Contemporary African Art:
Contested terrain and a troubling aesthetics
The PotoPoto Aesthetics
Established in 1951
By French Mathematician and amateur artist
Pierre Lods
Mode Muntu, Figures carrying water in a fish background,
gouache on paper, 1973
Mode Muntu, Slaved yoked together, gouache on paper, 1973
Mode, Figures, gouache on cardboard, n.d
Jean-Bosco Kamba,
Serpent and Birds,
Gouache on wood, n.d.
Roadside Art and a new Internationalism
Unknown artist, Barber’s Sign—(Salon) shop display, enamel paints on wood
Open display of the portraits of Christ, and prominent Ghanaian politicians
By God Art Works, kumasi Ghana, 1978
Cheri Samba, Why have I signed a contract?, acrylic on canvas, 1990
Cheri Samba, (Zairian) Battle Against the Mosquitoes,
Acrylic on canvas, 1990
Tshibumba, Colonial Atrocities,
Enamel on board. n.d
Kane Kwei, Mercedes-Benz shaped coffin, enamel paint on wood, 1989
Kane Kwei, (Ghanaian) Hen-shaped coffin, wood and enamel paint, 1989
Kane Kwei, Cocoa-pod shaped coffin, enamel paints on wood, 1970
Sunday Jack Akpan, installation—chief, soldiers, business man,
Cement and enamel paints, 1993
Sunday Jack Akpan,
Portrait of a man in uniform
(Nigerian Police)
Cement and acrylic paints
1989
Sunday Jack Akpan,
Heads,
Cement, enamel paints
c.a. 1993
Emile Guebehi, The Adultery, installation, painted wood, 1992
An Ndebele woman painting the façade
Of her home.
Francina Ndimande’s House, Mabhoko, South Africa, 1987
Catholic Church painted by
Francina Ndimande,
Mabhoko, South Africa, 1987
Francina Ndimande,
Untitled,
acrylic on canvas,
1992
Justus Akeredolu, installation--woman cooking, farmer, wood, n.d.
Contemporary Benin Queen Mother’s
Bust presented by the Nigeria Government
To President Jimmy Carter in 1997
Fake Roped Vessel on a stand
After Igbo Ukwu, bronze, n.d.
Ballpoint pen carved in the 1980
Recycles traditional wood carving modes
Modernism
Modernity
African/ Africanity/Africaness
Exotic
Authenticity
Commodity (commodification)