AFIRCAN ART AND THE ART MARKET ON A GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL SCENE
In my final presentation I would like to talk about the market for African Art in the international scene. As an artist, interested in the cultural and tribal component of Africa, I am drawn in creating works touching on such issue.First of all I think that it is important to define what African Art is. African art is art that was used and valued for its functionality, its decorative and symbolic designs, as well as its spiritual connotations all while embodying the aspects of aesthetic qualities to form a complete whole.
Over the years African artists have grown to intertwine contemporary context into the traditional African art system, making it very effective to the new world. The problem here is there is no market for it, most of these very expressive and great works rich in culture and context are not even known to the public. There isn’t much publicity going on. I know that in years to come there is going to be a boost in the African art on a global scene, but my concern is how is it going to affect African art and artist.
I have not found many African artist on the international scene but few, who are doing well, however, I my concern is in this presentation is to research if there is an interest in African art at all. If so, what are the possible ways of proposing this move to the international scene? Are the people of Africa, first of all interested in the works being made by their own people? Because if they are not why should they expect other people to admire the works; charity, they say begins at home. In “what is African art? Support notes for teachers” it is said that Art historians acknowledge that an appreciation of art is enhanced by understanding the purposes for which things were made and used and the social and cultural contexts which give them their aesthetic and symbolic value. For Western art we might want to go beyond the values which the artists themselves proclaim to consider, also the social role of the galleries and other places where it is displayed. And in a world now dominated by the values of the market, perhaps we should also acknowledge the market value which plays such an important part in our judgments of African as well as Western art. It is for this reason that Picasso drew inspiration from African tribal art. He regretted that the Western tradition lost touch with the primordial sense of image-making as a magic operation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK6qZuHBbmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=gQYcbYJRYbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dt9-drWHUc&feature=related
http://ncartmuseum.org/calendar/event/2012/02/19/lecture_looking_at_african_art_in_the_21st_century/
http://www.international.ucla.edu/calendar/showevent.asp?eventid=8393
http://www.international.ucla.edu/calendar/showevent.asp?eventid=8390
El Anatsui
Danu
2006
Aluminum & Copper Wire
200 x 300 cm
Chazen Museum, Wisconsin University, USA
1 Comment
Cheryl Finley
Dear Kwame, this is a great topic close to my heart. El Antasui is a great example of a contemporary African artist, who has received international acclaim and has a strong standing in the art market. You might also look at the work of Yinka Shonibare, Chris Offili, Seydou Keita, and Iké Udé, among others. The Jack Shainman Gallery in New York represents a number of flourishing contemporary African artists, including Anatsui and Samuel Fosso. The noted curator Okwui Enwezor from Nigeria has mounted several noteworthy shows in the US and abroad, notably at Documenta 11 in Kassel Germany in 2002, which brought to the international art world the work of contemporary African Artists. Finally, you might also consider the biennale circuit, especially on the continent, in Cairo, Johannesburg (discontinued in 1999), and in Dakar. In fact, the most vibrant biennale on the continent is Dak'art, which has been going on now for 20 years. These are just some suggestions either for focusing your topic (i.e on a particular artist or two; on a biennale; on noted exhibitions; or on a gallery that shows contemporary African art. I hope this is helpful. I suggest you try to hone in your topic by using an example from your research thus far or one of the ideas presented above. Let me know how I can help.