The African Aesthetic As It Informs The Product Form
B. Shorn J. Molokwane
Dept. of Industrial Design and Technology
University of Botswana
Private Bag UB 0061
Gaborone, Botswana.
[email protected]
Abstract
Aesthetics in general and African aesthetics in particular have been related to the arts and craft developments. Most aspects of art deco style for instance have been influenced for a long time by the materials, forms and techniques from the African arts and crafts. Modern and contemporary tastes and styles
in the arts and crafts consumption use the African aesthetic in endless configurations. Occasional trickles of this has found its way into low technology product development, as well as product development
in the less industrialised environments. Issues that typically inform these approaches are indigenous
materials, hand crafts and artisan cultures, as well as cultural-oriented design approaches informed by
such things as myths, folklore, music and dance etc. It is in the modern product development arena, and
the product form in particular, where the African aesthetic has yet to assert itself.
This paper describes work that informs on the variegated inspiration of African aesthetics that enriches
the modern product form through semiotic understanding and appreciation, combinational usage of
materials – the modern and traditional, and usage of typical elements of the African aesthetic such as
Craftsmanship, symbolism, self-composure and togetherness.
keywords: African aesthetics, aesthetic elements, craftsmanship, symbolism
Introduction
In this paper, we argue that there exists the African aesthetic as socio-psychological and anthropological phenomenon from which we can learn as different paradigms to inform our design thinking. We explore an example of African aesthetics through the observation of the people, their daily activities, and
the typical objects with which they inter-act.
Retracing its development, “aesthetics” was coined to represent beauty, perception and enjoyment.
The word “aesthetics “ used for the first time in 1750 by Baumgarten who, in psychological research of
art, was studying to ascertain why man experiences beauty and appreciates works of art. He borrowed
the name “aesthetics” from the Greek word class “aisthesis, aisthanesthai, aisthetos, aisthetikos”, which
all generally signify “connected with sensation and perception”. Hence aesthetics generally became
known as the science of sensuous perception.
Elements of the African Aesthetic
The above definition and wider understanding of the aesthetic are based on the appreciation of the
visual arts, and of course Kant [1964] tied the issue of disinterest to aesthetic appreciation. This is a
predominantly occidental point of view. Where African aesthetics bring a refreshing difference into the
whole approach is that most African societies have strong oral traditions, that although non-documented, the notion of the aesthetic reverberates through in the lifestyle of the people. Proverbs, sayings, dictums, verse and many other poetic formulations are loaded with meaning reflecting the society’s outlook
and experience in all aspects of life. This then also applies to the African aesthetic outlook that is directly
and indirectly expressed in various forms of oral tradition that “usually contain deep artistic and aesthetic insight
which reflect the prevalent principles and canons of criticism, evaluation, creativity, etc.” Abusabib [1995 ]
In a similar way to the earlier definitions of the ancient Greeks (beautiful or “kalos”, in Greek also mean
good and proper) most African words signifying aesthetics or a sense of beauty are intertwined with the
good, proper and appreciable. Also the notion of art for art’s sake (the disinterested notion) is replaced
by art for life’s sake, embodying the work ethics and more practical oriented appreciation.
Since African cultures are diverse and rich, this paper only aims to sample but just a small aspect of
representation. The varieties and similarities in more than the 50 countries that make Africa are both
immense and profound. Typically, the thread of most African styles would be concurrently traditional
and modern, spiritual, flexible and diverse, and akin to nature.
The elements of African aesthetic differ across the cultures, but the general ones would include togetherness, craftsmanship, symbolism, self-composure, luminosity and youthfulness.
Togetherness
In most societies, there is a culture of teamwork, be it in professional pursuits or family chores. This
creates a sense of ownership and pride in the products made. Even craftsmen working on their own
would have closely worked with a master or in a team, whilst an apprentice, sharing experiences and
broadening knowledge and skills. The richness of the people is more spiritual than material, and their
happiness and prosperity as a people is based more on their believe system and sense of communal
unity and trueness to their natural environment.
Craftsmanship
Most objects/products are handmade, usually by a craftsman, group or family with long craft tradition.
The oral tradition of knowledge passed on between generations plays an important part in these cultures. The objects are usually made intricately, with exquisite details, and to excellent finish. Typical
items would include baskets, crockery and cutlery. Ornamental pieces such as sculptures and paintings
are also popular.
In general, as the artists make the objects for friends or the local community, they posses personal
touches of craftsmanship which bond the users to the makers. Because the objects are hand-crafted,
they can be given detailed personal attention that would ensure quality construction and finish. Emphasis is placed on fine workmanship and mastery of the medium (of the material as well as of construction).
Figure 1. A head dress piece made of wood, metal and thread, depicting typical detailed craftsmanship
Vogel [1986] suggests that typical desirable characteristics of the objects usually achieved are clarity of
form and detail, complexity of composition, balance and symmetry, smoothness of finish. Edel [1987]
proposed and outlined aspects products may have to be considered attractive appearance as: rhythm,
dominance, balance, transition, variety, contrast, and unity. Detailed analysis of most of the craft/based
products generally depict most of the criteria above (see figures 1, 4 and 5)
One of the most versatile and surviving art form in the house decoration is the lekgapho design (see
figures 2 and 3 below), which is the mural or floor decoration, a patterning technique made normally by
fingers, typically using a mixture of cow dung and soil oxides. There is an infinite number of designs that
may be generated in this way. Some general forms created, depending on straight forms, curvaceous,
wiggly or zig-zag would be horseshoe, dikhularela, or road design. The techniques vary in elaboration,
and usually the most showy of the designs may be found during festive occasions like weddings, whilst
for funerals, a sombre design would be made.
Figures 2 and 3. Traditional Mural decoration highlighting use of textures, shapes and motifs.
Symbolism
There is a lot of symbolism that is embedded into traditionally African made objects. A lot of these will
be based on myths, stories and beliefs, religious or otherwise.
On the features of objects in general, they have smooth, elegant glossy finishes that depict cleanliness
and good health. A lot of the objects depict some human and other animal forms interpreting man’s life
and interdependence with his natural surrounding. Some of the shapes have religious connotations,
showing the deep spirituality of the people. Specific people, actual animals, or the actual forms of spirits
are seldom portrayed in the objects, but only the idea. Some of the intricate symbolical details on some
objects would have implied mystic or even healing powers, luck and fortunes, depending on the cultural
context.
In contemporary African craftwork, basket design and weaving occupies a special place: it is predominantly done by women and forms a basic means of income in some rural communities, the designs and
creations are informed by observation of nature, especially the wild animals, their skin patterns, body
movements and other aspects of the wild lifestyle.
The colour and shape design details differ widely, depending on the cultural setting, the knowledge
and experience of the artists, and the market. Various shapes and colours are used for example, in the
Zulu tradition, they may be used in the marriage ceremonies, as presents. A triangle shape on a basket
signifies femininity and may express a wish for the young bride to have daughters, in a similar way that
rectangular shapes represent masculinity. Other shapes and colours would represent health, protec-
tion, rain, etc. and possession of such an item is hoped to bring about the corresponding effects. There
is obviously a lot of mythology and believe system related to the designs and the possible effect they
may have, the operative being faith and conviction in all the process.
Figure 4. Traditional woven basket depicting various aesthetic elements like rotational symmetry,
alternating rhythm, texture, colour as well as myth and meaning impregnated into the shapes.
Resemblance to a human being
To African artists and art lovers, a carved figure that looks like a human being has a higher aesthetic
value. Artists do not usually portray particular people, actual animals, or the actual form of invisible spirits. Instead, they aim to portray ideas about reality, spiritual or human, and express these ideas through
human or animal images.
Self-composure
This may be depicted through the design of the object, to indicate something of the creator or the owner
of such work-piece.
The object would be well-ordered and logical, and could be related to a composed person: well mannered and rational; he or she would be controlled, proud, dignified, and elegant.
Luminosity
The lustrously smooth surface of most African figure sculpture and other crafts (see figure 5), have well
polished smooth surfaces on some parts, as well as elaborate decoration on some other parts. This has
connotations of good health, well-being, and/or wealth.
Youthfulness
All aspects that may be related to being young: vidrant, healthy, positive and a source of strength. negative aspects such as dullness or unhealthy looks are generally not depicted in the design of objects.
Figure 5: A ceremonial gourd showing the luminous and patterned textures.
Implications for new product design
What does all this mean for us as worldly consumers of the designed world? In terms of design consumption, we are increasingly more in demand of objects, which over and above performing their traditional function, give us an inner glow of pleasure, feeding the soul. Peter and Charlotte Fiell [2001]
conducted an interview in 2000 with hundreds of the world’s leading designers, to get Designer’s
thinking on the direction of design in the 21st century. Matthew Hilton, a UK designer, suggested “The
future of design is seduction”, whilst Riccardo Blumer from Italy said “As far as I am concerned (I do not know about
the future), design is what joins our senses to the soul, thereby providing the only union that produces happiness.” Stefano
Giovannoni another Italian designer, summarily projected that we are “Moving to an emotional supermarket.”
This is because, in the modern technologically advanced world we live in, products are delivering very
well on the functional front and we need more value above the function to differentiate, hence the need
to “connect” with the product, typically emotionally.
Desmet [2002] proposes 14 emotional responses and classifies them into pleasant and unpleasant.
We suggest here that these are related to the idea of the beautiful and the ugly in products, which is
an aesthetic treatise: The pleasant responses are: Inspiration, Desire, Pleasant surprise, Amusement,
Satisfaction, Admiration and Fascination. The unpleasant responses will be the exact opposite to the
above.
