primitivism (redirected from primitivist)

prim·i·tiv·ism  (prm-t-vzm)

n.

1. The condition or quality of being primitive.

2. The style characteristic of a primitive artist.

3.

a. A belief that it is best to live simply and in a natural environment.

b. A belief that the acquisitions of civilization are evil or that the earliest period of human history was the best.

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primi·tiv·ist adj. & n.

primi·tiv·istic adj.

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primitivism

1. the self-conscious return, for inspiration, to the archaic forms produced by non-Western cultures.
2. the practice of painting in a way alien to academic or traditional techniques, often displaying a highly individual naiveté in interpretation and treatment of subjects. Cf. archaism. — primitivist, n. — primitivistic, adj.

See also: Art

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	primitivism - a wild or unrefined state crudeness, crudity, primitiveness, rudeness natural state, state of nature, wild - a wild primitive state untouched by civilization; "he lived in the wild"; "they collected mushrooms in the wild"
	2.	primitivism - a genre characteristic of (or imitative of) primitive artists or children genre - a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique