Mcintosh County Shouters Painting Analysis

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Culture is the way of life of a certain group or race of individuals which includes dress, art, religion, and more. When it comes to culture, many individuals find it of extreme importance to keep traditions alive. The traditions of a culture are usually passed down through generations so the ancestry will never be forgotten and where the people came from. During the Civil War, an old slavery tradition and religious type of dance movement, called the "ring shouting," was seen in Georgia and South Carolina. It began to die out as time went on, however, during the 1980s it had been brought back to life in McIntosh County (Rosenbaum). The painting McIntosh County Shouters, by Art Rosenbaum, is an example of the cultural unity of the black community…show more content…
It is a traditional African slave movement associated with praising, usually in a church setting. During the times of slavery through the twentieth century it was practiced, and it later influenced later sounds and music, such as, spiritual, jubilee, gospel music, and elements of jazz (Rosenbaum). Music is one of the first elements that would grab a viewers attention when first observing this piece of art work. In the painting, two men are sitting next to one another and they are making some kind of beat and/or rhythm. The man with the broom has it upside down with the hard, rounded side to the floor and the other man is clapping. It is as if they are the keepers and protectors of the sound as the create and fill the atmosphere with rhythmic emotions to stir up the mood in the building. As they are creating the rhythm of the music, the women behind them seems as if she is passionately singing a hymnal of some kind. She seems to be the soul behind the music; the one that holds the very meaning of the word behind the song to take the listeners back to the times of their ancestors. Her face also radiates to hardships and hope her ancestors had as they fought through their hard times of slavery with their strong faith. The music symbolizes the traditional way of singing praising to God as…show more content…
Ring shouting is considered a movement, instead of a dance, because it is a form of worship, and the shouters did not want to disrespect its religious aspect. The three individuals on the right seem to be moving in a type of unison with one another. They represent the bond of brotherhood and their people as one as they dance in harmony with one another. The two woman are openly showing signs of praises, for example, one has her hands lifted high to the sky, and the other woman has her hands thrown back as if she is being freed from oppression. The dancing is very fluid and shows signs of breaking free, and it keeps the tradition of how the slaves stayed passionate and hopeful of being freed from their

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