Artwork drawn from an image of an African mask, from a series of limited edition giclee prints. As pointed out by the curriculum in a course on African Art and Aesthetics by Val-Jean Belton at Yale, westerners did not really discover African art until the end of the 19th century. Belton points out that in African art, "aesthetics" is a term used to sum up characteristics of all art objects; resemblance, luminosity, balance, proportion, etc.  It was long after that I began my own cultural and artistic exploration of African tribes (and tribes of other continents as well,) that has enriched my palette and my imagination.

Also, many European and American artists (including me) have appropriated many of the aesthetic elements, which I argue is not an entirely bad thing and from my point of view is done out of admiration and respect. African art curators also point out that many westerners often find art in African culture that either was not intended as art or fail to understand the actual meaning. Therefore in my artistic mind I can only say what appears in my dreams, what attracts me, and symbols that resonate with my own experiences, and study in the areas of art and therapy, and art and spirituality.

artwork by Mark Gould, created using several fractal generation applications
markgould.net ©2008 Some usage with permission of the artist