Art Gèlèdè, miroir d'une société

The Musée Africain of Lyon is currently showing an exhibition showcasing the art of the Gelede tradition. Devoted to the honor of women, Gelede are the most important spectacles in the Yoruba-Nagos culture, mainly located in eastern Benin, southwestern Nigeria and eastern Togo. The Gelede tradition was born in Benin in the late eighteenth century, and is still very much alive today among the Yoruba, Nago and Fon cultures. The exhibition features thirty masks and objects from the Jean-Yves Augel collection.

For more information, visit the official website.

Image courtesy of the Musée Africain de Lyon

The Colonial Album at the Pitt Rivers Museum

This exhibition shows how very ‘ordinary’ albums from the colonial period can provide a unique insight into the colonial experience. Colonial albums are common, owned by many families who were involved in colonial activities, such as administration, missions, engineering, medical work or teaching. They are now recognized as important historical documents, and yet they are rarely seen.

The albums exhibited were produced by Percy Coriat, Ernest Emley and William Freer Hill between 1905 and 1935, and relate to periods spent in Sudan, Kenya, and Nigeria respectively. All three use photography as a tool to communicate and record the relationships between different cultures within a colonial context.

Visit the exhibition's official website.

Pagan hunter (print enlargement) -  William Freer Hill  -  Nigeria, 1905–1915

Album  -  William Freer Hill  -  Nigeria, 1905–1915

Album  -  E. D. Emley  -  Kenya, 1914–1948

Album  -  Percy Coriat  -  Sudan, 1928–1931

Text and images courtesy of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art at Kean University

Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art, on view through April 18 at Kean University’s Karl and Helen Burger Gallery, comprises twenty-eight Yoruba masterpieces from Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, all sourced from the collection of the Newark Museum. The pieces in the show, which were produced from the late nineteenth through the twentieth century, highlight the relationship between art and the spiritual world.

Visit the exhibition's official website.

Staff of authority, ipawo ase  -  Nigeria

Crown, ade abetiaja  -  Nigeria, 1970s

Twin figure, ere ibeji  -  Nigeria, 20th century

Sword of authority, ida ase  -  Nigeria, 19th–20th century

Dance vest with Esu figures  -  Nigeria, 19th–20th century

Divination tray, opon ifa  -  Nigeria, first half of 20th century  -  Attributed to Areogun or atelier

Egungun mask  -  Nigeria, 20th century

Information and images courtesy of Kean University and the Newark Museum.

Yoruba Ibeji Twins

Ibeji figures represent deceased twins born to Yoruba mothers, who have the highest rate of twin pregnancies in the world. After a twin's death, this small, wooden effigy figure is fed, bathed, clothed, and offered the same loving care that Yoruba women lavish on living infants and especially surviving twins.

This pair of ibeji, from the Egba clan, present a marvelous example of classic Yoruba art. Darkened with a rich patina and sporting vivid coiffures, their deep tones of brown and blue are heightened by the sparing but effective addition of red beads, providing a gorgeous contrast of elemental hues. Scarifications present on the cheeks, chests, and arms complete the range of detail on these carefully crafted twins, subtly but eloquently evoking living identity and persona.

Visit us at JacarandaTribal.com

New Acquisitions at Jacaranda Tribal

A beautiful new group of African antiques is now available at Jacaranda Tribal. Ranging from snuff gourds to masks and implements of war, our diverse range of new acquisitions offer a wealth of gorgeous textures and forms from across the African continent. South African works predominate in the assemblage, joined by objects representing cultures from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, and the Congo. Seen below are a selection of this season's offerings. The full range of new acquisitions in on view at our website (link below).

Ibibio ekpo society mask

Nigeria - Early 20th century

Kota knife with sheath

 Congo - Late 19th or early 20th century

Shield

Ethiopia - 20th century

Ndebele fertility doll

South Africa - Early 20th century

Zulu beadwork panel

South Africa - Late 19th or early 20th century

Zulu beaded neckpiece

South Africa - Late 19th or early 20th century

Nyakusa pot

Tanzania or Zambia - 20th century

Visit us on the web for more details on our new acquisitions and much, much more.

Happy holidays!

Zemanek-Münster's 62nd Tribal Art Auction This Saturday

Zemanek-Münster's 62nd Tribal Art Auction takes place this Saturday, September 4, 2010.

The auction features a substantial amount of authentic old objects from Africa, America and Oceania. Over 500 objects are featured in the catalog, with highlights from Gabon, Nigeria, Mali, the Ivory Coast, Congo and Indonesia.

A special section is reserved for the region of East Africa, and in particular, Tanzania. Some 200 objects, all a part of the former exhibition "Tansania - Glaube, Kult und Geisterwelt" are included. The exhibit, shown in 2007 in the "Kultur-und Stadthistorische Museum" of the city of Duisburg and in 2009, in the "Haus der Volker," Schwaz (Austria), displays works from the private collection of Ralf Schulte-Bahrenberg.

Schulte-Bahrenberg (1934-2010) was responsible for organizing local jazz festivals in his native Germany. He was best known for his role as co-organizer of the German concerts of pop music sensations- The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

The tribal art auction house Zemanek-Münster, is located in Würzburg, Germany. Established in 1978, they are Europe's only auction house specializing exclusively in non-European, fine tribal art. Holding four auctions a year, Zemanek-Münster features a variety of works of the Luba, Baule, Lobi, Senufo, Songye, Fang and Punu tribes, as well as works from Oceania.

The auction takes place Saturday at 2 pm at their location in Würzburg.

Source: Zemanek-Münster

"Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria" Begins at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Exhibition Reminder!!

