Sculpture

1. Art is a means of organizing experience into ordered form. The experience thus translated into a sculpture such as The Burghers of Calais, or into song, painting, or poem, can then come to life again in the consciousness of other people. It may truly be said that only when this sharing takes place has a work of art been fully realized. That is why art is properly regarded as a language.

2. To understand the artist's language, however, requires a little effort. Looking at a work of art, like listening to music, becomes a rewarding experience only if the senses are alert to the qualities of the work and to the artist's purpose that brought them into being. The language of sculpture, then, must be learned.

3. Sculpture is a form of aesthetic expression in which materials are worked into three-dimensional art objects. Sculpture is a record of human experience. From earliest times to our own day, sculpture records experiences that range from wars and worship to the simplest joys of seeing and touching suspended shapes designed to move in the wind. In sculpture there is everything from the marble gods of Phidias to the mobiles by Alexander Calder. People everywhere have found the need for sculpture, whether it be in work or in play. Sculpture also records the desire to commemorate the deeds of nations and of individuals.

4. Each period in art is a link in the golden chain of creative achievement. If sculptors use historical examples and techniques to sharpen their vision and to solve their problems, they use tradition creatively. In sculpture volume and character are brought to life only through light and can be altered at will by the control of light. Proper lighting at night of a statue out of doors also requires skill. Sculpture differs from painting in another significant respect. A painting, being flat, can show only the view taken by the painter. A statue in full round can be seen from a variety of angles. Consequently the sculptor strives to be his best at any angle and to achieve sense and rhythm for every possible point of view. Sculpture is thus endowed with a variety of interest impossible in painting.

(Encyclopedia Britannica)

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Life experience can be transformed into one of the forms of art.

African sculptures

1. Sculptures are created to symbolize and reflect the regions they are made in. Right from the materials and techniques used, the pieces have functions that are very different from one region to the other.

In West Africa, the figures have elongated bodies, angular shapes, and facial features that represent an ideal rather than an individual. These figures are used in religious rituals. They are made to have surfaces that are often coated with materials placed on them for ceremonial offerings. In contrast to these sculptures of West Africa are the ones of Mande-speaking peoples of the same region. The Mande pieces are made of wood and have broad, flat surfaces. Their arms and legs are shaped like cylinders.

2. In Central Africa, however, the key characteristics include heart shaped faces that are curve inward and display patterns of circles and dots. Although some groups prefer more of geometric and angular facial forms, not all pieces are exactly the same. Also, not all pieces are made of the same material. The materials used range from mostly wood all the way to ivory, bone, stone, clay, and metal. Overall, though, the Central African region has very striking styles that are very easy to identify.

3. Eastern Africa is not known for their sculptures but one type that is done in this area is pole sculptures. These are a pole carved in a human shape and decorated with geometric forms, while the tops are carved with figures of animals, people, and various objects. These poles are then placed next to graves and are associated with death and the ancestral world.

4. Southern Africa’s oldest known clay figures date from 400 to 600 AD. and have cylindrical heads. These clay figures have a mixture of human and animal features. There are also wooden headrests that were buried with their owners. The headrests had styles ranging from geometric shapes to animal figures. Each region had a unique style and meaning to their sculptures. The type of material and purpose for creating sculpture in Africa reflect the region from which the pieces are created.

From Wikipedia

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Every African region has a unique style and their sculptures imply something special.