Art & Politics in Africa

AFRS 2251 - ARTH 2360

Blackened Explosion

 

George Osodi, Blackened Explosion

George Osodi
Nigerian, b. 1974

Blackened Explosion, circa 2005
Photograph

Oil Rich Niger Delta 2003-2007, collection of George Osodi

 

 

 

 

 

This photograph from George Osodi’s Oil Rich Niger collection shows the burning aftermath of an oil rig explosion on the Niger Delta. Nigeria is the leading oil producer in the continent, and its inhabitants have consequently lived amid much oil-related conflict. Despite of the beginning of the amnesty process in Nigeria in 2009, many local factions feel that the root causes for the conflict, such as the lack of local sovereignty over the sources of oil, remain unaddressed. Militia violence continues to injure the environment and its people, and the delta that nourishes nearby communities is here engulfed in flames and polluted with hazardous byproducts. By capturing this scene, Osodi highlights the devastation experienced by the environment itself.

Dylan Bess ’21

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Untitled

 

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George Osodi, Untitled

George Osodi,
Nigerian, b. 1974

Untitled, circa 2015
Photograph

Waterfronts, collection of George Osodi

 

 

This photograph presents a common issue in Osodi’s work: human suffering along the Niger Delta. This photograph, taken through a crack of a wooden hut, shows the living conditions of habitants along the Niger Delta. It gives the viewer a place in the photo. The ground, riddled with waste and grayed with ash, highlights the hardships faced by communities along the Niger Delta as a result of oil extraction and resulting conflict. Many homes have been left in turmoil from violence from militant factions fighting to gain sovereignty over local resources, and Osodi presents here the damage that exploitation and conflict have on the environment and its communities.

Dylan Bess ’21
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De Money 1

Passing Gold #4, from the series De money

George Osodi
Nigeria, b. 1974

Passing Gold #4, from the series De money
2009

Photograph
TAFETA Gallery

 

Since the enactment of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law in 1989, which effectively legalized artisanal gold mining in Ghana, extractive operations have slowly demonstrated catastrophic environmental repercussions and complications – primarily, mercury pollution and land degradation. Passing Gold #4 captures a small slice of the damage being done in Obuasi. The man precariously perched between the two gashes in the soil represents the mutually destructive relationship between earth and man, as they both stand to ultimately destroy each other. A subject close to his heart and his home, Osodi also published a 2011 book titled Delta Nigeria- The Rape of Paradise in which he further sheds light upon the environmental devastation caused by extractive practices in the Niger Delta. In his effort to use photography as an instrument for change, Osodi tends to focus on photographing issue-related subjects with the hope that those in power will view and be inspired by his images and use their platforms to make tangible change.

Yasmeen Wirth ‘22

 

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De Money 2

Untitled, from the series De Money, George Osodi

George Osodi
Nigeria, b. 1974

Gold Mine Obuasi, Ghana, from the series De money
2009

Photograph
Sold to a private buyer

 

Osodi’s exhibition titled “De money” or “The money” sets the lens on Ghana’s artisanal gold mining industry, a practice known locally as galamasey. This striking contrast of dark-skinned Ghanaian workers panning for gold, against the steep expanse of rich orange soil exposes the vulnerability of the miners in their working conditions. This series focuses on environmental degradation in Obuasi, Ghana, as well as the marginalized and exploited laborers working in the largely unregulated small-scale/artisanal mining industry. The photographs capture the dangers that these miners are subjected to daily, and aim to expose the irreparable scope of the environmental damage being done. This occupation carries a high risk of physical hazards, illness, and accidents, often causing miners to experience poverty and vulnerability within these mining communities. Through photography, Osodi aims to enamor and inspire his audience, prompting a change in both humanitarian and environmental conditions in the Niger Delta.

Yasmeen Wirth ‘22

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Ripples and Storm 1

Bright Ugochukwu Eke, Ripples and Storm 1

Bright Ugochukwu Eke
Nigeria, born in 1976

Ripples and Storm 1
2011

Recycled bottles and wire.
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, “Environment and Object: Recent African Art,” Skidmore College

 

 

Bright Ugochukwu Eke writes, “My inspiration as an Artist comes from everyday life. As I move about, I experience cultures, people and their attitudes to life in relation to the surrounding earth. I am concerned about the Human-Earth connection” (Eke 2019). Eke asks why plastic bottles are produced and why they are continuously found in the streets of Africa and globally. In an interview he says, “Ripples can also grow to become a storm,” drawing a connection between a storm and the problems that arise in life (Eke 2019). The mass number of plastic bottles envelops the viewer, forcing them to recognize the negative impact these bottles can potentially have on the environment, and their own life.  

