The climactic highlight of the event was when Dr. Thompson has been establishing this artistic and musical approach to the cool as an aesthetic philosophy for more than 40 years, and with his new book we may now finally access a comprehensive presentation of his writings both new and old-some of which were previously unpublished and many out-of-print. We can see the cool in the sculptural heads of kings from Benin, Nigeria in Mambo dancers from Brazil and in jazz musicians from Harlem. Moreover, we can find this kind of expression nearly everywhere, breaking the limits of geography and time so often imposed upon the cultural expressions of Africa and their influences. Thompson explained, are facial embodiments of the cool.Ĭool, in this sense, can represent a variety of ideas and symbols that are both traditional and evolving: stability, healing, peace, giving, and the list goes on. In many Yoruba sculptures of heads a distinct formal aesthetic is conveyed through full, pursed lips and wide, calm eyes – these traits, Dr. Rather, he turns our attention to stylistic trends found in arts of the Yoruba, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. In aiding us to visualize his aesthetic theory of an Afro-Atlantic kind of cool, he quickly rejects the tempting images of sunglass-clad youths ubiquitous in Hollywood representations of glamour and nonchalance.
Thompson projects an infectious dynamism that frames his erudite ideas as accessible and indeed entertaining. With his speech pattern embodying as much rhythm and soul as the art he so passionately researches, Dr. Robert Farris Thompson is a legendary figure in the field, famous for enlivening his lectures at Yale University where he has taught History of Art and African American Studies since 1965.
Lowery Stokes Sims, Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, and former Studio Museum President, to discuss his concept of the “cool” in Afro-Atlantic culture.ĭr. Thompson's Aesthetic of the Cool: Afro-Atlantic Art and Music, the author sat down with Dr. Last Thursday the Studio Museum galleries were filled to the brim with guests, eager to hear from two of the most prestigious art historians of our time. “It” being, of course, the topic of the evening: Afro-Atlantic art. Robert Farris Thompson stated at the start of his program at the Studio Museum two weeks ago–followed quickly by a spirited promise that he was, indeed, going to “mess with it.” “If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it,” Dr.
0 kommentar(er)
