Publisher's Synopsis
Africa on the Floor: A New Voice & Medium for Contemporary African Art by Lande Anjous-Zygmunt was originally envisaged as an introduction to modernafricanart's collection of art rugs. The finished book, however, goes far beyond the collection itself.
Taking us on a journey through the histories of traditional African art and Eastern rug-making, Anjous-Zygmunt gradually reveals how the boundaries between art, craft and design simply do not exist in these contexts;
'We feel that the hundreds of years of knowledge that is handed down to generation after generation of fine craftsmen and women is indeed the artistic expression of a whole culture, and of course in Africa this distinction was never traditionally made.'
By examining these histories, Anjous-Zygmunt introduces us to a new way of making art a part of life once again and points to a future that has already begun; a future where the old categories crumble, where artists design household objects and design is exhibited in art galleries.
With 134 pages and over 100 full-colour photographs and illustrations, Africa on the Floor is as thoughtful, unique and innovative as the collection itself. As Anjous-Zygmunt herself has said;
'This is not just a book about rugs; this is a book about the history of three continents told through the creative imagination, and indeed about how the whole category of 'fine art' came to be invented.'