The critically acclaimed exhibition Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria begins its four-venue U.S. tour at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, on September 19, 2010. The exhibition was most recently at the British Museum, London, where the work was hailed as "humanely observed and crafted with genius" and as the kind of art "whose greatness pre-exists and survives us." (The Guardian)

The exhibition has been co-organized by the Museum for African Art, New York City, and the Fundación Marcelino Botín, Satander, Spain, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Schedule:

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 19, 2010 - January 9, 2011

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, February 12 - May 22, 2011

Indianapolis Museum of Art, July 8 - October 9, 2011

Museum for African Art, New York City, November 11, 2011 - March 4, 2012

Exhibition:

Devoted to the art of Ife, the ancient city-state of the Yoruba people of West Africa (in present-day southwestern Nigeria), Dynasty and Divinity features more than 100 extraordinary brass, terra-cotta, and stone sculptures, ranging in date from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries. Many of the works have never before been on display outside Nigeria.

Through a great diversity of objects, the exhibition reveals the remarkably creative range of Ife art. Included are handsome idealized portrait heads, exquisite miniatures, expressive caricatures of old age, lively animals, and sculptures showing the impressive regalia worn by Ife's kings and queens. Together, these illuminate one of the world's greatest art centers and demonstrate not only the technological sophistication of Ife artists, but also their rich aesthetic language.

The University of Iowa Museum of Art presents Ere Ibeji: Yoruba Twin Figures from the Collection of J. Richard Simons

Opening Thursday September 2, 2010
On view through October in Iowa Memorial Union's Black Box Theater

Ere Ibeji: Yoruba Twin Figures from the Collection of J. Richard Simon features the extraordinary 300-piece twin figure collection of UI Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Industrial Engineering J. Richard Simon. In the Yoruba culture of southwest Nigeria, twins are believed to be spirited, unpredictable, fearless, and agents of good luck. However, there and elsewhere in Africa, twins suffer a high mortality rate. With fragile health, one or both twins may fail to survive and after death, the mother commissions a six-to-eight inch ere ibeji, or twin figure, to be cared for just as a family member for generations to come.

Professor Simon has been collecting ere ibeji for over two decades and currently has one of the largest collections in the world. He has generously promised his figures to the University of Iowa Museum of Art.

Two events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition: Christopher Roy's gallery talk on September 16 and a symposium, Images of Twins: ere ibeji of Nigeria's Yoruba people, on October 8. Participants include: Professor John Pemberton, Amherst College, Professor Marilyn Houlberg, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and George Chemeche, artist and collector, New York.

Ere Ibeji: Yoruba Twin Figures from the Collection of J. Richard Simon is curated by Christopher Roy, UI art history professor and Elizabeth M. Stanley, Faculty Fellow of African Art.

Source: University of Iowa Museum of Art

Nigeria's art collectors: A niche new market

In a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria's business capital, Yemisi Shyllon lives in a house full of bronze statues of African tribal rulers and brightly colored beadwork landscapes. He may be Nigeria's biggest art collector, with some 6,000 pieces by his count. "I don't go out much," he says, "I have enough to look at here."

Mr. Shyllon, who runs an engineering company, is one of a small circle of Nigerian businessmen who own huge collections of local art. Sammy Olagbaju, a 70-year-old retired stockbroker who has lived in London and New York, is another avid collector. One Lagos-based banker has over 600 pieces.

With 250 ethnic groups and around 150 million people, Africa's most populous country has many sources of artistic inspiration. A number of artists from western Nigeria use the bright colors and beadwork of the Yoruba, south-east sometimes look to their region's uli style, with simpler drawings on walls or pots.

The collectors say their government cares little about preserving this artistic heritage. They share the cynicism of many Nigerians, who think the politicians are more eager to grab a share of the revenues of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producer. Instead, the collectors prefer to put their own money into gathering and cataloguing thousands of works of art. "For me, this is a philanthropic act," says Mr. Olagbaju, who notes that Nigeria's top public galleries struggle with power cuts that leave masterpieces gathering dust in the dark.

More recently, these collectors have realized that they have also been canny investors. Their hobby has started to attract foreign attention - and cash. At an auction of African art in New York in March, the five most expensive lots were Nigerian. A painting by the late Ben Enwonwu went for $91,000.

Some buyers are speculating that the Nigerian works are still undervalued. Giles Peppiatt, director of contemporary African art at Bonhams, a British auction house that hosted the New York sale, says prices will rise in this niche market.

Auctions are also happening in Lagos, where oil and banking have made a few very rich, though most people still live in grinding poverty. "There's a lot of money in Nigeria," says Mr. Peppiatt. "And though it might sound cynical, money and art are inextricably linked."

Source: The Economist Online

Museum Announces U.S. Tour of "Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria" Exhibition

The Museum for African Art, New York, has announced the U.S. tour of the important exhibition Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria. Devoted to the art of Ife, the ancient city-state of the Yoruba people of West Africa (in present-day southwestern Nigeria), Dynasty and Divinity has been co-organized by the Fundación Marcelino Botín and the Museum, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The exhibition (with the title Kingdom of Ife: Sculptures from West Africa) is on view through June 6, 2010, at the British Museum, London, where it has received widespread critical and public acclaim. Following its presentation there, it will travel to the U.S., opening at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, on September 19, 2010, and concluding its tour in November 2011 at the Museum for African Art, where it will be among the inaugural exhibitions in the Museum’s new building, which opens in April of that year.

Dynasty and Divinity features more than 100 extraordinary bronze, terra-cotta, and stone sculptures, ranging in date from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries, many of which have never been on display outside of Nigeria. All of the objects in the exhibition are on loan from the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Museum for African Art President Elsie McCabe Thompson states, “The selection brought together in Dynasty and Divinity is profoundly moving, both in its beauty and by the intense human emotions that motivated Ife artists. In addition, this is the first exhibition outside of Ife itself to focus exclusively on these remarkable works, and thus the first to offer a vivid portrait of the culture of this ancient Yoruba city-state. The exhibition reminds us that the legacy of Ife art extends far beyond the boundaries of Nigeria, continuing to inspire people and cultures across the globe. The Museum for African Art is thrilled to be working in partnership with the Fundación Marcelino Botín on this major project, and is delighted to continue the exhibition’s tour in the United States.”

