The Dream |
From
introductory essay of the 39-month wall calendar, DREAMS OF MY BROTHER:
VISIONS
OF OBAMA
BY FOLK AND POPOULAR AFRICAN ARTISTS, by George Jevremovic
Welcome proof that there is no such thing as "the art world," only worlds of art, are the legions of folk and popular artists in Africa, from Ghana to Kenya, Togo to Mali, whose painted works on board, canvas, metal or wall surface— seen daily by an audience of millions—provide visual branding and identity to thousands of small businesses and enterprises: beauty salons, tailors, cinemas, grocery stores; on and on. From free-standing ma and pa's to itinerant vendors, late-night cafes to trucks for hire, herbalists to hairstylists, their commissioned works serve the common, practical purpose of advertising anywhere: to stand out and be noticed.
For a first-time visitor, it can be exhilarating and shocking: global and local brands, African and non-African celebrities and international icons; all appropriated and rendered in a mosaic of popular and homegrown styles, languages and regional dialects; all competing for the attention of the passerby. Many are signed and dated or feature a studio's logo, and every day more of them display cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses drawn with the fluid skill of a calligrapher.
Traveling to West Africa in the 90's in search of traditional textiles, artifacts, carvings, I felt that nothing made a greater impression—from city to countryside—than the signs, banners, portraits and messages along the way. Veering from service- oriented to visionary, product-focused to didactic, informative to apocryphal, they were testament to the fact that human creativity is as abundant as it is uneven. They recalled a time when, out of necessity, all signs were "read by hand."
While commissioned works by definition fit the specific needs of clients, many—particularly those made to showcase the roadside venues of the artists themselves, or which lean casually upright in a corner of a studio—reveal a strong spirit of "art for art's sake." Such works are filled with personal agendas, irony, politics, word- play, invention, and an impulse to think outside the margins and stay a step ahead of the pack.
When art forges deep connections in the cauldrons of commerce and culture, in places like Nima and Teshie (two thriving communities of Accra), categories blur into new focus, releasing talent and vision, turning western concepts of art as luxury upside down, or—more aptly—inside out. Reputations are earned as they are made, testing apprentices and attracting commissions. Just as new styles flourish in the open air (so much painting is done outdoors in plain sight!) they also fade rapidly away, taking on the patina of age, exposed to the corrosive elements of wind and weather, not to mention changes in fashion and popular taste.
What remains constant, what keeps filling the oncoming, clattering void of market days and processions, is the energy of communities of artists to adapt and change, to serve the pulse and needs of a real audience, with work meant for— mostly—outdoor display. Interestingly, in many places—especially in West Africa—demand has increased rather than diminished over time, reflecting the growth of small businesses and enterprises that find the hand-painted sign an affordable, aesthetically preferable alternative to the machine-printed one.
Exhibitions in recent decades at international museums and galleries, along with the publication of books, articles and catalogues, have raised public awareness of what can objectively be described as one of the most vibrant, popular— not to mention entrepreneurial—grassroots art movements in the world.
We hope our calendar and related exhibition will add to a growing appreciation and understanding of folk and popular African art, with a twist that is timely and could not have been predicted: the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. . .
Continued on page 2 (of 3) »
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