Masks are just one example of art being incorporated into African culture. African art has its own style that often refers to the sculptures, masks, textiles, pottery, and jewelry produced by cultures across Africa. Artists often build abstract forms, like enlarged heads, rather than realistic concepts. African art is just one example of cultural art.

The cultural art style refers to paintings, sculptures, textiles, and sometimes performances that incorporate different aspects of culture into the art, often reflecting the identity and values of these cultures. In other words, it describes any art that symbolizes the aesthetic of a culture.

Cultural art serves an important role in our society. It preserves heritage, builds cultural identity, and encourages open-mindedness toward other cultures. By interacting with cultural art, we are actively connecting as humans.

Remember, cultural art is not just aesthetically pleasing artwork. It is an expression that symbolizes traditions, values, beliefs, and identity.

Stop-motion films date back to around the 1890s, the first being The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898), directed by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith. While there are no surviving copies of the film, we know that this was the starting point of stop-motion films.

Today, it is quite expensive to produce, but back then it was a way to save money and bring large-scale creatures to life that would otherwise be difficult to create physically. Willis O’Brien, in the original King Kong, used an 18-inch model and certain camera angles to make it look like a towering giant going through the city rather than a small puppet that someone had hand-painted and constructed for the shoot.

Stop animation would also bring on claymation as the years progressed, the process of making models out of clay and using the stop-motion technique to make a film. Today, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) is considered one of the most wildly successful and well-known claymation films of its time. Others like Chicken Run (2000) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) follow suit in being widely recognized childhood movies that are played year after year.

Yet what makes stop animation different from live-action or animated films is the human touch and imperfections you can see. In films like Fantastic Mr. Fox, the fur makes it easier to notice the constant shifting between shots, as the director had to readjust the model for every new pose. Even the handmade sets around the models feel more lifelike, similar to live-action, while still pushing imaginary boundaries that would be impossible to film in real life, like in 2D animation.

There are many childhood movies you have probably watched that were stop-motion films or claymation, like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride. Even if the process is long and time-consuming, you are left with a one-of-a-kind film that you worked on with your own hands. Many art colleges, like the California Institute of the Arts, provide classes offering BFA and MFA programs in stop-motion and claymation for people who are interested. As old as the technique is, it is still a prevalent part of today’s media in TV and games. Even with modern technology constantly evolving, stop-motion continues to stand out because of the creativity, patience, and artistry that goes into every frame.

A modern example of protesting without words is the stencil artist Banksy; although their identity remains anonymous, they are prolific in their use of public spaces to share political messages. Their pieces often revolve around themes of war, displacement, and refugee crisis. Yet these works of art most often carry hope. Reinforcing the idea that hope prevails even in moments of struggle. And by strategically creating pieces in public spaces, it ensures that messages reach the everyday population, not just art collectors or critics. A strong example of this is the Girl with the Balloon. The original piece first appeared as a street mural in London. Initially, the message appears as something simple: a young girl reaching out towards a drifting red heart balloon. Yet, the message is portrayed without using explicit language. It communicated feelings of vulnerability, resilience, and the cost of political conflict. The balloon is most often interpreted as a symbol of hope, innocence, or freedom, but the distance suggests a loss or difficulty of holding onto it within a world of crisis and trouble. Beside the art piece, it reads “There is always hope,” suggesting that the loss of hope (the balloon) is only temporary. 

Uniquely, in 2018, Childish Gambino created the song This is America as a depiction and critique of modern American society. The music video contains powerful messages that may often be overlooked. It is filled with sharp contrasts and deep meanings. As the video begins, it has an upbeat and almost playful dancing within an empty warehouse, which initially is meant to distract viewers. Suddenly, this cheerful attitude is interrupted by chaos and violence happening in the background. And these shifts in attitude are not meaningless; they highlight the desensitization towards serious issues like gun violence and racial injustice within society. The attention from these topics is often pulled away by entertainment and distractions. The lyrics themselves are fragmented and representative, reflecting the confusion and instability displayed visually. Instead of a clear-cut narrative, the songs create a feeling of unease, with viewers focusing on what is happening visually rather than listening to the song casually. It allows the viewers to experience these problems, challenging people to think about the relationship between violence, media, and racial inequality that is often hidden beneath facades of everyday entertainment.

