Thesis Abstract

<p> Sculpture has evolved from conventional materials like clay (terra-cotta), stone and<br>concrete, especially amongst the realists of the twentieth century. This reality had largely<br>influenced even the painting world as it affects the smoothness and glossiness of painting to<br>the level of replacing bold strokes as can be seen in the works of Van Gough etal. It thus<br>became imperative for visual artists, particularly painters and sculptors to take a leap in their<br>respective areas. In view of this development, a few number of sculptors like Jennifer<br>Maestre, Herb Williams, Chris Weed, Olu Amoda etc, have tried producing sculptures either<br>in the round or in relief though, in a different way. Based on the above assertion, the urge for<br>creative possibilities of pointillised form of sculpture, especially in relief format using<br>primarily steel nails was conceived and through practical studio experiences, translating<br>pointillism from painting to sculpture, though not without setbacks, the persistence and<br>courage employed made it possible for the success of the research. The experiment involved<br>two methods<br>i. The empirical analysis which entails a conceptualization of perceived forms that<br>laid the basis from which all studio projects benefited. This process involved a<br>massive drill of mental display of ideas. The researcher employed an assemblage<br>of ideas which served as impetus for the researcher’s experiences.<br>ii. Ten indoor sculptures were created out of which one larger size was used as the<br>main project for the research. The findings display an array of visual impacts<br>created by the inclusion of physically perceived forms. <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> 1.0 INTRODUCTION:<br>Pointillism as a painting technique that started in the nineteenth century by Georges<br>Seurat was seen as an exclusive preserve of painting. The need for this technique, according<br>to Wales (2005), arose, primarily from its two-dimensional nature and the curiosity of artists<br>of the era to deviate from the conventional methods of executing art works, especially in<br>painting with the aid of a brush or other materials like charcoal, pastel and pencil. These<br>materials of expression were in the earlier part of the nineteenth century used as instruments<br>of change in the art world that painters (impressionists) explored exhaustively. What started<br>as a minor move pivoted by a quartet of skilled and talented painters (George Seurat, Paul<br>Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh and Gauguin) became more established and recognized in the<br>later part of the century, (De la Croix and Tansey 1970). These instruments nurtured the<br>transformation that brought about a massive change in the world of art by also bringing out<br>the best in the artists concerned.<br>The manner things improve and keep changing shows that change in itself is dynamic.<br>Change occurs in almost all facets of creation, be it human activities, climate or other natural<br>causes. Art, in this context being one of the major human manipulative activities enjoys no<br>exception. According to Moore (1968):<br>You may ask why art cannot continue repeating itself, why there are<br>always artists with new ways of seeing and doing? It is partly<br>because a certain vein comes to be exhausted. What once was fresh<br>and stimulating and full of meaning in the hands of strong and<br>original artists becomes stale and repetitious in the hands of later<br>imitators. Also, the attitudes and interests of society as a whole shift<br>and change and it is the artists and scientists who are often the first to<br>provide intimations of this change.<br>Translation, according to ‘Oxford Dictionary of Current English’ means: changing<br>something to another but still maintaining its originality. It could also be understood in this<br>14<br>context as a change in shape and form with regards to materials of expression and mode of<br>execution. In other words, translation is a gradual modification from shape through<br>technique, method, materials of expression to form. It is of immense importance that this<br>change is made simpler in the most visual sense. According to Goldwater in Stribling (1975)<br>‘it is of assumption that as the further one goes back-historically, psychologically or<br>aesthetically, the simpler things become and because they are more profound, more important<br>and more valuable’. He further states that the nature of this simplicity varies with the nature<br>of the seeker.<br>In view of the above assertion, several artists started springing up in different parts of<br>the world especially in Europe where serious professional attention was given to art<br>endeavours. The influence of Renaissance in art in Europe around 15th century, which<br>undoubtedly, opened the doors of discoveries for artists to go into professionalizing this<br>endeavour and, also bringing to bear the fruits of the pioneers of art of the era. Every artist or<br>group of artists around this period wanted to carve out a niche for himself or themselves. This<br>led to establishment of art movements and styles as healthy discoveries spiced up this<br>profession making it a worthwhile venture. This continued until the arrival of an era where<br>exhibition was taken from single indoor spaces to the visual attention of the public around<br>19th century. It was at this point that a dotted way of painting started hunching through the<br>major pioneer, a French artist, named Georges Seurat, after witnessing an exhibition in Paris<br>in 1883, (Kleiner &amp; Mamiya, 2005).<br>The technique of painting with either brush strokes or dots of primary colors to generate<br>secondary results as an effect, which emanated from post-impressionism in the later part of<br>19th century was seen exclusively as painting without. It was later “pointillism” and thus<br>became one of the very celebrated developments in the field of painting.