Beyond Aesthetics: Use, Abuse, and Dissonance in African Art Traditions (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300247626)

An intimate reflection on culture and tradition, creativity and power, that draws on a lifetime's commitment to aesthetic encounter

The playwright, poet, essayist, novelist, and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is also a longtime art collector. This book of essays offers a glimpse into the motivations of the collector, as well as a highly personal look at the politics of aesthetics and collecting. Detailing moments of first encounter with objects that drew him in and continue to affect him, Soyinka describes a world of mortals, muses, and deities that imbue the artworks with history and meaning.

Beyond Aesthetics is a passionate discussion of the role of identity, tradition, and originality in making, collecting, and exhibiting African art today. Soyinka considers objects that have stirred controversy, and he decries dogmatic efforts--whether colonial or religious--to suppress Africa's artistic traditions. By turns poetic, provocative, and humorous, Soyinka affirms the power of collecting to reclaim tradition. He urges African artists, filmmakers, collectors, and curators to engage with their aesthetic and cultural histories.

Published in association with the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research

Author: Wole Soyinka
ISBN-10: 0300247621
ISBN-13: 9780300247626
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 01/21/2020
Pages: 160
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.30w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 10/15/2019 pg. 15