Thesis Abstract

<p> </p><p>Africa has been portrayed by many scholars as a culture with an insignificant representation of<br>flowers; the proof is in the non representation of flowers in the visual art domain. The research<br>examines the ‘floral gap’ as postulated by Mazrui (2004) and the general assumption that flowers<br>are western not African. Jowit (2010), reports that ‘more than one out of four of all flowering<br>species are under threat of extinction’. For this reason, there is a dire need for artists in Nigeria to<br>respond to the environment and issues that pertain to it through artistic research. Five flowers<br>have been selected; hibiscus, lily, zinnia, sunflower and rose; they are explored to create<br>sculptures in relief and round forms to satisfy the canons of representational and abstract art. The<br>approach of this study is studio-experiment, and culminates in a thesis describing the processes,<br>materials and techniques applied in producing a body of work found in the catalogue. This study<br>therefore, provides insight on the use of flowers in artistic inquiry in Nigeria, particularly in the<br>field of sculpture. The purpose of this research is to promote a flower culture in Nigeria, making<br>flowers a relevant subject matter in expressing thoughts and ideas in art. This was achieved<br>through the following objectives 1) select a group of flowers within ABU, Samaru campus for<br>exploration in sculpture. 2) create representational flower sculptures composed into identifiable<br>objects 3) explore parts of the flowers; its petals, sepals, pistils and stamens to create abstraction.<br>Art is an important aspect of culture it has the power to influence society. Kleiner (2013) asserts<br>that artists and architects can affect History by reinforcing or challenging cultural values and<br>practices through the objects they create. By implication since the artist has been able to produce<br>sculptures from the selected flowers, this research then serves as a platform for the promotion of<br>a flower culture in Nigeria using art as a vehicle. It suggests to artists, government and other<br>individuals the right attitude we ought to portray regarding flowers. Secondly a lot has been said<br>about the non-representation of flowers in African art; however, little has been mentioned about<br>flowers in contemporary sculpture in Nigeria. Therefore, this thesis will add to knowledge in the<br>area of literature. Lastly, the researcher developed a chart showing the life cycle of a flower<br>which is postulated on the basis of the Egyptian mythology of “life after death”. It could be<br>applicable to other artistic research that have to do with nature elements like insects, animals,<br>leaves and a host of others.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <br><p></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 Background of the Study<br>Artists are often torn between representing nature or man-made objects. When an<br>art piece is centred on animate things it goes by the name nature, or life, but when art is<br>focused on inanimate (man-made) objects it is confined to the name still-life. Nature<br>forms a major source of inspiration for artists and designers. Nature has been the<br>preferential theme in creative art. Nature as described by the Word Web Dictionary<br>(2013) is the natural physical world, including plants and animals, landscapes,<br>vegetation, water bodies, clouds to mention a few. Where nature inspires a work of art,<br>the form is either replicated or distorted yet bearing resemblance with the original form.<br>Schwimmer, (2000) describes nature as a raw material. By this he refers to nature as<br>inspiration (idea) for art and also the source of the different media an artist uses. Apart<br>from representing nature, artists also make use of a variety of media like wood, skin,<br>stone and wax in the execution of their art. These materials are all products of nature. A<br>good number of African sculptures were made from clay, stone or wood.<br>Artists, both contemporary and traditional confirm the notion that there exists a<br>relationship between them and their natural environment. Moffat (2007) opines that “the<br>cave art of all social groups consists of five principal motifs: human figures, animals,<br>tools and weapons, rudimentary local maps and symbols or ideograms”. To further<br>buttress this, Adams (2007) says “the upper Palaeolithic man produced a wide range of<br>small sculptures made from Ivory, bone, clay and stone these depict humans, animals<br>and a combination of the two”. This can be seen in the examples listed below:<br>v. Venus of Willendorf (2500- 2000bc) a limestone statue of a woman.<br>vi. Two bison, France (15000-10000 BCE); a relief sculpture made from clay.<br>2<br>vii. The cave paintings and engravings of Lascaux (c.1500-10,000 BCE),<br>viii. Ritual Dance; engraving from the Cave of Addaura (10, 000 BC)<br>(View images at pp 62, 63)<br>In addition, Kleiner and Mamiya (2005) enthuse that “there are two questions that bother<br>on the artist before beginning work: what shall be my subject? How shall I represent it?”