I-Sculpture ibambe iqhaza elinamandla kumagugu obuciko e-Afrika. Kaningi
ibhekwa "njengeyakudala," futhi ivamise ukuthunyelwa kumnyuziyamu "ilukuluku
amakamelo" kanye nemibukiso yomlando wemvelo, le misebenzi iye yaba imithombo
ugqozi kubaculi abaningi besimanje baseNtshonalanga. Ababukeli abajwayelene no-Pablo Picasso, Amadeo
U-Modligiani, u-Constantin Brancusi, u-Chaim Soutine, nabanye, babona kalula abanamandla
ithonya lemifanekiso yase-Afrika emisebenzini yabo yobuciko.Amaciko ase-Afrika ahlala kwamanye amazwe aqhubekile naleli fa lokugqwesa kwezobuciko. Abahambi
eHaiti, Cuba, Belize, Barbados, Jamaica, nakwezinye izindawo esifundeni zivame
ithuba lokubona izithombe eziqoshiwe zase-Afro-Caribbean eziqhathaniswa kahle nemisebenzi etholiwe
kuyo yonke i-Afrika. Imisebenzi efanayo itholakala kabanzi ePanama, eSurinam, eBrazil, nase
ezinye izifunda zaseLatin America. E-United States, ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubaza kudlale a
indima enkulu emlandweni wobuciko base-Afrika baseMelika kusukela ezinsukwini zesigqila. Imizamo ka-Edmonia
Lewis, Meta Fuller, Augusta Savage, Sargent Johnson, Richmond Barthe, Elizabeth Catlett,
kanye no-Artis Lane, phakathi kwabanye abaningi, bengeze umehluko omkhulu emlandweni wobuciko waseMelika
ngokuvamile.I-Los Angeles ibe yindawo yokuvuselelwa kabusha kobuciko bezithombe base-Afrika baseMelika. Kusuka
ngawo-1960 kuze kube manje, uNoah Purifoy, uBetye Saar, uJohn Otterbridge, u-Alison Saar, kanye
abanye banezele imibono yabo siqu kulo mkhakha wobuciko. UCharles Dickson ube yi-
umuntu obalulekile kulo mphakathi iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-30. Usebenze ngethusi, okungajwayelekile
ukhuni oluqinile, uphondo lwendlovu, i-lucite, i-styrofoam, nepulasitiki ye-styrene. Kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe, usenakho
wakha imisebenzi eminingi eyahlukene ekhombisa inzalo yakhe yase-Afrika kanye umAfrika wakhe
Ubunikazi baseMelika.Wazalwa ngo-1947, uDickson wakhulela eSouth Central Los Angeles, lapho
Afrika yaseMelika. Esengumfana omncane, wayephethwe isifuba somoya esibi kakhulu. Ukulandela njalo
uDickson nomama wakhe babezoma ezitolo ezinkulu lapho
babheka izindwangu nezinye izinto ezisetshenziswa abaklami. Lokhu kwamkhuthaza ukuba acabange
mayelana nombala kanye nezinkinga zokuklama. Kwamkhuthaza futhi ukuba akhe ubuhle obuqinile
umqondo, eqinisa isisekelo sokukhiqiza kwakhe kobuciko okwalandela. Lezi zezokwelapha
uhambo, ngaphezu kwalokho, lwamnika ukwazisa ukuphila kwakhe konke kwamanye amasiko.Bobabili abazali bakhe basekela izifiso zakhe zobuciko. Ubaba wakhe wayengubhaki wezinkwa
futhi unina wayengumhlobisi wangaphakathi onethalente wekhaya lomndeni. Lo mndeni wokudala
indawo ezungezile yamenza, eneminyaka engu-12 ubudala, ukuba anqume ukuphishekela ukuba khona kwezobuciko.
