Beyond Aesthetics: Use, Abuse, and Dissonance in African Art Traditions
by Wole Soyinka
Publication Date: Nov 12, 2019
List Price: $25.00
Format: Hardcover, 144 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
ISBN13: 9780300247626
Imprint: Yale University Press
Publisher: Yale University Press
Parent Company: Yale University
Description of Beyond Aesthetics: Use, Abuse, and Dissonance in African Art Traditions by Wole Soyinka
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.
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