<br>In their opinion, the most universal answer to the first question was an animal – Bison,<br>Mammoth, Ibex and Horse were the most common images of the Palaeolithic period.<br>The cave man happens to be the first to express these natural forms as subject in his art.<br>How an artist comes about his subject matter is best known to him/her, there are<br>no restrictions to the choice of subject matter in contemporary art. Artists are at will to<br>choose for themselves what their subject matter should be. Adams (2007) opines that,<br>subject matter is what is manifestly represented in a work of art- including figures,<br>objects, narrative, shapes, colour and other visual elements. Sale and Betti (2004) state<br>that “the figure (or human body as it is known in art parlance), has held centre stage for<br>artists throughout the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. The figure has been called<br>the still-life of contemporary art”.<br>During the last two centuries, the encroachment of Christianity, Islam, Western<br>education, Market economies, and other colonial imports have led to increasing<br>secularization in all the art of Africa (Kleiner and Mamiya 2005). These changes have to<br>do with style, techniques, materials, philosophies etc. Not much changed as it pertains to<br>subject matter. The relationship between Africans and the wildlife cannot be over<br>emphasized. Traditional African art repetitiously, shows evidence of interest on the<br>subject of the human being, and a host of animals like birds, lizards, tortoise and<br>elephants. Most times these animals had some ancestral belief attached to them. The<br>mythology of the Bamana people of Mali is an example. It tells the story of an antelope<br>3<br>named Chi Wara who first taught farming skills to humanity. Hence they produced a<br>head piece adapted from the antelope. The headpieces were worn by Bamana society to<br>represent the mythical agricultural animal during dances held at sowing and harvest<br>times (African art museum, 2007). This relationship is also seen in several art traditions<br>in Nigeria.<br>Similarly, broken fragments of the Nok sculptures of Nigeria suggest<br>representations of complete human figure. The stone sculptures of Esie are vivid<br>examples of the interest on the human forms, though rendered in an idealised proportion.<br>Ife Artists produced highly naturalistic human and animal figures in bronze and<br>terracotta. A few organic forms like snails and insect were found in Igbo-Ukwu art. Like<br>the Bamana people, Nigerian Traditional artists were probably drawn to these forms for<br>particular reasons they sought to satisfy through art.<br>The emergence of the non formal art centres like Mbari Mbayo in 1964 produced<br>artists like Twin Seven-Seven who based their ideas on some of these natural forms. The<br>introduction of Art into the Nigerian school Curriculum, through the combined efforts of<br>Aina Onabolu and Kenneth Murray gave birth to the first generation of formally trained<br>Nigerian artists that include Nigeria’s renowned printmaker, Bruce Onabrakpeya (b.<br>1932). He experiments with form, in relation to Nigerian folklore, myths and legends.<br>For example, his series of prints and paintings on Ahwaire the tortoise (Ekeh, 2005).<br>Similarly, in the surrealistic paintings of Abayomi Barber (b.1934) plants and humans<br>have been recurrent subjects. Other celebrated motifs in African art are; chameleon,<br>crocodile, ant, lizards, birds, fish, elephants, snakes and a host of others.<br>Contemporary art in Europe is not any different; Kiki Smith (b.1954) is one of<br>such artists. In the early 1990s, she adopted the life-size human figure including the<br>different body fluids (e.g blood, tears and semen) as her subject (The Solomon R.<br>4<br>Guggenheim Foundation 2014). In like manner, Antoney Gormley (b.1950) expresses<br>his affinity for nature. Many of his sculptures are based on his own body as a model<br>(European Graduate School EGS, 1997–2012.) He seems to show a stream of unending<br>ideas using the human figure in its simplified form.<br>There seems to be an imbalance in the treatment of nature generally because, the<br>human form stands out as supreme; alongside animals and has taken centre stage over<br>time. The environment consists of other elements aside animals and humans. It includes<br>land, water and air. Cain (2001) reports that about 71% of the earth is covered by water<br>while the remaining 29% is the sum total of Landmass, which is predominantly covered<br>by vegetation. In the findings of Gordon et al, (2001) vegetation is grouped into<br>flowering plants (angiosperms with about 260,000 species) and the non-flowering plants<br>(gymnosperms). Angiosperms have a reproductive structure called flower. Apart from<br>beauty, flowers have actually been cited to improve overall quality of life from their<br>scent to their shape, they have the power to reduce stress, inspire creativity and lessen<br>anxiety. Flowering plants are of great importance to humans as they have been used as<br>natural air freshener, food, and medicine. There is a wide variety of flowers, such as<br>lilies, sun flowers, magnolia, hyacinth, snowballs, roses and a host of others. Some are<br>cultivated for ornamental purposes while some just grow on their own in the wild.