ART AND AESTHETICS

Traditional african sculpture can be analized  in terms of form and composition through ten aesthetic principles:

• CREATIVITY: originality beyond the simple naturalism

• STYLIZED REALISM: human figure is present, but the image is idealized and the emphasis is underlined more in some parts of the body rather than in others

• COMBINATION OF DETAILS:  different nuances are used to confer expression

• DYNAMIC FORM: use of volumes to break up/split with the natural realism

• SYMBOLIC IMAGES: visual images have a precise message

• GEOMETRICAL MOTIVES: the use of geometrical forms give harmony and simplicity

• ELEGANT PROPORTIONS: change of the normal proportions of the figure to point out/emphasize the importance of the parts and the balance between them. For instance the head, which symbolize wisdom and personality, is 1/3 of the whole body, while hands and feet are very small and less relevant

• HARMONY: a balance among the elements

• USE OF CONTRASTING MATERIALS: the assembly of very different pieces, such as bones, grass, blood, feathers, birds' skulls, shells, etc.

• DIFFERENT SURFACES: the product of the manufacturing/ workmanship of materials

Principal Materials:

• wood
• stone
• ivory
• terracotta
• metal (brass, bronze)