Monday, July 04, 2011

Hollywood Icons, Local Demons - Ghanaian Popular Paintings by Mark Anthony

Mark Anthony -  Some Rivals are Dangerous

Mark Anthony - When A Royal Dies, We Take Him Home 1

Mark Anthony - When A Royal Dies, We Take Him Home 2

Mark Anthony - In This World If You Do Not Allow Your Brother to Climb, You Will Not Climb 2

Mark Anthony - In This World If You Do Not Allow Your Brother to Climb, You Will Not Climb 3

Mark Anthony - When A Royal Dies, We Take Him Home 4

Mark Anthony - When A Royal Dies, We Take Him Home 3

Mark Anthony - Some Rivals (co-wives) are Dangerous

Mark Anthony - n This World If You Do Not Allow Your Brother to Climb, You Will Not Climb 1

"Ghanaian master artist Mark Anthony (born c.1943) is acclaimed for his signage-inspired paintings which attract audiences to itinerant theatrical performances or “concert parties” by local musicians and actors. This exhibition of Anthony’s work consists of sets of paintings for three different plays; 1) Some Rivals Are Dangerous, 2) In This World, If You Do Not Allow Your Brother to Climb, You Will Not Climb, and 3) When A Royal Dies, We Take Him Home.

During the twentieth century this type of painting became integrated into the arts of Ghanaian communities with playwrights often basing their work on well-known stories that explore current issues. Of particular interest are tales that reflect the social pressures brought about by rapid change and globalization. Each set portrays key scenes from the plays, designed to attract attention and promote discussion as people walk or ride by. The size and combination of image and writing make the works feel like an exhibition of bizarre roadside billboards. To make these oversize paintings transportable, the artist constructs them in two sections connected with hinges. They can then be folded and tossed on and off trucks—and they show the wear from this use and abuse." - quote and image source


3 comments:

thankeesai69 said...

been following you for a coupla weeks now and i absolutely love your blog, you constantly churn out some of the coolest art i have ever seen and introduced me to loads of great artists, so thank you!

beebe said...

I have this book--it was catalog of an exhibition that went up at the Chicago Cultural Center in the early 00s. (I'm sure it travelled to other cities as well but I don't have the book next to me.) This was one of the BEST FUCKING SHOWS I saw during my decade in Chicago. Thanks for posting!

Anthrax said...

This is fucking AMAZING!