Why this session on How to write about contemporary Kenyan art critically and creatively? (GIVEN at Brush tu art studio, Saturday November 25, 2017)
At Venice Biennale 2017 Colourfall by Ian Danford
1.
Mentoring: people always talk about the need to
mentor, to share/pass on information. I’ve been doing this work a long time and
feel there needs to be more.
2. Writing is IMPORTANT: writing for media is WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY.
3. PUBLIC RECORD:
If Kenyan artists not written about, there won’t be public record about them.
As if they don’t exist. Future researchers on Kenyan art won’t know about
artists like Etale Sukuro, Eric Ndovu, John Diang’a or even Charles sekano.
4. I wrote about all of them but they
could be forgotten if we don’t write
5. Demystifying the process: not elite. Anyone can write about art (don’t need art
school). U do need to:
a. Visit as
many exhibitions, artists’ studios as you can
b. Read other
people’s reviews from top publications. Study them, the structure, the styles,
the tone of the writing
c. Yes go to archives, go online but
much more not online
d. Yes, read art books, read online info
but don’t take online as gospel. Eg.
e. One online guide said all you need is to i. Describe what you see, ii. Analyze parts
(form,color,line,texture,tone,shape,pattern, light/dark, bright/dull, composition),
iii. Interpret: figure out meaning
(how?), iv. Judgement (what? Who’s
perspective? How do you judge?
6. GENRE of Not just painting, drawing
sculpture, print-making, photography, but also architecture, murals, collage
and so many techniques, media
7. But several key points the art books
don’t necessarily cover: like the 5 W’s+1H: who,what,where,when,why and how?
8. Also, when writing, who is your
AUDIENCE? Academic, popular, just artists, local, global? etc.
9. CRITIQUE: Now it’s time for you to
critique some works.
No comments:
Post a Comment