Over the course of some four centuries, artists at Ife created sculpture that ranks among the most aesthetically striking and technically sophisticated in the world. Today, the city of Ife is still a spiritual heartland for the 29 million Yoruba people living in Nigeria and countless descendants in the Americas and elsewhere in the world. The present Ooni, or traditional ruler, of Ife, His Royal Majesty Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olabuse II, heads one of the longest surviving monarchies in the world. Some of the objects in the exhibition, including a copper mask said to represent the fourteenth-century ruler Obalufon II, were kept in the Ooni’s palace until the 1950s, when they were transferred to the Nigerian Department of Antiquities for purposes of conservation, study, and display. Dynasty and Divinity reveals the extraordinarily creative range of Ife art through a diversity of objects that includes handsome idealized portrait heads, exquisite miniatures, expressive caricatures of old age, monsters, lively animals, and sculptures showing the impressive regalia worn by Ife’s kings and queens. Together, these illuminate one of the world’s greatest art centers and demonstrate not only the technological sophistication of Ife artists, but also the rich aesthetic language they developed in order to convey cultural concerns.

The sculptures in the exhibition demonstrate the dignity and self-assurance readily associated with the idea of dynasty and the violence and misfortune that could befall human beings. Several superbly crafted copper alloy and terra-cotta heads and figures, for example, are expressive representations of the notion of authority, while startling representations of disease and deformity, rendered in stone and terra-cotta, show the afflictions that may result from both divine and worldly forces.

Among the exhibition’s many masterpieces are a group of life-size copper portrait heads, carved stone animals, and the spectacular seated male figure found in the town of Tada, Nigeria, shown dressed in an elaborate textile. Like many of the objects in the exhibition, the figure, dating from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, was still part of a shrine in use in the early twentieth century. Two important bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin show the link between Ife and Benin, whose traditional ruler is thought to be descended from the royal Ife dynasty.

U.S. Tour Schedule
Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria opened at the Fundación Marcelino Botín, in Santander, Spain, in June 2009, and traveled to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid prior to its presentation at the British Museum. The exhibition’s U.S. tour is as follows:

• September 19, 2010 – January 9, 2011: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
• February 19 – May 22, 2011: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
• July 10 – October 9, 2011: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
• November 11, 2011 – March 4, 2012: Museum for African Art, New York, NY

Source: artdaily.org

African Artwork 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle' Unveiled in London's Iconic Trafalgar Square

Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, became the first African artist to display artwork in any public space in Great Britain, when he unveiled his work 'Nelson's Ship in a Bottle' in London's Trafalgar Square on May 24. Yinka's piece, sitting on top of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, consists of a scale model of Nelson's HMS Victory set in a glass bottle, and is the largest recorded ship in a bottle in the world, measuring 2.8M by 4.7M. The ship's 37 large sails are made of exuberant and richly patterned African cloth, and symbolise African identity and independence. The artwork is sponsored by Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria who earlier in 2010 registered another first when it sponsored Chris Ofili's collection at Tate Britain, making it the first African corporation to sponsor a major artwork in Great Britain. Available video includes shots of the artwork being crafted, video from the unveiling as well and soundbites with Yinka Shonibare, Guaranty Trust Bank CEO, Tayo Aderinokun, and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Source: The News Market

Nigeria: Repositioning African Art With Afrocentric Affinities

With the current advancement in technology all over the world, African art, as it were has remained the same in the eyes of the world. Though several industries in Nigeria can be said to have evolved from the old way of doing things in recent times, Nigerian and indeed African art still has a lot to do to gain acceptance in the eyes of the world.

To some, African artists have not left their contemporary themes of paintings and they still rely on the old methods. To correct this impression is Nigerian born, but American-based seasoned artist, Ajogu Idachaba, who has come up with his exhibition titled, Afrocentric Affinities.

Said he: "I live in the U.S. and over time, I have found out that a lot of people have misconceptions about African arts and about how Africans approach art. People don't know what we have and they look at it within the context of being fetish. They don't understand that we have progressed beyond that point and even deep traits of contemporary art expressions can be found in most of our works and the way we use colours and so I use my work as a medium to address these. As much as we take the very traits that reflect our work, we also have to transcend that image that we have been boxed in"

The artist explains that the core emphasis of Afrocentricity as he puts it, is giving credence to what the people of African descent bring to the table of global discourse as it relates to culture, philosophy, history, economics and the dynamics of everyday life and living. The motifs that define our traditional architecture, our textile prints, sculpture pieces and our paintings and drawings - all seem to speak loudly of the undeniable weight of the riches and depth of our ethnic heritage.

"I want people to feel something heavy, ominous, powerful and compelling in my work at the same moment, not overlooking the underlining thread that defines who we are as a people with phenomenal ethnic values. I've never come across anyone working in the public sphere, in the arts, who has not had a longing to reach people. I've been opportune to study great minds within the creative community, and we all have this longing to connect," he added.
With over 30 works on display at the exhibition which is scheduled for May 15 to May 20, the artist said Afrocentric Affinities which comes in series is not an attempt to totally revamp African art but rather, to redefine its stance in the eyes of the world.

The array of colours on display at the exhibition testifies to the fact that Affrocentric Affinities as a topic might well have been addressed. Through several colour schemes, the artist tries to redefine Nigerian art in the eyes of his foreign counterparts. Sprout, for example is a work that stems from deep imagination of the evolution of flower. The artist explains that the work stems from his fascination of nature at work.

"I grew up in the village and my dad used to have a lot of farmlands and because of the artist in me, I usually am very fascinated at what I see in the bushes. Sometimes I switch off from everybody and when I see a flower that is sprouting, with intense observation, I look at the colours, the dynamics and even the entire beauty of nature and I take the image and store it in my memory until the right time when I want to put them on my canvass," he exlained.

This, he added, is a far cry from the regular painting of a Fulani woman carrying a calabash, a Yoruba man beating a drum or a Benin mask.

