BlackPast.org Blog
Friday, October 7, 2016
Art is political whether purposefully or inadvertently. Art can be
manipulated, can make a statement through what is created or the mere
creating of it. It is possible to enjoy and appreciate art regardless of
its intent; it is possible to fulminate against the message no matter
how beautiful the object. But art, its creation, display, ownership
reflects and projects power.
The independence of Senegal in 1960 and the election of Léopold Sédar Senghor as president was the beginning of Dakar
becoming both the center and the jumping off point for promoting and
celebrating art from Africa. While studying in France, beginning in the
1930's, Senghor was one of the leaders of the Negritude Movement,
a movement of black Franco-phone writers and intellectuals who used
language (French) to explore their cultural heritage. Upon his return to
Senegal, Senghor was determined to see artists and countries in Africa
on the world art stage, engaging with European artists with excitement
and equity. He established Dakar's École des Beaux-Art (School of Fine
Art) in 1960, hosted the World Festival of Negro Arts in 1966, all of
which culminated founding of the prestigious DakArt Biennale in 1992 and
exhibiting in Harlem, USA in 2000.
The African art explosion and influence continues and is manifested at such events as the fourth annual 1:54 (this name comes from 1 fair, 54 countries) in London (October 2016) and New York (May 2016). One hundred thirty contemporary artists are represented.
The arts and
artists cannot exist without support, whether from the public or from
private collectors. Collecting, too, becomes a political act: if no one
appreciates and values the works of any particular group of artists, by
genre, geography, ethnicity, then those artists, their message, and
their works languish. Here is one list of the top 200 collectors in America of Black art. One of the most powerful proponents and collectors of art of the African Diaspora and Africa is Pamela Joyner.
Reading about Joyner, the most striking impression one
gets is her
intentionality about what it takes to collect and support art:
knowledge, passion, money. And, as the first President of Senegal,
Léopold Sédar Senghor, knew, unless patrons of the arts support arts in
the schools, artists in their studios, exhibitions for artists to show
their work, advocate with museums and donors to purchase art, artists
who do not have political power/support cannot compete on the world
stage, no matter how talented they are.
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