<br>Flowers are seasonal and bloom even in the desert where there is scarce vegetation.<br>According to Henri Matisse (1869-1954) “there are always flowers for those who<br>want to see them.” Flowers are inclusive in the endless list of raw materials that nature<br>provides. About flowers, Kunz (2011) says a close-up view of flowers or plants are a<br>never ending source of beautiful design. Gordon et al (2001), further describes flowers<br>as brightly coloured, sweet smelling and oddly shaped. From this assertion, flowers<br>therefore, bear the following obvious characteristics which could prompt artistic inquiry.<br>5<br>1. Bright colours: the Rose flower for example is known to have variety of colours; there<br>are red, pink white and yellow roses.<br>2. Fragrance: pleasurable to both humans and animals.<br>3. Interesting shapes: some are conical like tulips, others are tubular, star-shaped or funnelshaped.<br>4. Vary in size: the smallest flower is the water meal, It can weigh about 1/190,000 of an<br>ounce, equivalent to two grains of table salt and the largest is , the titan arum, or “corpse<br>flower” which is about five feet tall<br>5. Natural patterns: as observed in the petal arrangement and the lines formed on these<br>petals; some patterns are radial, symmetrical and spiral.<br>6. Structural divisions: flowers have four major parts namely, petals, stamen, pistil and<br>sepal.<br>For these basic attributes, artists have found them an interesting subject. However,<br>flowers have been perceived as a Western concept, and more likely to be expressed in<br>two dimensions. The research is focused on investigating a seemingly less representation<br>of flowers in African art, and particularly in the area of sculpture.<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>Available literature shows an abundant representation of flowers in European,<br>Oriental and Islamic art but Africa has been portrayed by certain scholars as<br>‘deflowered’ (a culture void of flowers). The above assertion is in consonance with<br>Mazrui (2004) who opines that ‘there is a “floral gap” (insignificant representation of<br>flowers) in African culture’. Contrary to this, Africa is a home to many flower species.<br>The Kenyan embassy in Japan (2014) reports that, “Kenya has become the European<br>6<br>Union’s biggest source of flower imports” making it one of the world’s greatest<br>producer of flowers. The problem of this research therefore, lies in the less<br>representation of flowers in African art and in contemporary Sculpture, especially in<br>relief form in Nigeria. There is a nesed for Africans and Nigerians in particular to<br>explore flowers as a subject matter in sculpture so as to promote a flower culture in<br>Nigeria.<br>The “floral gap” consequently, symbolizes extinction; in accordance to the law<br>of use and disuse (use it or lose it) as propounded by Charles Darwin (1809-1882). If<br>flowers are not included in our art, there is a likelihood of its extinction among Africans<br>perhaps with the exception of Kenya and a few other cultures who relate with them in<br>terms of economy, food and medicine.<br>1.3 Aim and Objectives of the study<br>The aim of this study is to promote a flower culture in Nigeria, making flowers a<br>relevant subject matter in expressing thoughts and ideas in sculpture.<br>This research is geared towards portraying flowers as a subject for artistic inquiry in<br>Nigeria. Floral types, colours, shapes, sizes, patterns and so on, have been considered for<br>exploration in a variety of media. The researcher hopes to achieve this through the<br>following specific objectives:<br>i. select a group of flowers within ABU, Samaru campus for exploration in<br>sculpture;<br>ii. compose sculpted flowers into identifiable objects and<br>iii. explore parts of the flowers; its petals, sepals, pistils and stamens to create<br>abstract compositions.<br>1.4 Research questions<br>The following research questions are generated from the objectives<br>7<br>i. What flowers are available to the artist for exploration within ABU, Samaru<br>campus?<br>ii. In what ways can sculpted flowers be composed into identifiable objects?<br>iii. What will be the outcome of exploring parts of the flowers in creating<br>abstraction?<br>1.5 Justification of the study<br>It is sad to know that more than one-in-four of all flowering plants are under threat<br>of extinction (Jowit, 2010).<br>When nature is destroyed it means that the artist is on the losing side, since nature is<br>a “raw material” in the hand of the artist. Extinction, adaptation and evolution occur<br>and distort nature. Vrey (2011) elucidates that “humans do not have the ability to<br>work in perfect harmony with nature”. When roads, buildings and dams are created;<br>they prevent specific rivers from flowing freely, which prevents bird species from<br>visiting particular streams for food. This is likely to inhibit the pollination of a<br>specific flowering plant and eventually lead to its extinction.