The line between ‘primitive’ art made by non-Western cultures and modern abstract art are often blurry. When we encounter this, we are reminded of the unity of human artistic expressions through aesthetics that appear to be universal. Take for example the above figure shown on the right by Henry Moore, entitled Large Standing Figure, Knife Edge. Then have a look at a 19th century wood sculpture below, made by a tribesman from the Dayak people of Borneo, Indonesia.

The resemblance between the two works – far apart in time and space – is striking and one is led to muse on the reasons for this affinity of form. While my views are entirely speculative, I believe the desire for abstraction, to strip away reality to its essence, helps explain the similarities of the two works.

These are not unique examples. Having been a collector of primitive art for over twenty years, I’ve seen many more tribal artworks that could easily pass off as a modern “abstract” sculpture. So it is not coincidence or fluke. Neither is it a case of primitive art copying Western art because for until fairly recently, primitive cultures were cut off from Western civilization. Indeed, the reverse is more plausible. It is well-known that artists such as Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henry Moore, among others were so captivated by the powerful minimalism of primitive art that felt compelled to incorporate some of the qualities of tribal art into their work. This artistic impulse has a social context. It emanated from the seismic changes industrialization, urbanization and communications brought about to Western societies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All of a sudden, the slow, placid life that people were used to were upturned by the rapid changes of a modern world. It was, to quote Dickens, “the best of times and the worst of times.” In the wake of the often unsettling changes, intellectuals and artists responded by gazing backwards, seeking inspiration in what they perceived as the purity and authenticity of non-Western, pre-industrial societies.

That said, the allure of primitivism goes beyond what the effects of modernization in the early 20th century. Primitivism taught Western artists that “less is more”, that through reduction, a work of art is paradoxically better able to evoke the essence of a thing, and by stripping away what is unessential, the artist can give his full and undivided attention to what really matters. This impulse explains why abstract art will endure. It is as though modern artists have learned something precious from people who, not so long ago, were labeled as “uncivilized.”