Definition:

Primitive is an art term from the first part of the 20th century used to describe art in a style that had inventiveness, directness, and power but lacked academic technique and sophistication. This included art from Africa, the South Pacific, and prehistoric art. Such artwork had a great impact on modern European artists, perhaps most famously African sculpture on Picasso and the development of Cubism.

The term tends to be avoided now, as it implies such artwork is somehow inferior.