To reach the positive affect or pleasant emotional responses to designed products, we are suggesting
different paradigmatic thinking that explores different natural materials, different cultural influences and
approaches interpreted well and appropriately applied to new products.
The African aesthetic manifests itself well is through the hand crafts and the arts. In the first place is the
elaboration of the objects. There are several stages involved: Usually the workers would be talented
artisans that have learned and perfected the skills over long periods of time, typically passed on from
one generation to the next. The raw materials are usually sourced from the nature around, using extraction and consequential processing methods that cause minimum disturbance to the ecosystem. The
products generally incorporate cultural contexts as the craftsmen are well vested in such knowledge,
and recognise the importance of the object speaking the user’s language. The language may well be
reflected in the shaping of the object, in the colourings, in the texture, in the decoration, or even in its
smell. These and similar factors like size, weight etc. are essentially the design elements that a designer or craftsman would typically consider in the product development. Different combination of these
would result in a variety of objects, which would consequently be received with various reactions, according to the context of application and the user’s circumstances.
In most of object design and decoration, semiotics play a very important part. The symbols and signs
impregnated into the different design elements give rise to a host of interesting interpretations, understanding and aesthetic appreciation of the objects. Craftsmen encode different interpretations of the
peoples lives, their cultures, myths and beliefs etc. into the colours, shapes, textures and so forth. We
will briefly look at examples of such designs, in baskets, masks, housing and apparel design. We will
look at the practices and interpretation of the design elements manipulation in the said objects, and
discuss lessons that may be drawn for improved design practice. Pertinent issues include high craftsmanship and sensitivity to the user context. Studies in development of different designed objects are
on-going, with inspirational examples used are taken the variegated African spectra, to be inclusive of
most African cultures, which can be very diverse in themselves. Figures 6 and 7 showcase some of the
previous work by the author that had its base in the African aesthetics, and found its way positively into
European catwalks and subsequent consumption.
Figures 6. (left) Hand-painted leather design inspired by mural decoration in figures 2 and 3. Molokwane
Figure 7. (Right) Layered sack design informed the basket design in figure 4. Molokwane
The following are examples of current work that is informed by some of the foregoing arguments. As
Bloch [1995] concluded that the “physical form or design of a product is an unquestioned determinant of its marketplace success”, we suggest that appropriateness, intrigue balance and seduction are the general references around which to built the product success. Depending on approaches adopted, many different
factors would inform the three general references. The African Aesthetic paradigm would be one way
to intrigue and seduce the user through the product, but a good understanding and appropriate interpretation is essential.
In the examples below, from the “Tapologo” (relaxation) collection by the author, we play with different materials such as dark African Ebony (mmukwa), and textured, hand painted batik with a couple’s
story, (figure 8, “Botho-tsh” (cool side of humanity)), burnt red Malagasy mahogany with black painted
fabric in figures signifying youthfulness, health and strength (figure 9 “Botho-ch” (the warm side of humanity)). The “Iketlo” (slow relax mode) design and “fofa” (fly) design use similar materials, exploring
other forms. By bringing in traditional African materials, elaboration and meaning into modern product
form, we hope to evoke another avenue of aesthetic appreciation and consumption.
Figure 8. Botho-tsh sofa design. Molokwane/Steyn
Figure 9. Botho-ch sofa design. Molokwane/Steyn
Figure 10. Iketlo sofa design. Molokwane/Gabosekegwe
Figure 11. Fofa sofa design. Molokwane/Steyn
References
Abusabib, M. A., African Art an Aesthetic Inquiry. Dissertation. 171 pp. Aesthetica Upsaliensia 6. Uppsala 1995.
Bloch, P. Seeking the ideal form: product design and consumer response. Journal of Marketing 59
(1995), pp. 16-29.
Desmet, P.M.A. (2002). Designing Emotion. Delft: Delft University of Technology.
Edel D. H., Christenson, R. J. Introduction to creative design. Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall 1967.
Fiell, C. And P. (eds.): Designing the 21st Century. Taschen. Bonn, 2001.
Grant, S, & Grant E.. Decorated Homes in Botswana Mochudi: Phutadikobo Museum, 1995.
Kant, I. The Critique of Judgement, trans. J.C.Meredith, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1964
Molokwane S., Lloveras J. On product aesthetics. In: Computer-Based Design. Proceedings of the
Engineering Design Conference 2002 (EDC02), King’s College, London, 9 -11 July 2002. Ed. T.M.M.
Shahin. Professional Engineering Publishing Limited, London, pp 499 -506.
Molokwane S., Lloveras J. Las características del producto y su apreciación. (Product characteristics
and their appreciation) A: Actas VII Congreso Internacional de Ingeniería de Proyectos. Universidad
Pública de Navarra y AEIPRO , 2003, p. 1-7.
Molokwane S. Concepts of African Textile Design. University Centre of Arts, Architecture and Design,
University of Guadalajara, Mexico. May 2006
Vogel, S. M. African Aesthetics, New York: Center for African Art, 1986