A shot at the Kehinde Wiley Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Art, Houston. 2024
Beauty is only sometimes skin-deep. The Igbos of Eastern Nigeria in West Africa would say “Ihe I na-acho n’uko enu, di n’uko ala.” That is how art could be described. It is literally everywhere around us, and the incredible histories behind these art creations are what fascinate me the most about art. For example, who could tell the artists and architects behind the great walls of Zimbabwe, the great pyramid of Giza, and the statue of Zeus at Olympia? Artists put a lot of effort into ensuring that the formal properties of their art are in perfect alignment before sending them out to galleries. Sometimes, they take a few hours, days, weeks, months, or even years to look at a particular art piece until they deem it perfect to put it out for consumption. However, consumers are often more concerned about the in-depth meaning than the composition itself. The “Art of Creating” is as beautiful as the “Art of Looking.” Looking is a craft that comes from the soul as much as creation does. Often, most artists do not even appreciate their creations as much as the “lookers” do. Their job is to unleash the idea conceived in their mind, whilst our job is to receive it. Absorb it. Relinquish it. Perceive it. Inhale it. Stare at it. And let the wonders of the bejeweled creation we are beholding sink into our veins and bone marrows–healing us–setting our souls FREE! Maybe momentarily, but subsequently translating us right into the world of the artist's mind, where the creation first began.
As a painter, I never believed I could return to a particular perfectly executed art piece a thousand times and over, and yet discover something novel each time, until I began my post-graduate studies at Rice University. All my life, I never really understood why people would see a particular masterpiece and be held spellbound or even have sleepless nights about it until they give their all to own it. Masterpieces have their creators’ minds and souls in them, which explains why art is painstakingly preserved for posterity. It also justifies why it is incredibly exorbitant. Visiting the museum (my favorites include: the Moody Center for the Arts in our own Rice University, MFAH, and the Menil Collection) frequently for most of my classes is a new learning curve regarding art appreciation. Seeing these works done by Maestros, many of whom have gone far into the beyond, is the most fascinating aspect of this craft. We get to see, look, and enjoy the creative minds of geniuses who existed before our forefathers. The preservation. The finesse. The history behind them. The activism they intended.
“But could we all pause and just enjoy the physical presentation of the work? Do not look too deep. What lies on the surface? What do you see?” queried Prof. Olivia in their most soft yet reassuring voice ever. I have encountered visual analysis but have never experienced it the way Dr. Young guides us. What do you see before you? The brightness or temperature of the colors, the composition, the lines, the story it conveys, and the metal's rigidity and finesse. The dullness of the bronze. The flexibility of the fiberglass. The brittleness of the clay. The gloss. The shine. The rhythm and balance, and the bulginess of the eyes. The thickness. All of it! Just LOOK! Enjoy what lies before you, and you may never need the attention of the curators or artists to explain the works to you.
This translates to every other area of our lives. Sometimes, take a moment and pause. Look around and enjoy the beauty of both nature and artificial—the beautiful flora and fauna. The beauty of rusting metal, the drying and rustling leaves. The termite-infested grains of wooden tables; The phenotype of the people you see around you; their hair, lips, nose, eyes. Everything! There is beauty in all of these. First, try to enjoy and analyze visually every ARTWORK you see in whatever form you perceive it. That, my friend, is the beginning of Art Appreciation. Take a break today! It is not that serious.
About the author:
Osinachi Okafor was born in Aba, Abia State. She hails from Ebenator village, Azigbo town in Nnewi LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria. She is a current Ph.D student in Art History. She got her B.A in Fine and Applied Art at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria in 2017. Read more.
Further Reading:
Coloring Outside the Lines: On Ruts and the Art of Doing Something Just Because