Furthermore, an older example is Guernica by Pablo Picasso. It is a massive black-and-white painting created in 1937 as a response to the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso used distorted figures, broken shapes, and chaos within the painting to express the horrors and suffering caused by war rather than realistically displaying the event with realism. Viewers can see crying mothers, injured animals, and fragmented bodies, contributing to the feeling of pain and confusion evoked, and the lack of color only promoted a sense of somberness and made the scene feel all the more barren. This piece responds to a real historical event, responding to and criticizing the violence and destruction that comes with war, and was created with the intent of raising awareness on the cost of political conflict. Even today, it remains one of the most powerful visual protests against war.

All in all, it is undeniable that art is deeply rooted in society. Artists use their works and talent to fight for justice, challenge authority, and bring attention to issues of the unheard. How these pieces are portrayed creates a deeper connection with the public, as it allows them to not only see the art but to feel it as well. These pieces outlive their moments of creation as they capture lasting messages that exceed single events; they capture memory, resistance, and what makes us human. Political art not only brings awareness to relevant issues, but it also allows viewers to think of what we can become.

 Our tools have evolved from the emotional brushstrokes of Edward Hopper to the complex AI algorithms of Beeple. We find ourselves using digital involvement as the missing puzzle towards expression in modern times. For example, Edward Hopper's masterpiece “Automat” uses the cold reflection of a window to portray the loneliness of the woman. Whether it's the sound of a fire truck passing by in “I saw the figure 5 in gold" or the shifting pixels, art would continue to be the primary bridge that we need between the rapidly changing world around us and the traditional way of art.

The difficult crossing

By: René  Magritte

In 1926, this piece is a seminal surrealist painting that features a bowl heeded man, a symbol of everyday existence often placed in bizarre context, a ship in distress and a chess like piece hovering over the anonymous man. The work's disorientation challenges the limitations of one's own perception, evoking a sense of anxiety and mystery.

Automat

By: Edward Hopper

In 1927, this haunting oil painting shows a lone well-dressed woman wearing one glove as her gaze is fixed on a coffee cup, suggesting that she's in deep thought. She is located in a restaurant, the interior bright but empty with a large dark window reflecting the lights inside. This emphasizes individuals can be surrounded by a city though still yet feel completely alone. 

I saw the figure 5 in gold

By: Charles Demuth 

In 1928, this precisionist oil painting was one of the “Poster portraits” that was inspired by William Carlos’s poem “The Great Figure”. As it uses fragmented bold numbers and black and red tones to vividly capture the sound of a firetruck speeding through a rainy New York City night. The red form represents a fire engine, the gold 5 indicating the fire truck passing by, and the dark shapes suggesting rain fall.

In the last 4 paintings you'll see a significant difference from the recent works of art to the traditional ones. From the journey of Tamara de Lempicka’s “Autoportrait” to Beeple’s “Diffuse Control” showing the shift as art has moved from representing reality to a mirror of a world that's now political. While artists from the 1920s captured moments of identity, today's digital world has shifted art from no longer just being a bridge to the past but a political tool that can be used to find the truth. As Georgia O’Keeffe used the American southwest's pride to define the shared culture, history and values, modern digital artists use AI algorithms to analyze it, to show how our concerns have moved from the physical border to a digital one. All though art still ultimately remains the most important bridge that forces us to look at the missing puzzle piece to our society. Whether it is hand drawn or a screen, human perspective is the only thing that can give this now form of art its meaning.

Autoportrait (Tamara in Green bugatti)

By: Tamara de Lempicka

In 1929, this design was to demonstrate a new type of woman, someone who is independent, confident and in control of her destiny as she is driving a luxury car. Her gaze is cold as if she's asserting dominance, power and equality. Its quality features a sleek and metallic style highlighting its sharpness and modernism.

