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Art in the West
African Sub-region
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by Abel Mac Diakparomre
Regional style, as a tool of “classificational”
distinctiveness, is a very old index for identification
in art history and literature. Such labels as Egyptian
art, Greek art, etc., refer to distinct artistic formats
that were distinguishable in the art coming from
particular geographical areas within particular
historical periods. In other words, the concept of
regional style presupposes certain commonalities in
works emerging from a specific geographical zone. Since
the early beginnings, the concept of regional style has
continued to be applied to art of different parts of the
world.
However, in spite of the evolving of individualism in
artistic thought and expression, especially since the
early part of the 20th century, the urge to
compartmentalize and classify art activities and
products along regional lines seems to remain
irresistible. The enthusiasm for this "regionalisation"
is most noticeable when products of visual art form, and
in, the African continent are being considered.
Today, the discussion of the visual arts of the
continent remains on center-stage, with proponents of
"authentic African art" pitched against "modernists". In
the ensuing discourse, one thing stands out quite
clearly: the need to take a closer look at what is going
on in the practice of the visual arts in the continent
with a view to finding out if the requisite
commonalities for the formulation of a praxis for
on-going practice exist. Also, it is necessary to find
out if the product of on-going visual arts practices are
evolving from a process or not.
These lines of thought informed and inspired the enquiry
into contemporary art practices and products in the West
African sub-region. Overcoming Maps 3, the 2004 PACA
"Study Tour" of the sub-region provided the opportunity
to look at the art works of different contemporary
artists from six countries in the sub-region. These
countries are Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali
and Togo. Like several others in the sub-region, these
countries have very strong traditional art practices.
They are also known to have made some of the most
notable and significant contributions to the African art
heritage, at least judging by the indices of subject
matter, production technology, and style.
A multiplicity of subject matter is expressed in the
sub-region. Subject matters are consistently divergent
and range from the expressions of culture-based
concepts, as in, for example, the painting of Simplice
Ahouanssou, "Awossi": Femmes intimes" (Benin) and Assion
Adanlete (Togo), through those that give expression to
contemporary issues, thoughts and developments as well
as religious concepts, as can be found in Sly Paris
Kouton’s I’Amerique: ce geant (Benin) and Peter Kpade’s
Pieta (Togo), to those that are outrightly conceptual
like Nnaemeka Egwuibe’s The Fire In-Between (Nigeria).
The materials used in these expressions are as varied as
the subject matter expressed. But glaringly noticeable
is the preponderance of improvisation of painting
pigments in the French-speaking countries of Benin,
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Togo. These painting pigments
are mainly derivatives from earth and vegetative
substances. On the other hand, the use of synthetic
pigments (acrylics, enamel, and pastel) was dominant in
the works of artists of the English-speaking countries
(Ghana and Nigeria). There is, however, no strict and
rigid fixation on this issue of use of materials as
certain artists on both sides of the linguistic divide
employ pigments that are in greater preponderance on the
other side. Syl Paris Kouton, French-speaking and
Beninnois painter uses synthetic pigments rather than
earth and vegetative derivatives like many of his peers.
Stylistic rendition in the sub-region is multivalent.
Naturalism is evidenced by the works of Kingsley Odemety
(Ghana), "Fish", Kojo Ani (Ghana: Primitive Instinct),
Isaac Anang (Ghana: Sankofa). Synthesis of traditional
imageries and modernist symbolisms is also exhibited,
for example, as in the sculptures of Peter Kpade. The
structure of paintings in the sub-region follows a
generally linear format. They are lacking in perspective
and pictorial depth. The use of sharp and contrasting
colours is negligible in many of the paintings made in
earth and vegetable matters.
Evidence gathered during this enquiry do not provide
adequate encompassing characteristics that could give
rise to the ascription of a regional tendency to
contemporary artistic creative output in the sub-region.
However, current practice of the arts in the sub-region,
as well as the products of the practice, seem to share a
certain salient feature; obscurantism. This obscurantist
nature of contemporary art in the region derives
essentially from a dearth of adequate knowledge of the
social significance of art to a people and their psyche.
The perception of art by contemporary artists of the
sub-region has been tainted by Western epistemology of
art. The imbibing of Western hedonistic conception of
art outside of its social relevance in development has
been the bane of many an African artist. The works
reviewed seem to pander to the dictates of the West and
its notion of aesthetics.
Objects of creative enterprise from pre-20th century
Africa were regarded largely as mere curios. Pioneers of
modern art in Africa, therefore, strove to distance
themselves from these products and methods that, indeed,
proceeded from a sustained and conscious process of
development and evolution. The pioneer artists strove to
prove their capabilities by “doing what the white man
could do”.
The West and its art market continue to dictate the
parameters for recognition of African art. Today, the
denigrated objects are back on centre-stage. Art from
Africa devoid of traditional canons are now not being
regarded as authentic. This has again created a fresh
frenzy among certain modern African artists with the
creation of the bizarre, irrational, and out rightly
unorganized visual imageries all in the name of creating
authentic African art. As a result of these constantly
shifting values, the artists of the region continue to
drift.
Contemporary artists of the sub-region seem to have
alienated themselves from the society. This is evident
in the structure and pattern of patronage. The reason
for this is not far-fetched; art has been taken away
from the streets and the communities and put in the
galleries and museums, places to which majority of the
public do not have access. This has made contemporary
art in Africa highly elitist.
Chief A.Y. Eke was quick in identifying the obscurantist
tendency of contemporary African art in the 1970s when
he observed that contemporary art seems to be detached
from the generality of people and that many citizens
complain that they cannot understand the content and
form of contemporary or modern art. He then pleaded that
it would be "wise to unfold the secret of appreciation
of the form of contemporary art to the public”.
This obscurantist tendency has continued some 40 years
after Eke spoke. Today, artists tell verbal stories
about their works. They have to explain because they are
no longer understood. But, art is a language. So why is
the contemporary artist not communicating? Why does he
have to support his visual form with verbal
explanations?
The bottom line of all these is that today’s artist, is
engaged in artistic soliloquy. He is talking to himself,
or at the best, talking to only those within his elitist
group. In this process, the contemporary artist
continues to alienate himself from the society. As a
consequence, society is alienated from art.
It is within its obscurantism, in its alienated state
and elitist positioning, in the continuing state of
artistic soliloquy can we say that there is a
commonality that binds the works of contemporary West
African artists. Perhaps, it is on such a basis that we
can talk of a sub-regional style in West Africa.
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