Julio Palencia ’20

Bibliography

Peek, Philip. “Environment and Object: Recent African Art.” African Arts (Spring 2012): 83-85. http://bsc.chadwyck.com/search/proxyProquestPDF.do?PQID=2595809251&GOID=N&collectionsTag=&format=&fromPage=

Curated by Lisa Aronson of Skidmore College’s Department of Art History and John Weber, Dayton Director of the Tang Museum, “Environment and Object: Recent African Art” exhibits the artwork of Bright Ugochukwu Eke, El Anatsui, Chéri Samba, Lara Baladi, Romuald Hazoumé, Jerry Buhari, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Sammy Baloji, Georgia Papageorge, Sokari Douglas Camp, Yinka Shonibare, and George Osodi. The artists in this exhibition shed light on the environmental issues in Africa, highlighting their concern and activism for change.

Aronson, Lisa, et al. Environment and Object: Recent African Art. Prestel Publishing, 2012.

Environment and Object: Recent African Art speaks about the role African artists have in showing the impact of the environment on African life, and the continent.

“Bright Ugochukwu Eke on ‘Ripples and Storm,’” Vimeo, 02:35, an interview on March 2, 2011, posted by “The Tang Museum,” April 24, 2019, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ripples+and+storm+bright+ugochukwu&view=detail&mid=E1107BA3C5D3CD3BF6B2E1107BA3C5D3CD3BF6B2&FORM=VIRE.

Bright Ugochukwu Eke speaks about his installation titled, Ripples and Storm 1 and 2, the process he went through to create it, and his intention/message behind the installation.

Ripples and Storm 2

Bright Ugochukwu Eke, Ripples and Storm 2

Bright Ugochukwu Eke
Nigeria, born in 1976

Ripples and Storm 2
2011

Salvaged wood and hardware
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, “Environment and Object: Recent African Art,” Skidmore College

 

 

This sculpture is a continuation of Eke’s Ripples and Storm 1 (also exhibited in the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery), exhibiting the beauty of the environment, specifically wood. Wood can be carved and manipulated in any way Eke wants it to be, and it can be arranged in infinite ways, such as the one above. He overlaps pieces of carved wood to create layers that extend out from the wall. By layering pieces of wood Eke creates interesting shadows and shapes that give the wood a sense of movement and time passing.  

Julio Palencia ’20

Bibliography

Peek, Philip. “Environment and Object: Recent African Art.” African Arts (Spring 2012): 83-85. http://bsc.chadwyck.com/search/proxyProquestPDF.do?PQID=2595809251&GOID=N&collectionsTag=&format=&fromPage=

Curated by Lisa Aronson of Skidmore College’s Department of Art History and John Weber, Dayton Director of the Tang Museum, “Environment and Object: Recent African Art” exhibits the artwork of Bright Ugochukwu Eke, El Anatsui, Chéri Samba, Lara Baladi, Romuald Hazoumé, Jerry Buhari, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Sammy Baloji, Georgia Papageorge, Sokari Douglas Camp, Yinka Shonibare, and George Osodi. The artists in this exhibition shed light on the environmental issues in Africa, highlighting their concern and activism for change.

Aronson, Lisa, et al. Environment and Object: Recent African Art. Prestel Publishing, 2012.

Environment and Object: Recent African Art speaks about the role African artists have in showing the impact of the environment on African life, and the continent.

“Bright Ugochukwu Eke on ‘Ripples and Storm,’” Vimeo, 02:35, an interview on March 2, 2011, posted by “The Tang Museum,” April 24, 2019, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ripples+and+storm+bright+ugochukwu&view=detail&mid=E1107BA3C5D3CD3BF6B2E1107BA3C5D3CD3BF6B2&FORM=VIRE.

Bright Ugochukwu Eke speaks about his installation titled, Ripples and Storm 1 and 2, the process he went through to create it, and his intention/message behind the installation.