Ngemva kokuqopha amapulangwe kusukela eneminyaka emihlanu ubudala, waqhubeka nokuthuthukisa eyakhe
ithalente kule ndlela. Waqala ukuqeqeshwa okusemthethweni esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, lapho afika khona
wafunda ubuciko bezithombe kanye ne-prop design. Kamuva, eFremont High School, wafundela izimboni
ubuciko ukuze aqhubeke nesithakazelo sakhe ekudwebeni ngokhuni futhi wafunda ngezinto eziyinkimbinkimbi
wokusebenza ngokhuni.Umfundisi wakhe waseFremont, u-Anthony Wasson, washeshe wabona uDicksons osemncane
ithalente. Wamethula embukisweni wakhe wokuqala wezithombe eziqoshiwe zensimbi e-Long Beach State
Inyuvesi. Kuphinde kwamholela emfundazweni wasehlobo e-Otis Art Institute. Lapho ahlangana khona
uCharles White wasenganekwaneni, omunye wabantu abanethonya elikhulu kwezobuciko base-Afrika baseMelika
eSouthern California. Wasebenza njengoMhlophe, owamkhuthaza ukuba enze njalo
phishekela umsebenzi wobuciko.Phakathi neminyaka yakhe yasesikoleni esiphakeme, ukuhlubuka kwamaWatts kwenzeka eLos Angeles. Njengabanye
esizukulwaneni sakhe, izinkumbulo zakhe zokuhlukunyezwa kwamaphoyisa kanye nesihluku kanye ne-National Guard
umsebenzi ugcwele ingqondo yakhe. Ngemva kokuphothula esikoleni esiphakeme, uDickson wanquma
wayezoziphilisa njengomculi. Waqhubeka nokufunda umsebenzi wokubaza
ngenqubo yokuziqeqesha kanzima. Wabheka futhi wasebenza nabanye endaweni
ensimini, kuhlanganise noJohn Otterbridge, omunye umuntu odumile wase-Afrika yaseMelika
umphakathi wobuciko. Wayeziphilisa ngokuthengisa izinto eziqoshiwe nangokukhiqiza
ubucwebe, ifenisha, namakhabethe.U-Dickson uphinde wathola imithombo yomlando yomsebenzi wakhe wokudala ngalokho
abaculi abamhlophe njengoMichelangelo, Picasso, Giacometti, noMoore. Akumangalisi ukuthi wayenakho
akakaze ahlangane nomlando wobuciko wase-Afrika waseMelika phakathi nezifundo zakhe zemfundo, ikakhulukazi
kwazise othisha bakhe abaningi babetshele uDickson nabafundi afunda nabo ukuthi abantu abamnyama bamtshela lokho
okuncane ukuthuthukisa impilo yamasiko e-United States. Eyedwa, wayithola
okumangalisayo, kodwa okunganakiwe, isiko lemifanekiso eqoshiwe yase-Afrika yaseMelika. Okubaluleke kakhulu, yena
wahlangana nomsebenzi kaRichmond Barthe onezithombe zakhe ezinhle zethusi zezibalo
Umlando wase-Afrika waseMelika ubeka indinganiso yobuhle bezithombe.Njengomculi osemusha, uCharles Dickson wathuthela emphakathini waseLos Angeles onamasiko amaningi
Compton. Umsebenzi wangaphambi kwesikhathi wabeka ithoni yokugxila kwetimu yomsebenzi wakhe wonke.