<br>One way of putting flowers into positive use is by approaching them as<br>inspiration for art as seen in the works of Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), Henri<br>Matisse(1869-1954), Eduardo Catalino(1917-2010), Antone Bruinsma(b.1958),<br>Georgia O’Keffe(1887-1986) and Choi Jeong Hwa(b.1961). The existence of<br>flowers and its aesthetic qualities may be enough to inspire floral forms appearing in<br>the sculptures of contemporary Nigerian artists in the light of which, this research is<br>relevant.<br>8<br>1.6 Significance of the study<br>Artists, in recent times, have made themselves relevant by responding to issues<br>that bother on the environment. Three African artists are already involved in the<br>environmental issues of waste management. Kainebi (b.1964), Anatsui (b.1944) and<br>Ekpe (2012) have harnessed waste cans and bottle tops and turned them into remarkable,<br>artistic statements. Global warming and its consequent extinction in plants and flowers,<br>is one of such environmental problems contemporary Nigerian artist should look into.<br>This research will perhaps be a pointer to other artists to adopt flowers in producing<br>sculptures. It will open up possibilities for contemporary Nigerian artists to look into<br>environmental issues and proffer solutions to them in their art. The result is that artists<br>will be keen on nature (flowers) as a subject for artistic inquiry and expression. This<br>research considers agencies who aim at preserving nature through art, some of which are<br>artist groups, to understand their mission and their contributions to the field of art, they<br>include; Artists for Nature Foundation (ANF) and The Wild Life Art Society.<br>1.7 Scope of the study<br>This study is focused on using physically observable features of a flower, for<br>example: its petals sepals, pistil and stamen in producing sculptures. To achieve this, the<br>artist limited the exploration to four media; wood, fabric, aluminium and metal sheets.<br>The research presents flowers in representational or abstract form and produces both<br>relief and sculptures in the round. Five flowers found within Zaria have been selected for<br>this study. They are; Sunflower, Rose, Zinnia, Lily and Hibiscus. They were selected<br>randomly on the basis of colour, size, shapes and petal arrangement. Some other<br>attributes have informed their selection. Hibiscus for example is selected for its<br>9<br>relevance in the study of Biology at the Secondary level of education in the whole of<br>West Africa. Of recent Sunflower has attained an economic value, it is now a cash crop<br>and individuals are encouraged to cultivate them for export. Zinnia and lily may not<br>have such values but while lilies are rare on the Campus community the Zinnias are<br>largely populated and growing wildly without any regard. The last flower, Rose, is<br>selected for its popularity all over the world.<br>Furthermore, colour, size, petal arrangement and shape are factors the researcher<br>considered in choosing the flowers. The Zinnia is the smallest while Sunflower is the<br>largest. Rose flower grows into a bulb, Hibiscus and lily maintain a funnel shape, while<br>Zinnia and Sunflower are both disc shaped. To cover a colour variety, yellow Sunflower<br>was selected alongside red Hibiscus and white lilies. Zinnia and Rose are both pink<br>colour though having different intensities.<br>1.8 Conceptual framework<br>This study is centred on the Egyptian belief in life after death. This is so because<br>flowers are short lived and under threats of extinction. The Egyptian mythology says<br>“death is not the end of life but a transition to a similar existence or another place”<br>(Adams, 2006). Egyptian artists made figurative sculptures that served as surrogates for<br>the soul of the dead (ka). Death for flowers may mean its metamorphosis into fruits or<br>death in the real sense. If flowers would live on, they needed similar, three-dimensional<br>forms as “surrogates” to transcend them from death to the new life else, the soul (ka)<br>would transcend without a body to live on. Though this belief was applicable to humans<br>only; this research treats the flowers as humans (having the ability to die). This research<br>will give them an opportunity to live in the new life, in the sculptures that have been<br>10<br>produced. As these sculptures live, it is hoped that they will inspire another generation<br>of flower sculptures. This means the purpose of conservation or documentation would<br>have been accomplished and “life after death” sustained in this belief. This concept is<br>explained in the following chart.<br>The flower has a<br>spirit (ka)<br>Flower lives for a<br>few days and<br>inspires an artist<br>Flower dies but the<br>ka does not. It<br>finds a surrogate<br>body in the<br>sculpture that has<br>been created<br>Viewers interact<br>with the sculpture,<br>it earns a new life<br>that gives it power<br>to cause a change<br>in the value for<br>flowers<br>Fig.1: Life cycle of a flower.<br>11 <br></p>