Spillage of Black Gold (in the Pipeline)

Jerry Buhari, Spillage of Black Gold (in the Pipeline)

Jerry Buhari
Nigeria, born in 1959

Spillage of Black Gold (in the Pipeline)
2005
Acrylic on canvas, 155 x 137 cm.

Auction closed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry Buhari writes, “Today the talk of the world is about an endangered Earth. One often wonders how much of the talk is backed with genuine concern and the will to take positive steps. But it should not surprise the world that artists are in the forefront of the discussion on the environment. They have always been” (Buhari 2016). This painting comments on the horror of oil spillage on the environment, as black paint drips over the colorful canvas in the background. The vibrant colors resemble the beauty of the landscape, specifically the flowers. But the black paint covers the canvas, making a reference to the oil spillage in the Niger Delta. 

Julio Palencia ’20

Bibliography

Agenda Art. “Africanartagenda.” African Art Agenda. February 04, 2015. Accessed April 24, 2019. https://africanartagenda.tumblr.com/post/110065062629/jerry-buhari-country-nigeria-style-abstract.

Presents the various paintings (abstract expressionism) produced by Jerry Buhari.

Odobo, Eva and Anikpe, Ekene. “Engaging the Mundane: The Art of Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi and George Osodi on the Environmental Question.” Arts and Design Studies 24 (2014): 8-14.

Eva Odobo and Ekene Anikpe write about Nigerian artists, Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi, and George Osodi, and the role their artwork plays in commenting about global warming and other environmental issues.

Death of a Leaf

Jerry Buhari, Death of a Leaf

Jerry Buhari
Nigeria, born in 1959

Death of a Leaf 
1995
Enamel and acrylic on canvas, 84 x 120 cm.

Auction closed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By painting the dead leaf in black paint, Buhari comments on the oil spillage in the Niger Delta and the horrific impact it is making on the landscape in Africa. The vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow depict a natural landscape; a landscape that is alive and not dead. Grey streaks of paint separate the leaf from the landscape, further emphasizing the death of the leaf. Black paint trickles from the bottom of the leaf, demonstrating the deterioration of nature. At the top of the canvas is a colorful orange and yellow sun crossed out with black paint, meant to show the sun can’t save our environment because only we can.  

Julio Palencia ’20

Bibliography

Agenda Art. “Africanartagenda.” African Art Agenda. February 04, 2015. Accessed April 24, 2019. https://africanartagenda.tumblr.com/post/110065062629/jerry-buhari-country-nigeria-style-abstract.

Presents the various paintings (abstract expressionism) produced by Jerry Buhari.

Odobo, Eva and Anikpe, Ekene. “Engaging the Mundane: The Art of Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi and George Osodi on the Environmental Question.” Arts and Design Studies 24 (2014): 8-14.

Eva Odobo and Ekene Anikpe write about Nigerian artists, Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi, and George Osodi, and the role their artwork plays in commenting about global warming and other environmental issues.

Man and Environment

Jerry Buhari, Man and Environment

Jerry Buhari
Nigeria, born in 1959

Man and Environment
1997
Water color on paper, 56 x 76 cm

Auction closed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The use of water color creates a strong, sturdy tree trunk with delicate leaves. At the base of the trunk lies a skeleton pointing a dagger towards the tree, suggesting that even after death humans will continue to destroy the earth. An orange sun is at the top of the canvas, serving as the only vibrant color in the painting. Buhari paints a conversation between humans and nature, and although he depicts the death of somebody, he foreshadows the death of the tree; the death of our environment. 

Julio Palencia ’20

Bibliography

Agenda Art. “Africanartagenda.” African Art Agenda. February 04, 2015. Accessed April 24, 2019. https://africanartagenda.tumblr.com/post/110065062629/jerry-buhari-country-nigeria-style-abstract.

Presents the various paintings (abstract expressionism) produced by Jerry Buhari.

Odobo, Eva and Anikpe, Ekene. “Engaging the Mundane: The Art of Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi and George Osodi on the Environmental Question.” Arts and Design Studies 24 (2014): 8-14.

Eva Odobo and Ekene Anikpe write about Nigerian artists, Jerry Buhari, Kuti Usman, Uche Onyishi, and George Osodi, and the role their artwork plays in commenting about global warming and other environmental issues.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Bowdoin College Museum of Art
bowdoin.edu/art-museum

Bowdoin College Africana Studies

Bowdoin College Art History

Bowdoin College – Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College
courses.bowdoin.edu