"Umnyama Muhle" (Umfanekiso 1), oqoshwe ku-ironwood ngo-1968, uvela
ukunyakaza kwamandla amnyama ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960 nasekuqaleni kwawo-1970. Uqoshwe kahle kakhulu, umsebenzi
iwukuvezwa kobuciko kombono obanzi osuka kuleyo nkathi yobungqabavu
ukucabanga ngokobuhlanga kanye nokubhikisha komphakathi. Inhloso yakhe wukunxenxa ababukeli ukuthi bahloniphe abantu besifazane abamnyama ngokuthi
ukudala umbono womuntu we-Black Madonna noma u-Goddess, ukudweba ngobuningi
amasiko ase-Afrika asendulo.Umfanekiso omncane oqoshiwe wango-1981 uqinise ukuzinikela komdwebi kuwo
eqaphela futhi elwela izimpande zakhe. "Ukucabanga Kwamadlozi" (Umfanekiso 2A)
ihlanganisa isiko lemidwebo yase-Afrika enezinhlangothi ezintathu, ukuhlanganisa ukhuni lomtholo,
izinyo lendlovu, inhlaka, negolide. Yakhelwe kahle futhi inemininingwane eminingi, iphinda igqamise a
umfanekiso wesifazane oqinile. "I-Ancestral Reflections" iphinde inikeze umbono ofanayo
kubantu bakubo base-Afrika baseMelika. Uhlangothi olungemuva lomfanekiso (Umfanekiso 2B) luyi-
isibuko, sikhuthaza ababukeli ukuthi bazibuke eduze."Ikhabhinethi ye-Hair Braider's" (Umfanekiso 3) ibonisa imininingwane ecophelelayo etholiwe
emifanekisweni emihle kakhulu yase-Afrika. Ukunikeza ukugxila kwe-Afrocentric kwezobuciko bendabuko
i-iconography, wasekela lo mdwebo kowesifazane owafundisa ubuciko bokuluka izinwele. Izinwele
ukuluka emiphakathini yase-Afrika yaseMelika, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwabesifazane, kuyindaba
ukubaluleka okukhulu nokuziqhenya komuntu siqu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lesi sithombe sisikisela ukuthi izinwele
ukuluka kuwubuciko obufanele ukuhlonishwa okukhulu.Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1970, uJohn Otterbridge, ngaleso sikhathi owayenguMqondisi we-Watts Tower Art Center,
wamcela ukuba anikele eMkhosini Waminyaka yonke Wezifihla-buso. UDickson akhiphe abize ngalo
amamaski "neo-tribal". Eminye yemizamo yakhe emihle kakhulu kulolu hlobo yavela ku-
Local Kwanzaa Festival egqugquzela ubumbano lwamasiko abantu abamnyama. Wakha i-styrofoam enemibala eminingi
imaski ehlanganisa izinhlobonhlobo zezinto ezihlanganisa amafindo, izinkinobho, nobuhlalu. Umfanekiso 4
ikhombisa imaski emihlanu ye-Kwanzaa. I-Wild futhi iyamangalisa, imisebenzi iqhubekela phambili
ukuxhumanisa impilo yase-Afrika yaseMelika namasiko namasiko asendulo ase-Afrika. I
umdwebi ubika ukuthi izingane, ikakhulukazi, zizwakalise ukujabula lapho zibona a
imaski ethile futhi uyihlobanise nesimiso esihambisanayo se-Kwanzaa.Izibonelo ezahlukahlukene zezithombe eziqoshiwe zikaDickson zingokoqobo ngokwejwayelekile
ifomu. Isithombe sakhe sethusi sikaDkt Martin Luther King sango-1983 (Umfanekiso 5) sisikhumbuza
imisebenzi kaRichmond Barthe. NjengoBarthe, uDickson usebenzisa ubuciko ukuhlonipha abantu abavelele base-Afrika
Ukumelana neMelika. Idalelwe i-Curtis Junior High School e-Carson, eCalifornia, lokhu
imizamo iveza ukufana okuqinile komholi wamalungelo omphakathi owafela ukholo. UDickson
ngithemba ukuthi ukuba khona kwesibazi sakhe esikoleni kuzothuthukisa kakhulu
umsebenzi wokufundisa onesibopho.Ngo-1991, uDickson wakhiqiza uMartin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Umfanekiso 6) weWatts.
