Primitive art is the oldest form of artwork known to man. It describes the art of certain groups of people considered to be outside the spheres of influence of other dominant cultural groups. Primitive art denotes works produced in tribal societies, such as communities in sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and native tribal groups throughout the Americas. These works include cave paintings from the Stone Age, wooden sculptures from Native-American Indians, Aboriginal engravings, and African tribal art. Originally, primitive art was produced to allow the spirit world to enter the physical world. The main concern of primitive artists was ancestor worship. Much of primitive art includes elongated ancestral figures with exaggerated facial features that were carved from rock. Although sculpture was the most popular form of primitive art, painting was also used.
Primitive art is often classified into three image types: naturalistic, stylized, and abstract. Naturalistic art depicts real things, such as humans and animals, as they actually are or reasonably close to reality. The image, however, may be quite crude, such as a human drawn as a stick figure. Stylized art depicts things that are not real, but have some grounding in reality, such as mythical creatures, faces decorated like masks, or objects that are distorted in some way. Abstract art depicts objects with no grounding in reality, such as geometric patterns, spirals, and curves.
Below are two examples of primitive art. The first image shows a Fang ‘ngil African tribal mask, dated from the 19th century. The second image is an Aboriginal rock painting from Australia.
African Tribal Mask
Australian Aboriginal Rock Painting
You were given a trick question. Primitive art is still in existence and differs from your post. We now know that “primitive” is a colonial expression, and might be reevaluated in regard to civilizations that where oppressed by Western powers. We find folk art and Child like art to be more of the possible naming for such art forms. Ritualistic art that is not European can no longer qualify as Primitive art, since the artists are highly trained. The expression for the movement should have been “Primitivism” which is used by Western 19th and 20th century art and its mark of style is flat foreground, no perspective.
However your post is well researched