| This course examines the emergence of modern art in West Africa just before, during, and just after independence in the region (c. 1960). The course focuses primarily on comparative analysis of independence-era art from Nigeria and Senegal. During this period, academically trained artists in both countries sought to infuse emerging concepts African aesthetics into their work in Western media. In Senegal this project was supported by Senghor’s concept of Negritude and was intimately tied to the newly established nationalist government. In Nigeria the movement was inspired by the artists themselves and developed almost entirely without government support. In addition to our analysis of academic arts movements, we will examine workshops and art projects, many founded by European cultural brokers, that developed alongside academic arts during this period. Students will also study the marginalization of female artists in both countries at this time, and will consider some of the reasons for these exclusions. While the course deals primarily with visual culture, we will spend time looking at relationships between music and art during the independence period. Finally, students will read texts by the artists themselves, as many were also poets and art historians. |
