular art acquires meaning in its integration with the activities of community life.
  • The concept diversified after the Industrial Revolution. Thanks to mass culture and the technical reproduction of works, a new category of “popular” emerged in reference to what is consumed, produced and sold en masse to a broader public.
  • Does not belong to a specific historical period. While the origins of the concept can be determined, folk art does not belong to a specific historical period or movement. It is a form of expression shared by societies from all moments in history.
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Types of folk art

Popular art can be classified into:

  • popular music. It includes both traditional music transmitted between generations and that which comes from the popular classes, which incorporates all types of trends and is accessible to large masses of the public. In both cases these are non-academic manifestations.
  • popular lyric. They are the traditional forms of verse and recitative, such as the Spanish romance, the Argentine payada, the copla or contrapunteo. They usually occur at parties or social events.
  • popular dance. They are traditional forms of dance that usually bring the community together and reinforce their sense of belonging. They can be mestizo or traditional dances, linked to ancestral heritages.
  • oral literature. They are stories that are transmitted from generation to generation, orally. They usually reflect popular values ​​and customs, local or ancient anecdotes, fables or mystical and religious motifs.
  • Craft. They are works of sculpture, painting, ceramics, pieces of goldsmithing or fabrics, which require the traditional knowledge of a particular culture. They can be long-lasting or ephemeral and their purposes can be decorative, recreational, ceremonial or utilitarian.
folk art
Candombe is a dance typical of several South American countries.
  • The basketry of the Makah tribe, native to the Pacific Northwest.
  • The South American drum dance known as Candombe from Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay.
  • The dancing devils of Yare, from Venezuela.
  • The series of local icon festivities known as Valencian Fallas, from Spain.
  • The figures of the Mexican alebrijes.

Popular art is more dynamic and lively creative expression of a culture since it is in direct connection with the values, worldview, traditions and identity of the human group that produces it.

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Faced with the current socioeconomic system, which homogenizes and separates people, popular art continues to be an authentic and cohesive element that rebuilds the idea of ​​community and strengthens social memory.

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References

  • Hauser, A. (1974). Social history of literature and art. Guadarrama.
  • Murillo, G. (1921). Popular arts in Mexico. Culture Editorial.

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Categories Art