Though art has become more contemporary, the artist tries to draw a line between the modern and the old as reflected in the painting, Ethnic Percussions. Ethnic Percussions, in its own way tries to portray traditional topics and values, using a contemporary colour format.

On his choice of colour scheme, Idachaba said it is defined by his mood. Another sound, for instance, he said reflects excitement.

His words: "Sometimes I get so excited that it seems my heart is beating very fast; so I try to capture that moment with the colour scheme that comes to my mind."

Put together for over a period of three years, Idachaba explains that Affrocentric Affinities also tries to take art across several categories of people. "I've never known an artist who only wants to connect with intellectual elite, a very small fragment of our society where one's merit needs to be proven. Now, all of us who are ambitious want that as well. And all of us who go through a process of engaging in something like art-making are fully aware of how much we're chastened by education, by refining our impulses and our thinking and being able to consider deeper exploration. I love the philosophical, intellectual framing of things. I think it's incredibly rich," he said.

The Ahmadu Bello University trained artist who worked creatively for over 20 years, combining his formal training with being a studio artist, said when he entered the university he saw no need to formally study arts because his father had grilled him in the various aspects of it so much so that though he school in a secondary school where the subject of arts was not taught, he nevertheless took the subject during his General Certificate Examinations (GCE), and came out with an A.

"My father was very attentive to detail and he made sure I was just painting without purpose. Daily I got assignments from him, which I had to creatively produce and sometimes I would do over 10 works thinking I had created 10 masterpieces and he would look over them and choose just one.

Over the years Idachaba said he had experimented with various media in a bid to express his creative thoughts and he had discovered that the urgency of the work most times determined the medium with which he expressed it. He explains that when the creative release of a piece he had been brooding over hits, he normally preferred to use acrylic as his medium of expression because it dried quickly thus it allowed him work quickly. On the other hand, he says, whenever he wants to pace himself and exercise patience while painting aspects of a particular piece as the creative release comes, the use of oil becomes handy as no one can hurriedly finish a work of art that is based on oil.

From the U.S., Idachaba comes with a piece of advice for African artists. "I am very particular about the issue of patience. A lot of artists want to make it very fast. They have all the talents but they need to understand that the seasoning of an artist takes time. I have been painting for 20 years and I can not say that I have stepped into that point where I see tremendous success. There have been opportunities here and there but it takes time to come out as a seasoned artist. Also, a lot of artists here need to find a forum of collaboration. One of the tremendous points of artists and even the printing community in the United States is that they form themselves into coalitions and groups which give them a voice," he said.

Source: allafrica.com

By: Ovwe Medeme

Sculpture Deemed Too Complex for Africa Could Be Real After All

Ever since a pure copper sculpture was found buried in a palm grove near the Nigerian city of Ife, experts from the West have argued that the artefact was a fake that was too sophisticated to have been created by African hands.

Found in 1910, the "Olokun head" left Western curators doubting that such a technically advanced work of art could have been created by indigenous people. Years later, they even began to doubt its authenticity, claiming that the original had been sold illegally and the one which remained in Nigeria was an ingenious copy. But now, new science is set to turn past wisdom on its head. There is a growing belief among contemporary curators that the "counterfeit" sculpture is the real thing, according to The Art Newspaper.

When it first travelled to the British Museum in 1948, it was exhibited as a copy; scholars claimed it was made from a blend of ancient materials that had been melted down, while the real work of art was thought to have been smuggled out of Africa by a European or American collector. The artwork, now on its second visit to the British Museum, where it is currently displayed again as a "replica" will undergo a thorough scientific investigation next month to establish the truth, once and for all.

Nigel Barley, a former British Museum curator who briefly examined the head in January, believes it may well be the original. Enid Schildkrout, from New York's Museum for African Art and curator of the current exhibition at the British Museum, agrees. If, she said, the real treasure had in fact been stolen, "it is surprising that the original has never reappeared".
It was first found by Leo Frobenius, a German anthropologist who had heard rumblings of a buried sculpture in a palm grove, just outside Ife, near a shrine dedicated to the goddess of the sea, Olokun. He organised a dig to investigate, and found the artwork.

Some days later, the colonial administration seized the sculpture on the grounds that it was sacred and should be returned to its original site, before it was transferred to the Ife Museum. One theory that emerged was that Frobenius commissioned a replica when he was instructed to hand over the artefact, and smuggled the original out of the country.

At the time of discovery, the head was considered too great a masterpiece to have been created by indigenous African artists a reflection of prevailing attitudes of the early 20th century. Some Europeans even theorised that the work was a remnant from the lost city of Atlantis. A spokeswoman for the British Museum said when the head travelled to the West, it caused a huge stir because "it flew in the face of Western perceptions" (of African heritage and cultural achievements).

It is now accepted by the curatorial community that the advanced artistic techniques used to create the sculpture were "more advanced than those of Renaissance Italy, and comparable to those of [the artist] Donatello".

Such sculptures, discovered in Nigeria and neighbouring Benin, were sold on the open market for under £100, in some instances, during the 1950s. This particular work was surrounded by various myths and beliefs, but it was not actually examined until 1948, when it left Nigeria and specialists at the British Museum declared it was a replica.

Since then, curators have cast doubt over the idea that Frobenius organised the deceit, not least because it is highly unlikely that such a complicated replica which was found to be made from authentically ancient materials could have been made in such a short space of time.

Source: www.archaeologydaily.com

Sizing Up A Shift In Boston’s Art Scene

Last week’s news that the Judi Rotenberg Gallery will close its doors in late June comes as a blow to the contemporary art scene in Boston and to the gallery scene on Newbury Street.

The gallery opened in 1971, and for many years it was a sleepy venue for expressionist art. Judi Rotenberg’s daughter Abigail Ross Goodman took the helm in 2001, and together with codirector Kristen Dodge turned the gallery into a space for smart, provocative, often cutting-edge art. Their roster includes hot commodities such as the video and performance team Carlson/Strom and conceptual artist Dave Cole, who has knit, among other things, a giant American flag, using utility poles as needles.

