Missing Connection

In this  era of different and multiple visual expression techniques,artists should strive to stay abreast with the changing times.

Thank God  for  the  Internet.Creative  minds  can  now  share  ideas  across  the  globe.Gone  are  the  days  when  people  in  one  region  used  to  do  their  things  in  their  own  way  while  others  did  the  different.

Some claimed to be ahead of others and some lagged behind.The only thing that is missing is to raise awareness aggressively through the audio visual mode of communication.

Few people bother to read books or research online,many rely on the T.V,radio and print  media  for  information.

The only problem we experience is  the  constant  negative  publicity  portrayed  by  the  big,international  News  channels.They  continue  showing  how  people  are  always  fighting,dying  of  disease,starving  and  how  uneducated  they  are.

It’s no wonder people have this ugly,dark image popping up in their minds anytime they hear the word Africa.People should realize that all people aren’t the same.

Early sketch 1

This drawing is one of many I had done when I was trying to find my way in painting.It’s based on the African concept of the Creation story.The technique is of the African traditional painting approach,where figures of humans,animals and objects are depicted in great detail.

This style however,has been heavily commercialized by the curio artists.This is because of the tourist demand.

In my work,I try to add a bit of symbolism and imagination unlike others that rely more on realism and wildlife scenarios.

Here,every creature and object stands for something.The butterfly for spiritual beings;flowers for human life;wild animals for earthly creatures and water for earthly elements.The other objects such as pots,weapons and musical instruments stand for major events that take place in a persons’ life.

These can be grouped as death,birth,success,happiness,failure etc.

Early sketch 2

This was my last sketch to draw in this style.I switched next to “Roomism” or interiors.Anyway,that former style has catapulted a famous Kenyan artist to international fame.

His name is Kivuthi Mbuno and one can sample his works and biography at   www.africancontemporary.com

The Roots:Truth from deep within

A rather common criticism voiced by many Western people consists of underlining that the Africans have no right to continue to seek justification for their limitations after many years of independence.

Those who make this criticism forget the three hundred years of the slave trade,during which,according to reliable statistics,a quarter of the population,and frequently the youngest and most physically and intellectually perfect,were carried away.

This was an appalling tragedy,to which no other people have been subjected.It shook Black Africa to its foundations,destroyed great Kingdoms,abased age-old cultures,tore the social fabric,created and intensified rivalries between peoples who migrated ever further into the interior trying to escape from the raids,which at least initially occurred mainly at the coast.

Those who criticize ignore,or pretend to ignore that the culture found by the explorers contributed and added to the tragedy of slavery colonialism which,though a relatively brief time in Africa,caused enormous damage,implanting itself,like a new wound,in an already prostrate body.

Other cultures,in analogous situations might have disappeared completely more especially in the East African region.

The patience,the capacity to endure suffering,the love of their own traditions,the community sense and perseverance,have allowed the Africans to walk in this tunnel for four centuries without losing the hope of seeing the light again.

It is not to be wondered at that the Africans sometimes look questioningly and mistrustfully at Westerners:it is a miracle and a glory of African culture that there is no hatred.

In his collection of poems,Aime Cesaire sought to affirm the existence of a vibrant Black culture and instill respect for Black values.His writings are emblematic of the Black mans predicament in terms of identity in a world that constantly threatens to negate his existence.  

Sketch Three

This drawings try to expose to the world the current African way of living.They also show how the urban life is.The African no longer lives in huts and caves but in modern houses.

Sketch Four

Urban tradition has taken over by storm and the old traditional values are slowly fading away.

Old animism before new Christianity

In African thinking,every human being and all of nature are animated by spirits,which create a bridge between material reality and the invisible world,the realm of transcendence.

Having abolished the dualism between body and spirit,the African feels a deep sense of unity within himself,both in higher and lower reality.

His earthly existence does not limit the activity of man to his brief stay in the world but opens vistas of the infinite and the eternal:life beyond death.

God is not an abstract,philosophical concept,an object of laborious investigation but a fascinating,mysterious,tremendous and personal presence.

He is a reality so enormous that He can not be conceptualized nor limited by the human mind,but rather felt and perceived in the various manifestations of nature.

The spirits which animate the universe are messengers of the eternal and have many faces and different characters.

Adoration is for God alone,sacrifices for the ancestral spirits,to placate them and to win their favour.

God is felt as a presence and a breath of the spirit;man united with Him no longer sees the outside world as menacing,rather everything becomes a friend and shares the same life.

Due to modernity laced with Christianity,many people nowadays consider these beliefs and others as backward and outdated.

The age factor & the following generations

When one visits any of the few art galleries in Kenya,one can not help but notice that almost all of the artworks displayed are done by old artists.Basically,I have no problem with this.I am a junior artist and I have great respect for my seniors.However,am worried that this trend of over-emphasizing on the older hands will impact negatively on the growth and future of the Arts industry.

This whole state of affairs is demoralizing to the young and energetic artists,who eventually switch careers due to frustration.Some become matatu designers,others curio artists and some hobbyists.

Part of the problem is the lack of support and appreciation from the patronizing members of the society.

People seem to forget about artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat,the Irascibles and Van Gogh who were young but left a huge mark in the worlds’ art scene.

Gone heritage(Idols of the tribe)

What remains of the original and fascinating art forms which for centuries were the cultural heritage of the African?

Few relics indeed remain since a majority of them were taken away by the explorers,who later on shipped them to far-away lands.

Eventually, they ended up in various world glass rooms and hidden behind fortified walls.

What currently serves as reminders of this glorious past is a collection of black& white photographs,shallow history books and some replicas.

As for the European masters Picasso and Miro,they only acted as mirrors,reflecting what they saw.

Many art critics,unfortunately,fail to give due credit and respect to these African originals.Some call them “primitive”,others “undeveloped”.

Sometimes I ask myself if the current Art trends would be what they are if it wasn’t for African art.

Sketch Six

I enjoy working at home.It’s easy for me to connect with the surroundings.

Judicial Astronomy vol.3

***Please note that this article is a work of imagination and not facts***

Space pollution and the untold fears

When it comes to the issue of space in connection with artistic creativity,there’s plenty of room.

The other day I was surfing the net in search of a wallpaper for my new phone.I happened to catch a glimpse of the Hubble photographs.

They were marvelous to the point of wondering whether we are really alone in this great and infinite universe.

Other than this I also wondered where the dead satellites and the abandoned exploration projects go to?

Are we filling space with our junk?

As an artist one can come up with interesting stuff from found objects.Dadaism proved this…………

With the advent of satellites that are similar to mobile sculptures and SETI sending messages that are never replied back to earth, is like a boomerang effect.

Are we duping ourselves ? To what point shall this “never ending” quest lead us ? Are we searching for our own search ?

IT and Art in Africa -Two

Museum for Bloggers

Bloggers feel it when their sites are shut down and can’t recover the lost information due to the terms and conditions of the IT company involved.

This calls for innovation and invention.

Big companies such as Google and Yahoo can make life for bloggers easy by offering a Museum for Bloggers service.

Whereby sites that have intellectual significance or could offer information for future reference, are saved somewhere accessible.

Each day,the Internet has new users and potential bloggers who could be tempted to type something worthwhile that might offer enlightenment somewhere.

Take the case of Africa and people who live in marginalized areas.

They too also have stories and information they can offer the world.

Personally speaking,there is no easy route to put data online than that of Blogging.

As an example, I’ve created a sample site for my works:

www.brownculture.wordpress.com

The African Package -2

Ever since independence, many developing countries have relied on the “usual” exports for growth and development.

Due to the effects of climate change and changing markets,this has to change.

Many intellectuals and innovators in the continent often complain about the lack of support in terms of protection ,financial support and benefits.

Why can’t the situation be in such a way that big companies can act like partners,in a sense where they do the manufacturing and the intellectual provides the “map”……..and in the end they can share profits.

Take the case of a poor University student who invents an energy saving lantern and lacks support.Yet on the other hand we have a huge “group” of energy companies that are fighting for the local market……

Sometimes I feel betrayed and think of being unpatriotic due to this intellectual “waste”.

African countries along with their stakeholders should just sit down and have a reality check.

The issue here is not politics but a matter of patriotism and human ethics.

Street diploma(t)s

It’s a fact that today’s academic circles have been converted to academic fortresses.

Higher or good quality education is hard to come by.

Survival of the fittest has become the “golden rule”.Nobody wants the milk beneath.Everyone is obsessed with the top cream.

Failing an examination is like committing a crime.Much is demanded by the family and the society.

People assume all students are the same.Similar to Formula 1 ,each person is just racing to out do the other.

There are no human values left……It’s just an insensitive educational race.