Cow’s skull: Red,White and Blue

By: Georgia O’Keeffe

In 1931, this painting represents the American beauty showcasing a bleached cow skull against a flag like background symbolizing the enduring spirit of America Southwest during the Great depression. The skull represents the beauty of the desert reflecting the strength of the west, its background colors red, white and blue stripes evoke the American flag. As O’Keeffe responds to artists seeking a “Great American painting”.

Hand with Reflecting Sphere

By: M.C.Escher

In 1935, this painting is a famous lithograph often interpreted as a self-portrait demonstrating the inescapability of one’s self. This is shown by a hand holding a mirrored sphere reflecting a distorted view of Escher and his study. The work emphasizes the artist as both the observer and the creator  as the artist is unable to escape his own image. His reflection fixed in the center of the sphere no matter how the sphere is rotated.

Diffuse Control

By: Beeple

In 2025, this recent image has expanded “art” from physical materials like oil, clay and paint to the digital realm changing how we value creativity. It features an interactive AI sculpture that enables visitors to manipulate digital art in real time. The artwork constantly evolves changing the traditional boundaries between an artist and the audience by sharing control as everyone is then able to become their own director.

Digital:

3D Animation:

In 1979, a man named Ed Catmull was recruited by George Lucas to be the head of Lucasfilm’s Computer Division, which was a group that specialized in using computers for the film industry. This company went on to create a computer animated sequence in the movie ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ throughout 1982 and 1983. They became the first to create and show the first completely computer animated movie scene.

Then around 1984 to 1985, John Lasseter joined the Computer Division and assisted with creating the company’s first short film. The short film titled “The Adventures of Andre & Wally B” included motion blur, painted textures, and even character animation. The company continued working before being bought by Steve Jobs. Because of this, they became an independent company (since they had assisted movies like Star Trek II) and was renamed to Pixar.

Pixar went on to continue making animated short films and later on commercials in around 1990 and 1991 thanks to the help of 2 recent hirees, Andrew Stanton and Pete Doctor. Around the same time, Pixar had made an agreement with Disney to create a fully computer animated movie. That movie ended up being Toy Story, released in 1995. It was revolutionary as Pixar was the first to make a fully computer animated movie. Nowadays, most animated movies are computer animated, and in fact, most cartoons and animated shows use computer animation too! Sadly, this caused traditional animation to die down severely since it was more expensive and time consuming.

3D Printing:

3D Printing first originated in the 80s as Dr. Hideo Kodama created the machines themselves while also figuring out what was needed for it to work (which was resin that could be polymerized by UV light). Then in 1986, Chuck Hull patented the technology used for 3D printing and became known as “the inventor of 3D printing” for creating both the technology, the common file type, and even commercializing both of them! Slowly but surely, 3D printing started rising in popularity. Throughout the 90s, new companies started exploring with new machines and other things relating to it.

Nowadays, modern 3D printing is used in industries such as healthcare, architecture, automotive, and aerospace. One major example of this is when the ISS (International Space Station) used a low gravity 3D printer to print the first tool in space. This helped workers with getting their tools faster so they don’t have to wait for things to be shipped from Earth. Nowadays, 3D printing is very popular and has helped revolutionize digital animation by being able to create a 3D object within minutes.

Softwares:

There are multiple softwares that are used for digital art. One example is Photoshop. Photoshop was first developed in 1987 by two brothers named John and Thomas Kroll, and then was sold to Adobe Systems Inc. a year later. At first, it was just used to display grayscale images on monochrome displays. Then, John thought that it would be great to do something more with it. So they ended up focusing on it, which is now the Adobe Photoshop we all know today. 

Another example of a software Microsoft Paint. When Windows 1.0 was released in 1985, there was a program called Windows Paintbrush. On it, you were able to add lines, text and curves onto images as a way to edit them. Then, once Windows 2.0 came out in 1987, Windows Paintbrush became MS Paint.