yezitolo, okuyisikhumbuzo sokuqala kulowo mphakathi samalungelo abantu ababulewe
umholi. Isandla, esiqonde phezulu nangaphandle, kanye ne-hummingbird ephumayo
kulo limelela izimpawu zobunye.Ngezikhathi ezithile, u-Dickson wayekhiqiza umsebenzi wobuciko onezinto zezombusazwe ezivuleleke nakakhulu. A
isibonelo esimangalisayo "Ifulegi" (Umdwebo 7), owadalwa ngo-1980. Imelela okunye
intuthuko yezobuchwepheshe kulo mfanekiso wendwangu, ucezu luyinkulumo yomphakathi yase-Afrika
Ukuhlukaniswa kweMelika emphakathini wesimanje. Uphindaphinda imivimbo yefulege
ukunamathisela amapheshana ekhanvasi abomvu, amhlophe, naluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kukhanvasi enkulu ngemuva. Lezi zinkanyezi nemigoqo
kusho ukuboshwa ngokomzimba nangokokuziphatha kwezigidi zabantu base-Afrika baseMelika ababoshiwe
ukucwasa kanye nobumpofu. U-Dickson usebenzisa "Ifulegi" ukugqamisa umlando ongethuki
indida: izinkulungwane zamasosha amnyama alwela futhi afela ifulege lase-U.S. ezimpini zangaphandle, kuphela
ukubuyela ezweni lobuzwe besigaba sesibili kanye nokuntuleka okukhulu kwamathuba.Okusobala kakhulu, imephu yase-United States ibekwe phezulu kumephu enkulu kakhulu
Izwekazi lase-Afrika, iphakamisa ukuthi ama-Afrika aseMelika kufanele abe manqikanqika kakhulu
balahle umthombo oyinhloko wobunikazi babo bamasiko.Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1980, uCharles Dickson wasungula indlela entsha yokuqopha esenayo
imenze wakwazi ukudala imisebenzi emikhulu ngokushesha futhi ayithuthe kalula ngenxa ye
isisindo sabo esilula uma kuqhathaniswa. Ukusebenzisa izinto zepulasitiki ezitholakala emagumbini abagibeli be
izindiza zezentengiselwano namadeshibhodi ezimoto, ushisisa amapulasitiki aqinile ngokushaywa
amathoshi anamazinga okushisa afinyelela ku-1,300 degrees. Ube esewabumba azungeze afisayo
izibalo, ukugcwalisa isikhunta nge oncibilikisiwe urethane core. Ubiza le nqubo ngokuthi I-High Impact
I-styrene Plastic Urethane Foamcore (HISPUF). Ngokumangazayo, uDickson waqopha
"Isishuliwe" (Umfanekiso 8) emasontweni amabili embukisweni wango-1989 eCalifornia.
I-Afro-American Museum e-Los Angeles. Umsebenzi uyisiqu esikhulu somuthi esingamamitha angu-13 esibonisayo
Abantu base-Afrika basuswa ngobudlova emazweni abo futhi bathuthwa ngendluzula ngaphesheya
Atlantic, nezigidi zabantu abalimala kule nqubo.UDickson ufuna nomsebenzi wakhe usebenze njengesikhumbuzo semiphumela eqhubekayo
ubugqila. Ukucwasa ngokwebala kwanamuhla kusekelwe kuleyo nkathi yomlando edabukisayo kanye nama-Afrika ambalwa
Abantu baseMelika bazimisele ukumane bathethelele futhi bakhohlwe.Muva nje, u-Dickson welule ubuyena njengeciko lomphakathi nge-metro yase-Los Angeles
Ikhomishana yezitimela e-El Segundo. Kulowo mzamo, ubonise ukukhathazeka komphakathi ngo
ukuxhumana phakathi kwemvelo kanye nemboni ye-aerospace emelelwe kuyo
leso sifunda. Le phrojekthi imenze wakwazi ukwenza izithombe ezibaziwe ezicatshangelwayo ku-a
isilungiselelo sezakhiwo esiyinkimbinkimbi. Inhloso yakhe ebaluleke kakhulu ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi ku-
ukuguqulwa kwesitudiyo sakhe saseCompton sibe yindawo enkulu yokusebenza kanye negalari, a
"indawo enokuthula" evulekele umphakathi.