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Another race exists when it comes to the awarding of scholarships.Nobody wants the Certificates or the Diplomas.Everyone wants the geniuses and the PhDs.

Some of us slipped due to health and unavoidable circumstances….

Did we fall out of the race by our intention? What lies after the race we don’t know.

Judicial Astronomy vol.2

The Climatic change circus

Watching TV today is a bit scary.If it isn’t wild fires ,typhoons and mudslides then it’s a group of hungry faces watching over animal carcasses.

There is too much hype and too much talk in the Press -and little action on the ground.

It’s as if people are afraid to lose and at the same time they are eager to gain….

****

I can recall my primary school days when there was a Tree planting day.

The day was similar to a National day,where everyone in the community took part.

The cutting down or destruction of any vegetation in the estates was prohibited .

Littering or reckless dumping of toxicities was also prohibited.

*****

It is a duty for each individual citizen to be responsible for his/her surroundings.

For whoever said that Nature is unforgiving and no respecter of persons was indeed correct.

I won’t be amazed when we witness mutations and new evolutions, cause excessive heat radiation causes ………………………………

“Astronomers” can or have proved  this.

Finally,we should all be responsible in preserving the few natural resources left or else AS will take over.

(AS stands for Artificial Society).

Gone Heritage (Royalty solution)

The looting of a country’s historical antiques and cultural pride is not right.The looting of archaeological sites and the destruction of the few “memorabilia” is also not right.

Efforts such as the “anti-theft” units and awareness campaigns have born little fruit.

So what’s the other option?………

It might involve stepping on big people’s feet or severing long time ties.But it’s worth the trouble.

How will it be when the revenue earned from these “objects” is repatriated back to the country of origin in the form of royalties ?

Would such an effort not level the atmosphere that’s tearing the foundations apart ?

Heritage as we know it is as important as education itself.Therefore there is no reason to toy around with the subject.

A country and a people without heritage is equivalent to someone who is walking naked in a crowded city.

AAH

Am really impressed when I read some of the investment and business publications that are sold on the street.What interests me the most are the Auction house articles.

This articles make me wonder and think about home.

Here many people have programmed themselves to thinking that Africans can’t appreciate art as an investment and as items of beauty.

They are mistaken……I’ve seen people spending huge amounts of cash just to advertise their business premises (using art)  because of the gains achieved afterwards.

The reason most people buy curios and other low cost artworks is the fear of loss and feelings of emptiness.

They ask themselves, “Why should I purchase this ? It’s just a wall hanging ?

Why should I spend such money on something I’ll get bored with overtime?”

People lack an incentive .

An African Auction House to me can offer hope.It doesn’t matter whether the economy is weak or strong.It doesn’t matter whether there are Masters or not (we also have our own masters).It doesn’t matter whether the politics become shaky.It also doesn’t matter whether the pricing is a bit low.

Tell someone that if he/she purchases an item,they will after sometime sell off at a profit and make an extra coin………….

If a shoe shiner can invest with Stocks,why not art? The African style.

The three wishes

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if humans viewed the world upside down…? Secondary school physics taught us that the human eye processes images in this manner.

Now check this:

What would happen if gallery scouts could search for artistic talent in prisons and psychiatric wards ?……

What would happen if prominent artists could donate their finest works to public hospitals and rehabilitation centers?…..

What would happen if Museums could display street art alongside the precious Masters?…..

What would happen if international celebrities could stage a concert near a public cemetery?……

Are these real images or virtual images?

Immigration vendetta

When I read over the internet and in the daily newspapers of how many Africans are risking their lives and wasting money just to reach the “First world”,just makes me remember of an old saying – What goes round comes around.

Looking back at Africa’s bloody history of Colonialism ,slavery and  Scramble for Africa- there is no reason to ask questions.

What the world is experiencing right now is the harvest of what the explorers sowed.

When they messed up the various African cultural structures with their “civilization” and capitalism (which gave birth to coup d’etats ,dictatorships and escalated poverty through rife corruption),what else do they expect?

The solution for this menace is not vigilante groups or coast guards.The focus should be the formation of new laws( Legal reforms) and new education systems that will empower the young people and help build their economies.

++++What’s the point of having a long list of Universities which manufacture brains theoretically but practically have nothing to offer.

An African urchin is far more advanced and productive than an intellectual zombie.Young people want concrete results-something they can see,understand and relate to.