One last example is Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator first began in 1987, and it was a program used for logo development, font and graphic design. It also originally started its debut on the Apple Macintosh before releasing on Microsoft Windows in 1989. From then on, new things such as the pen tool and layer functionality were added that improved Adobe Illustrator as a whole.

Overall, while these programs started small, they have helped people with digital art. These are only a few examples, as there are many other programs that are both similar and different from the ones listed above. The listed examples are just more popular and the first thing people tend to think about when it comes to different digital art programs.

Traditional:

Cave Paintings:

Cave paintings are known as the oldest drawings ever created as they have spread throughout countless regions of the world. For example, the supposedly oldest drawing in the world was found in Blombos Cave on the south coast of South Africa. It was on a stone that had red slashes that somewhat resembled a hashtag. Another extremely old painting was from Muna Island in Indonesia. The painting in particular were handprints spread on the walls, and it used pigment that was placed onto your hand while also blowing it over to the wall. This helped make an outline, and it resembled a hand! Overall, this is a brief history of cave paintings.

Cel Animation:

Before 3d animation, cel animation took the world by storm! But what exactly is cel animation? Well for starters, cel is short for celluloid, and it’s when people used transparent plastic sheets to draw the images used for animating. On one side has the drawing with black ink used, and the other side when flipped over is where (water based or vinyl) paint is used for color. The process was as I mentioned before, very time consuming and expensive. The main reason is that typically, cel animation used either 24 or 12 frames per second. This causes short films, movies and cartoons to typically take months and even years to finish.

Cel animation first became a thing in 1915, which was invented by Earl Hurd and John Bay as they had created a short series called ‘Bobby Bumps’. Then time went on, and along came an iconic short. In 1928, the Walt Disney Company released ‘Steamboat Willie’, and its success helped change the animation industry as a whole. Disney was also the ones to introduce the Multiplane Camera in 1937, a device that helped stack multiple frames which had helped with making scenes give off a 3D look. Disney’s success in the industry continued to skyrocket as they released a movie in the same year. ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ made history as the first cel animated movie, and helped with making the medium ever so popular for the rest of the 20th century.

Sculptures:

When it comes to sculptures, people tend to think of ones made out of clay. Ceramics have been around for centuries as there are many artifacts dating back to such times. In 28,000 BCE, there was a statuette of a woman named Venus of Dolní Věstonice, and the statuette originated from a location near Brno, which is in the Czech Republic. It is now documented as the oldest ceramic artifact by The American Ceramic Society, which has also stated that many clay figurines were found in the same location! These figurines in question looked like Ice Age animals, and they were near a kiln (an oven specialized for clay).

While clay sculptures can be unique, I would like to also mention another type of sculpture art that is very unique and that I don’t see many people discuss. Kinetic art are 3D sculptures that can move with natural forces (such as the wind), by a machine, or a person operating it themselves. The first person who created kinetic art was Marcel Duchamp, who connected a part of a bicycle and had it mounted to an upside down wooden stool. Then comes Vladimir Tatlin, who made the first mobile sculpture called “Contre-Reliefs Liveres Dans L’espace”, which was hung up to make it look “floaty” or kinetic. One final name I would like to mention is Alexander Calder. He is considered a very prominent figure within the field of kinetic art. In the early 1930s, he created abstract dynamic designs that were powered by motors, which he went on to call them “moblies”. His most famous piece was “Arc of Petals”, which moved by using air currents. With a few of these artists mentioned, I’d say that kinetic art is fascinating and that everyone should take the time to check it out! There’s a lot more to this that I haven’t mentioned, and it would be cool for more people to learn more about kinetic art and sculptures.

Overall, these are the many fine examples of different art mediums used for both digital and traditional art. The things listed above have helped people express themselves and have  helped people branch out into different art forms. Plus, there is no superior form of art that’s considered the greatest of them all. As long as you’re happy with the art you create, then that’s what matters most.