Several galleries have closed or left Newbury Street in the last two years, many due to the struggling economy. Ross Goodman says that closing Rotenberg is a personal decision, not an economic one. “I’m ready to shift my relationship to the art world in a new direction,’’ she said in an interview.

There are still strong art galleries on Newbury Street, such as its flagship Barbara Krakow Gallery, as well as Miller Block Gallery and Gallery NAGA, among others. Maybe with a reviving economy, new commercial galleries will open there. But with the exit of Rotenberg, the street is languishing; Harrison Avenue has a higher concentration of galleries, and a more forward-thinking approach to art.

Ross Goodman and Dodge developed a powerful presence and an attention to young, emerging artists in a neighborhood where the art tends to be more conservative. They also kept their commitment to many of the painters the gallery represented before they came on, straddling two demographics, and opening a world of video and conceptual art to collectors of paintings.

They have embodied and helped finesse a shift of interest in Boston toward truly contemporary art, spearheaded by the revitalized Institute of Contemporary Art. It’s sad to see them go.

Two galleries that show traditional art have exhibits up that are evidence of a growing local passion for new work. “Clothes Make the Man?’’ at Childs Gallery and “Counterpoint: The Voices of John Walker and African Art’’ at the Hamill Gallery of Tribal Art mix contemporary art with the venues’ regular inventory. Both exhibits are ambitious.

Hamill Gallery has a better space to work with — a lofty space that suits the often large-scale, bold, juicy abstract paintings of John Walker, who has chosen an array of masks and sculptures to exhibit with his work. The matchup, even under pallid fluorescent lights, is stunning.

These paintings, many never before exhibited, date from the 1980s to the present. A viewer can follow Walker’s signature forms: the rectilinear hourglass inspired by Goya’s portrait of the Duchess of Alba; the soldier with a sheep’s head who represents the artist’s father, a World War I veteran; the more recent tidal landscapes, playgrounds for paint inspired by summers in Maine. There are occasional direct evocations of tribal art: a shield from Papua New Guinea appears in “Oceania for Rachel.’’

The crosscultural connections are breathtaking. “Homage to My Father’’ features the sheep-headed soldier moldering in dark ochre tones (and a white halo) as well as a cartoon version of the figure. Several sheep’s-head puppets from Mali perch nearby, leering, funny, and dark, accentuating the painting’s morbidity and its magic.

Three gorgeous landscapes grouped together sport high horizon lines. To look at them is to drop into what lies below that line — muddy low tide coursing with gullies and dotted with boulders, or underwater, with glimpses of fish and serpentine sea creatures. Sitting before the paintings on a low platform are three Nigerian headdresses representing fish, in the same gray, speckled tones as two of the paintings. In a corner, a bird sculpture from Guinea has an S-curved neck that echoes the snaking form in the painting beside it.

The confluences between Walker’s paintings and the African objects add a startling dimension to canvases already roiling with life and grief.

“Clothes Make the Man?,’’ curated by William Stover, late of the contemporary department at the Museum of Fine Arts, also makes some terrific pairings, but the exhibit suffers from being crammed to the rafters of Childs Gallery, where it is hung salon-style.

The show examines costume and performance’s part in the perception of identity, a theme prevalent in contemporary art lately. It includes work by Triiibe and Caleb Cole, who photograph themselves in costume, and drawings by Cobi Moules and Ria Brodell, who examine gender through self-portraits. Brodell’s subdued “Self-Portrait as an Old Man (whittling)’’ hangs beneath an undated 20th-century portrait by Leo Blake, “The Sheriff,’’ who, like Brodell’s old man, is grizzled and gruff.

It’s a delight to look at some of the older works, such as William Merritt Chase’s charming 1881 painting “Dancing Girl,’’ through Stover’s 21st-century lens. Plump and blushing, with her hand to her forehead, the Italian street dancer performs for change. She has put on her demeanor, just as she has put on her clothes, and just as the three women in Triiibe, across the gallery, doll themselves up to go bar hopping in “Compatibility Quiz.’’

Source: Boston.com

By: Cate McQuaid

Nigeria's Nike Art Gallery’s Twist Climb of the Auction stake…

At last, the planned maiden edition of the 1st African Art Auction by Nike Art and Culture Foundation held last Saturday on the ground flour of the gallery at Lekki. The Nike organized art auction came in the heels of other auctions conducted by ArtHouse Contemporary and Tribes Art Gallery. The success of these auctions point to the fact that the Nigerian Visual Art Sub sector is finally keying into emerging secondary art market.

Despite the low turn out of invitees at the event , coupled with the fact that the auction took off about an hour behind schedule added with the failure of the appointed auctioneer in carrying out his duty, a situation that forced Prince Yemisi Shyllon the founder of OYASAF and one of the Patrons of the centre to take over the job, and he surprised everybody when he performed the duty of the auctioneer excellently.

The auction which witnessed the presence of few art patrons and artists was unique in many ways: first, it went down into history as the first auction that was done by an indigenous auctioneer and second, it remain the only auction in the country that has included photography in its auction items.

In all, the total sales was over six million for only 20 works out of the 140 works that were put up for sale. There were probably about 50 works bided that didn’t come up to the reserve.

The highest work sold was lot 44, a piece by Ben Enwonwu Untitled Landscape 1970, oil on canvas.

It went for N1,650,000. It was followed by Ben Osawe’s Untitled Sculpture 1971, Bronze and Images, oil on canvas by Bruce Onabrakpeya that went for N700,000.00 and N600,000.00 respectively.

Other works sold included works by Emmanuel Dudu, Nike and Tola, Rom Isichei, Jimoh Buraimoh etc. and pictures by Adolphus Opara. It was fun as the guest were treated with the best choice wine by the host, while the students of Nike Art Centre in Osogbo gorgeously dressed in their beautiful Adire clothes entertained the visitors with traditional dance.

