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intimacy) with the art and thought of the ancient Egyptians and Sufists, the Adinkra, Bakota, Bakuba, Ashanti, Fulani, Senufo, Yoruba and Ibo--all of whose images appear in endless combinations in the work of the school... it is a school engaged in elemental innovation: the symbolic use of high energy colors....... the physical rhythms of geometric design. ...This geometric and icono- graphic symbolism can read like poetry. The consensus shared by the artists on questions of formal elements and systems of relationships is reflected in a wide range of stylistic variants, presenting a compelling challenge to the growing numbers of scholars in the new field. The historian, Rosalind Jeffries, has identified several major trends in TransAfrican Art, including: Syncretism - reconciliation of design principles and components of two or more direct lineage Improvisation- reflecting a sense of play and of moving in and out of old and current stylistic tendencies while maintaining an Afrocentric ambiance. Double-Consciousness - Association with overt and disguised symbolism, having levels of meaning beyond the immediately visible, often tied to philosophical ideas. Cultural Pluralism - fusion of multicontinental principles and elements in the context of TransAfrican stylistic innovation as in contemporary music. The wide range of directions in this new art is echoed in the widespread dispersal of adherents to the style. Over the past twenty years, opportunities for travel abroad and exchange programs have greatly increased contacts between artists in the U.S. and those of other lands. At the same time the Third World experience has laid bare the common basis for struggle among African people everywhere.