The Role of Artisan?

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020

Why Artisan? Thinking about The Role of Art and Literature in 2020

Just a month ago, on July 6, in a previous posting entitled "Efosa Ojomo; The poverty Paradox - Why Innovation can help," Team Many Many Beginnings (TMMB) took a first, insightful look at the feedback to celebrate the first month of its publication as its readers provided how market-creating social innovation can be integrated to real-life in remote places where “nonconsumers” have no access today.

The book reminded how today's picture was closely linked to one of the core messages Marlon Brando had shared with us that famous night more than four decades ago.

To answer Why Artisan and Thinking about The Role of Art and Literature in 2020, today yet one more month later, a fresh look at the relationship between art and the artisan can be of meaning to interpret Brando’s speech, especially why and how it was influenced indirectly by an artisan.

As we are aware, The African Union (AU) ushered in a paradigm shift after its transition from the Organization of African Unity (OAU), particularly in the promotion of democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance. It was done in recognition of the importance of democratic governance as a foundation for SUSTAINABLE PEACE and as a precondition of inclusive development.

After a call for a continental vision the AU adopted Agenda 2063 as its long term development vision which is to create ‘An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena’. Agenda 2063 signals the commitment of African leaders to bequeath a united, peaceful and prosperous continent to the coming generation. In that regards, AU has dedicated its 2020 theme of the year to

‘Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s development’.

What can we do alone?

The theme of the year aims to promote prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa to achieve a conflict-free continent. The theme of the year will take stock of challenges and identify opportunities in an effort to make peace a reality for all, rid the continent of wars, violent conflicts and human rights violations.

Instead of expecting guidance from a doctrine of the old order that is based on the political philosophy of by-gone ages, it now instead endeavors to unlock the mysteries of the spirit of progress and development. Thus it is acknowledged that such as you, youth are key stakeholders in the attainment of the goal and aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the theme of the year. The need for their contribution has been highlighted not only premised on the continent’s youth bulge – but also their potential to bring about change and the added value that young people bring to Africa’s development and democratization process.

The African Union – African Governance Architecture (AGA) has set youth engagement as one of its priorities by identifying youth as partners, leaders and beneficiaries. Increasingly, young people’s vigour for engagement and contribution to the democratization and development process has resulted in several disruptive and radical thinking bringing about innovations that are changing the status quo.

Young people are indeed influencing the existing narrative by finding novel ways of contributing to the Africa THEY Want. Undeniably, there is a clear nexus between democracy, governance and conflicts with the lion share of the continent’s peace and security problems arising out of deficits in democratic governance. Democracy and governance challenges specifically weak state institutions, issues of transparency, accountability, and legitimacy; marginalization of citizens and groups; insufficient civic engagement, participation, lack of basic human rights, justice and the rule of law progressively culminate to unrest and conflict.

It is important to note that silencing the guns in the continent is far from linear and it is a culmination of silencing several other ills – poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, discrimination, and many more.

However, the good news is – now we have #book Many Many Beginnings to share, a book to talk about, develop ideas, to start inviting others to discuss their views to change the way they might see the world under such as Olafur Eliasson’s MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT to the NATURAL LIGHT so that we ALL can appreciate the diversity human race offers with its positive contribution to the benefit of all.

Olafur Eliasson. (Photo by Anders Sune Berg.)

Marlon Brando’s famous speech was closely intertwined to his friendship to James Baldwin who was again a close friend to Beauford Delaney. Here, it takes an effort to elaborate on what we can perceive as the difference between Beauford as "artist" and Beauford as "artisan."

There may seem to be very little difference between the words “artist” and “artisan.” On the surface it is easy to see that the former proceeds from the latter. However, the application of these words can and does mean something different to the one labeling and the one being labeled. Such is the case with Beauford Delaney.

Portrait of Beauford Delaney (ca. 1950) Possibly by Gjon Mili James Baldwin once wrote that what Beauford taught him to see first was not his painting, his art, “that came later,” but the world as Beauford “caused me to see it.”

It is helpful to understand Beauford the artisan so that we might look at his artistic genius and the deep beauty of his art which in turn influences the society.

Observing Beauford and his work through the lens that he taught Baldwin to use to view the world, then an initial look frames him as an artisan who practiced first seeing and then painting. This to say that what he wanted was not to create fine art for anyone to observe from a distance, standing behind a yellow line in a confined museum, while artificial light reflects the sophistication of the one viewing. More likely, Beauford the Artisan wanted to cause the observer – like book Many Many Beginnings tries to do, to see something that human beings do not want to see. He wanted to guide his fans to see our World and to love even that which is considered the least of it! It is at second look that we see Beauford become an artist: a talented doer whose life and work is just beginning to be recognized as “fine art.” Like many avantgardists, also his life went unnoticed by others; the darkness and the forgotton he made visible yet beautiful mattered only to him, and he remained faithful to Truth, e.g. to what he saw in real-life. Today, looking at rural places in our World in 2020, it is not even a guess that this is the way for many who, like Beauford, practiced a craft on the margins where most do not dare to look or experience. They refuse to sacrifice the truth of what they see for the sake of acceptance – for the sake of what we perceive to be art. For me and many, Beauford Delaney becomes an artist only after we all can understand what he causes us to see with Love from within– not before. He becomes an artist only after we have learned the practice of seeing the world – not merely its colors or its dimensions, but the spirit of the light shaping it in our eyes and minds. James Baldwin says of his mentor, “Beauford’s work leads the inner and the outer eye, directly and inexorable, to a new confrontation with reality.”

Portrait of James Baldwin

Beauford Delaney

(1945) Oil on canvas

Philadelphia Museum of Art

As #book Many Many Beginnings suggests the artisan gives way to the artist only when we have accepted how the artist practices seeing the world and paints it. This is what makes Beauford Delaney an artisan who we are beginning to love as an artist and this is what makes his work of interest to all.

Today with you, and others to follow, we have much to learn from the past and good friends.

“What we have once enjoyed deeply, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us,” said Helen Keller, who had met the Break of Life from its harsh side – at her birth! She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1920s US, influencing our World as an author, political activist, and lecturer.

In opposite to death, life means new. New people, ideas, and a different way of looking and thinking can be effective. And when it seems that all doors are closed, a window can open. Conceptual Art helps us get familiar with finding unexpected views and looking at new perspectives – and to innovate:

Helen Keller showed us a good way – now with you and others we together can always start somewhere by silencing major drivers of conflict through addressing the structural root causes by using different approaches – innovation being one.

Fortunately, across Africa, many young authors and innovators are coming up with initiatives and ideas that are contributing immensely to the culture of good governance, entrenching democratic values, creating social cohesion, bridging social religious and tribal divides, managing diversity, building a common vision, creating different platforms for dialogue, blowing the lid on widespread corruption, casting the light on the trafficking of persons and illegal arms proliferation and many more - ultimately contributing to creating a peaceful and prosperous Africa - Silencing the Guns.