The auction ended around 5.00 pm with another unique action by Mr Reuben Okundaye , the husband of Nike who as a true African man poured libation to the ancestors for a successful auction.

Commenting on the auction, Ms. Donnie Day Patriaca, the Business Manager of the centre said “while it was somewhat disappointing, it’s really not bad for a first time show. Also, I think our timing on the show being just a week after Easter hurt the attendance, and the attendance was extremely low for the number of invites sent.

It was a great learning experience for all the gallery employees who had never had an auction, including Nike & Reuben, and it was a great learning experience for me in having auctions in Lagos. That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and we will definitely be much wiser about timing and hiring the right person for auctioneer and the right printer.”

Chief Frank Okonta, AGAN president commended Mrs Nike for all her efforts towards putting arts in a proper perspective. “I am one of those who like to see innovations. Many people are afraid to start something, but Nike is not. Look at the building she built for arts and today she has brought most of the artists and gallery owners together for her auction, I love what she is doing, she is a credible woman.”

For the SNA chairman, Oliver Enwonwu, “I think it is a step in the right direction and I am very happy that we have a number of auctions going on in Nigeria. It is a good thing for arts because it gives more value to arts, it makes people to see the inherent values of arts as an investment potential. So, I think that in due time we will stabilize. Nike has done very well..”

For Engr. Yemisi Shyllon “This is her first auction. It is a learning process and am sure that the second auction will be better than this. The works that were packaged are okay. But in all, one should give kudos for a woman of substance who has made inroads into auction apart from the great inroad she has made in life.”

For Nike,“today’s event has really put me to know what to do next time. It is very good because if you don’t start something you wont know where you are going.”

Source: Vanguard

By Japhet Alakam

I See Africa Enlightens Cincinnati

I See Africa is a group show offering artists' concepts of Africa's influence through sculpture, painting and photography, including the work of Nigerian photographer Alfred Olusegun Fayemi.

"Fayemi's photographs articulate the realities of contemporary Africa and Africans," curator Barbara Gamboa says. "They traverse a wide spectrum in the rhythm of the daily lives of Africans, from the resplendent attire of African women in markets and churches, to children playing with home-made toys to crowded classrooms; from pounding yam to grinding pepper; from street minstrels and itinerant musicians to open-air dancing parties in far-flung locations like Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia."

The show also features artists James Haase, Queen Brooks, Cynthia Lockhart and Elliott Jordan with contemporary work inspired by traditional African art. Educational exhibits and African artifacts on loan from Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Museum Center and private individuals provide cultural context.

Through June 5. Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Saturday, free; preview 6-8 p.m. tonight includes a gallery talk by Fayemi, music and East African food. Tickets $30 per person at www.kennedyarts.com and 513-631-4278. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 6546 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights.

In conjunction with I See Africa, Kennedy Heights Arts Center will present an African Culture Fest from 1-6 p.m. May 2 with music and dance, activities provided by Cincinnati Art Museum.

Source: Cincinnati.com

By: Jackie Demaline

Joseph EZE: Assemblage Art Made in Nigeria

The source of the below write-up is "a view from my corner blog" http://jesscastellote.wordpress.com/ by Jess Castellote

At the beginning of last century Picasso and the cubists started applying paper collages on their canvases and creating sculptural forms made of found objects (“objets trouvés”) and discarded materials. Incorporating materials traditionally not used for art into an artwork was at that time a defiant action but it opened many formal possibilities to artists.

There was a gradual change, but for many decades the shift was within the boundaries of predominantly formal (aesthetic) considerations. Artists used collage mainly as a way of adding texture and meaning to their works. Little by little artists moved from the flat (two dimensional) “paper collages” of the beginning of the 20th century. What started with the use of old news papers, cards or magazines eventually embraced all sorts of materials and objects. From painters applying non-traditional materials on the surfaces of their works there was a move towards three dimensional assemblages created by sculptors. By the 1950s assemblages were produced regularly through Europe and North America.

Almost 50 years ago (in 1962) the Museum of Modern Art in New York organized an exhibition titled “The Art of Assemblage”. Many of the old great names were present: Braque, Picasso, Man Ray, Rauschenberg and, of course, Dubuffet, the French artist that coined the term in the early 1950s to refer to his “collage type” works. “Assemblage art” had come of age.


The evolution of assemblage art has continued during the last decades. For some years, there has been a move lead by non-formal considerations. For instance, it is not by chance that a show last year at the Art Museum of an American university that featured young artists using discarded materials was presented as an “eco-friendly exhibition” or that the Australian artist John Dahlen –well known for his use of found objects from Sydney beaches- calls himself an “environmental artist”. Environmental issues have appeared regularly at international exhibitions and increasingly at continental, national and local ones. The last Dakar had a large number of such works. A few of the most forward-looking exhibitions in the Nigeria last year featured assembled art and it is possible to find it even in the mainstream commercial galleries in Lagos.

I write all this because a few weeks ago Joseph Eze, a young painter I have known for a few years showed me some of his recent works. Used to his previous productions -well drafted paintings with paper collages and striking resemblance with those of his contemporary at Nsukka, Uche Edochie-, I was surprised by what I saw. These were unusual works. Several of them consisted of used plastic slippers (flip flops) pasted (“assembled”) whole or in pieces on the board. The first thing that called my attention was the significant similarities between them and those of the great assemblage artist Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). Like her, Eze had covered the discarded objects (in his case plastic slippers, in her case junk collected in her early morning raids in New York) with a monochrome layer of paint. What a coincidence, I thought; I had just read in an article in the New York Times Style Magazine how El Anatsui saw some of her works in his first visit to the US with occasion of a sculpture exhibition in the 1970s. I knew that El Anatsui taught Joseph Eze in first and second year at Nsukka. This could not be coincidence, but the continuity of tradition…

Louise Nevelson had written half a century ago: ”When you put together things that other people have thrown out, you’re really bringing them to life – a spiritual life that surpasses the life for which they were originally created.” Joseph had learnt that lesson. But he is not alone in that discovery. Despite its relative isolation from contemporary currents, Nigeria has had more than a few good examples of artworks in which the artist has used discarded or found materials. He is not just one-off in his attempt to transform these banal materials into artworks of sculptural strength and content.



After more than a century of artists using discarded materials Eze’s works can’t be called totally innovative, but there is quality in them. The restrained and sober way in which he arranges the slippers on the background board is formally suggestive and even poetic. But this is not empty formalism, there is also a clear social commentary. This is not a small achievement in the current Lagos artworld. For those of us tired of seeing young –and not so young- artists wearing their so-called “africanness” on their sleeves this approach and this exploration is most welcome. In his words:

“Beyond the mere fascination which I must admit I have for working with tactile and found objects, going as far back as 1999, I considered these recent works to be beyond a certain formalism. I have been asked if I used these found materials (flip flops, pure water sachets etc) for the mere fact that they are banal and plentiful and cheap. At the risk of sounding shallow I could say yes. Of coursed that could be a reason. Couldn’t it? But I decided to use these media because they are banal, plentiful, cheap and – they are destroying the environment including a little garden behind my apartment.”

I can identify two major focal points of recent assemblage art in Nigeria: the one in Nsukka under the leadership of El Anatsui and the one in Yaba under the influence of Olu Amoda. Though they share a concern for the materiality of the artworks, there is a substantial difference of approach to its realization. While El Anatsui works by repetition Amoda by aggregation. The heavy, clunky metal sculptures of Olu Amoda before he moved to the US use a great variety of scrap and discarded metal pieces assembled in extraordinary ways. There are a good number of YabaTech students that continue producing metal sculptures using scrap materials.
From what I know, the group of students that have passed through Nsukka and learned from El Anatsui his concern and attraction for everyday materials and objects represent one of the most promising lines of development in contemporary Nigerian art. Obviously, there are also talented artists from Auchi, Zaria, Ife, IMT and the others, but generally their artistic discourses look stale compared with the freshness of the best disciples of El Anatsui.

Joseph Eze studied at Nsukka. When I asked him what he learnt there from El Anatsui, he summarized it succinctly: “He taught me that art goes beyond colour”. This is not a bad lesson, and it continues being learnt by others. Independently of the diverse levels of quality and talent of artists influenced by El Anatsui at Nsukka I am interested by what they have in common. Many of them work with discarded materials and they seem to have taken of collective direction.

Few people can remember specific names of members of the “California Assemblage Movement” in the 1960s, but as group they occupy an important position in the art of the 20th century. They were not successful financially, but their contribution is undeniable. Perhaps, the same may occur to Eze and others working in the same line, or perhaps they some will achieve the recognition of El Anatsui. At least, I hope they are first recognized locally and perhaps one day somebody “out there” “discovers” them. I hope there are many others who-like me- believe that their works are more than “trash”, even if they use old plastic slippers to make them.

The Intricate African Art of El Anatsui…

El Anatsui’s art is almost impossible to explain to anyone who has not seen it in person. Aided by a team of assistants in Nigeria, the Ghanaian-born artist bends, twists, and reshapes discarded liquor caps, then punches holes in them and knits them together with metal wire. Though one would expect the results to look commonplace or dilapidated, the results that emerge from his laborious process are richly colored, luxuriantly textured tapestries.

Anatsui’s most recent show at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York included some of the largest, most intricate pieces he has yet created, confirming his status as one of contemporary art’s most brilliant masters of material…

Later this year, a retrospective entitled “El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote To You About Africa,” curated by Lisa Binder, will debut at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum before embarking on a national tour, with the first stop at the Museum of African Art's new Manhattan building, which is set to open in early 2011. The exhibition marks a significant landmark in the artist's career, which first caught the attention of many art-world observers with his appearance at the 1990 Venice Biennale — though he has shown his work since the early 1970s, when he often made his sculptures with chainsaws.

To read more on this article about El Anatsui visit the original, which appeared on ArtInfo.com.

Update from Maastricht: Buyers are Anywhere!

"Going Dutch: Buyers aplenty at the Maastricht art fair"

RECESSIONS affect art fairs in different ways. The most obvious is when buyers stay away, especially if a fair has fallen from fashion or if entry tickets are too expensive. Another is when dealers abandon ship, curtailing the fairs they attend to two a year, say, instead of three. Or they suddenly offer deep discounts to ensure a sale. Slashing prices is a sure sign of lack of confidence.

This year at the Maastricht fine art fair, Europe's premier decorative and fine art festival, there was a different problem: an abundance of ordinary offerings, not so much second-rate as indifferent. Dealers have clearly found it hard to source fresh, top-quality works during the recession. Much of the art was even quite stale: Antonio Guardi's beautiful 18th-century “View of the Villa Loredan at Paese”, presented by Simon Dickinson, a London dealer, was on its fourth Maastricht visit, after a winter with another dealer and no buyers in New York.

None of this was evident at first glance. The private view on the first day, March 12th, was anything but private. A record 10,500 people attended. Cashmere, fur, high heels and hairspray was the uniform of the day. Maastricht is a destination fair; people regard it as an outing. The number of personal jets that bore them there would have been higher had Munich airport not been closed by fog.

More than $3 billion worth of art work—covering every category and period, from ancient Egyptian statuary to post-Modern painting—was presented on 263 stands (24 more than last year). The exhibitors came from 17 countries; most were American, British or continental European, but some trekked from further afield, such as Uruguay and South Korea. A conservative estimate would put the fair's entire offering at over 25,000 pieces. Yet no more than a dozen were truly memorable.

Alan Rubin of Pelham Galleries, a British dealer based in Paris, is something of a maestro. His stand is always a theatrical show, and this year was no exception. The centrepiece was a magnificent canopied bed that once belonged to Talleyrand, the great 19th-century French diplomat. But the most intriguing item was an elaborate automaton clock that hadn't been seen in public for more than 100 years. Standing 130 centimetres high, it had feet shaped like dragons that spat out pearls at regular intervals.

Chinese specialists also like to put on a show. Ben Janssens, a London-based Dutchman and the chairman of the fair, had a small side room at his elegant stand displaying 20th-century Japanese bronzes. Beautiful late Japanese craftsmanship is beginning to gain ground among collectors, especially Westerners, who no longer want to compete with the Chinese in buying Chinese porcelain and metalware.

Lacquer, though, is still something in which Western collectors lead the way. Littleton and Hennesy, which has offices in London and New York, unveiled a spectacular lacquer piece at Maastricht: a 15th-century chest of drawers depicting a Taoist paradise. From the Manno collection in Japan, the chest was unusually large—more than 80 centimetres across and 64 centimetres high—and, despite its age, impressively well-preserved (lacquer is treated with special care in Japan). A Western collector bought it on the second day of the fair, happy to pay the full asking price of €3.1m ($4.2m).

Another eye-catching display was Bernard de Grunne's crowd of 27 Igbo monumental standing sculptures from Nigeria (above), many of them taller than their owners. Drawn in part from his father's collection and that of Jacques Kerchache, once a leading French dealer of tribal and contemporary art, this unusual show featured works that had not been seen in public for many years. Much sought after by French, Belgian and, increasingly, American buyers, these pieces are both fragile and rare, and they seldom travel. The demand for African art has grown over the past five years, and it is expected to expand yet further with the reopening of the Museum for African Art in Manhattan next year. Several buyers were keen on the most important statues—a male and a female carved by a sculptor known as the Awka Master—which ultimately went to a European collector for close to the asking price of €400,000.

Maastricht is the sort of fair where clever dealers bring their discoveries. Often these are works acquired at auction for a bargain price, owing to an original misidentification. John Mitchell Fine Paintings, a family dealership in London, arrived with a Dutch winter landscape it had found in a French provincial sale last summer. The picture came from a chateau in central France and was so dirty as to be almost unrecognisable. Auctioneers described it as Dutch school (circa 1620) and estimated its value at €20,000-30,000. Some cleaning and a good deal of research established it as a hitherto unknown work by Adam van Breen. Dated 1611, it is one of the earliest known paintings of its kind, and was snapped up at Maastricht by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, for €910,000.

An even more impressive surprise came from Mr Rubin, again of Pelham Galleries. He brought a large French champ de bataille painting, a huge formal garden landscape featuring a grand chateau. Mr Rubin had bought the picture at an auction house that was unfamiliar with this kind of work and gave it an estimate of €50,000-70,000. Given the painting’s odd perspective—at once topographical and a bird's eye view—Mr Rubin identified it as a lost work by Pierre-Denis Martin, who painted some of the most important topographical landscapes in the Trianon palace at Versailles. The picture depicts the visit of Louis XIV to the Chateau of Juvisy, and is still available, priced at €2m. Its value lies mainly in its discovery, the product of experience, a good eye and meticulous archival research. At its best, that is what Maastricht is known for.

Despite the paucity of works with the wow factor, dealers at Maastricht reported considerable buying interest. Mr Janssens sold 30 pieces on the opening day, and 20 more over the first weekend. James Ede, a London-based antiquities dealer, has called this fair his best fair ever. During the worst months of the recession, collectors refused to sell unless they had to, drying up both the supply of and the demand for top-quality works. Sourcing first-class art may still be difficult, but the experience of the Maastricht dealers over the past few days is that there is no shortage of money to spend. The worst of the recession appears to be over, for both dealers and buyers.

Source: The Economist

Contemporary Nigerian Artist Yinka Shonibare's Show is Successful, but Finished

Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE’s exhibition closed Sunday, March 7th completing his four-month run at the National Museum of African Art.

Since November, visitors have trekked across the Smithsonian to view 14 years worth of the British-born artist’s most celebrated works. These pieces include a colorful mixture of photography, film, sculpture, paintings and large-scale mixed media.

Shonibare’s artworks explore the themes of retaining African identity in light of British colonialism and the Enlightenment era’s debate over rationality versus irrationality. They also reflect his ancestry, which includes Nigerian and British roots. The MBE in his name stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Viewers of Shonibare’s exhibit have spanned the globe, attracting visitors as far away as Europe.

“I enjoy the way he conceptualizes his art,” said Suzanne from Germany. “It’s both beautiful and political.”

District resident Muhammad Salaam agreed.

“He’s depicting what’s actually happening in the world,” said Salaam. “That includes colonialism and of course, the rape and murder of a whole nation of people.”

The 48-year-old artist’s paintings include Dutch wax print fabric. Since the mid-1990s, Shonibare has blended politics and aestheticism with his use of this material. Manufactured in Europe for the West African market between the early 19th and 20th centuries, the wax fabric represents both mercenary and racial relationships between Europe, Asia and Africa.

As far as sculpture, Shonibare usually creates headless figures and drapes them in ornately designed clothing reminiscent of the period preceding the French Revolution. He references art history for his sculptures, drawing inspiration from the works of French painter Jean-Honore Fragonard.

While Shonibare’s sculptures borrow from art history, his photography draws from past literature.

Of Shonibare’s two major suites of photographs featured at the African Art museum, his depiction of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray drew the most attention. Gray centers on a man who forfeits his soul to prevent aging; he succumbs to moral decay as a result. Shonibare captures Gray’s dilemma in a series of black and white photographs presented in a linear sequence.
Visitors crowded around the piece and shared their thoughts.

“I’m a huge fan of Oscar Wilde and of his novel, ‘Dorian Gray,’” said Amy from Ohio. “This is unlike anything I’ve seen, though. I think it’s more emotionally intensive seeing this in still photograph form as opposed to reading it or even watching the film. You’re forced to ponder it. There’s no background noise.”

With reactions like these, it comes as little to no surprise that Shonibare’s exhibition has run so long.

Source: The Hilltop Online, Howard University

By: Jessica Harper