<br>15<br>1.1 Background of the study<br>The remarkable contributions of masters like Pablo Picasso, Gianluca Bernini,<br>Donatello, and Michelangelo in their respective art endeavours brought about the desired<br>change (change in styles, approach and even i the use of materials) which is inevitable in any<br>human activity. This change served as an eye opener that attracted a massive followership<br>which served as springboard for the emergence of several art movements. This development<br>led to a wide range of dynamic attractions from various visual artists resulting in inventions,<br>discoveries, innovations and developments. The explorations in the areas of painting and<br>sculpture have made it possible for the discipline of art to be of a vast embodiment like other<br>disciplines of human academic knowledge. These contributions, inventions, discoveries and<br>innovations of these masters have opened up challenging grounds for the younger generations<br>to carry on from where their predecessors have stopped.<br>These events made the European artists to venture into various aspects of art which<br>later resulted in the springing up of several art styles and movements. This was achieved<br>through fastidious attempts without any reservations for the use of the available materials<br>they could lay their hands on. After post-impressionism, in the later part of 19th century,<br>artists in France started the movement in painting that later came to be known and called<br>‘pointillism’.<br>Developmental stages in innovations and style and techniques have for several decades,<br>been enjoying massive support from teeming artists all over the world who in their<br>capabilities have been able to surmount the challenges in their own individual separate<br>approaches. Bluemel (1976) posits that Georges Seurat, was inspired to invent pointillism<br>after witnessing an exhibition of prints in 1883 at ‘Rue de Seze’ in Paris.<br>The effort aimed at bringing to fore a conceived idea into a tactile reality was<br>harnessed. Seurat immediately tasked himself by satisfying his curiosity when he tried his<br>16<br>hands on the concept of painting with either dots or brush strokes which was later termed<br>‘pointillism. Hammacher (1969), believes that pointillism was inspired from mosaic, which<br>share similar attributes with some of its aspects. This is evident in the use of beads that could<br>only be differentiated from pointillism in the sense that pointillism is two dimensional while<br>mosaic made of beads is more of a three dimensional technique. The researcher is not certain<br>of how long the development of a pointillism inspired effort lasted but judging by the periods<br>in question (from Neolithic to the contemporary), several decades must have passed with a<br>conglomerate of materials mostly that which could only show its existentiality through visual<br>forms of the subject without actually displaying the physical aspects of it. Williamson (1963),<br>states that “the earliest record of decorative mosaics are among relics of ancient North<br>American cultures. It is also understood that the Neolithic cultures of the Mesopotamian area<br>created mosaics. The Greeks of the Hellenistic period and the Romans are acclaimed to be the<br>first people to use mosaics extensively.<br>Stanfield (1956) is of the view that art does not mean working with only conventional<br>materials but also suggests that no artist should complain of not having materials because<br>they are abound locally. He further states that Nigeria is rich in providing substitutes. In view<br>of this, Stanfield continues that art students should be encouraged to source and prepare their<br>own materials as it is an important part of their training. The above assertion informed the<br>researcher’s quest to explore with unconventional materials in line with attempts by some<br>notable Nigerian contemporary artists like Jimoh Buraimoh and Chuka Amaefuna who use<br>industrially manufactured tiles, cowries and seeds respectively. Another artist of the Zaria Art<br>School extraction who has taken a bold step by taking a step away from the conventionalities<br>in this field is Jacob Jat Jari. He explores with cornstalk which is another step away from<br>paste up mosaic, though still on a two-dimensional realm, without a depiction of tangible<br>forms but rather than staying on the same level with the support, he uses an avalanche of<br>17<br>colors to define his forms. It is on these grounds that the researcher draws his inspiration<br>making use of nails as a material and technique of sculptural expression. The researcher tries<br>to develop on what painters have been able to achieve by bringing tangible forms into this<br>two-dimensional art, hence transformation of pointillists’ expressions into sculpture.<br>It is worthy of note at this point that the contributions of sculptors in the area of<br>translating pointillists’ expressions into sculpture with nails appears scanty. A few artists who<br>have attempted producing sculptures in similitude with pointillistic intent are as follows: Olu<br>Amoda, a Nigerian contemporary artist, Jennifer Maestre, a South African born American<br>artist, who uses sea urchins for her sculptures executed in the round, Herb Williams, an<br>American artist with a masterly handling of the crayons to produce sculpture in-the-round,<br>Chris Weed, another American artist with a variety of productions with constructed iron rod<br>of alternate sizes also produces his sculptures, also in the round. In terms of the material of<br>expression, the researcher sees it as partially uncultivated grounds and thinks it worthwhile as<br>it would open up corridors of knowledge for younger generation of sculptors. It is the view of<br>this researcher that varieties of nails may be found in the market for use in ways that release<br>them from their customary role and convert them into attractive media for the production of<br>sculptures for home or office decorations. Any type of nail can be used, provided it is free<br>from rust, grease, and other dirt. The researcher suggests the iron nails for its strength and<br>durability.<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>Beginning from Georges Seurat, a post-impressionist painter, mostly painters and a<br>few sculptors have explored and produced works in the pointillistic approach, thereby making<br>this technique appear majorly as painters preserve. Even the scanty pointillist attempts that<br>have been made in sculpture all tilt towards free standing works making this exploration of<br>pointillists’ expression into relief sculpture to become imperative.<br>18<br>1.3 Objectives of the Study<br>i. Explore possibilities of translating pointillism from a twodimensional<br>to a three-dimensional approach in sculpture.<br>ii. Produce relief sculptures that will have a pointillist appearance with the use<br>of steel nails.<br>iii. Produce artworks by translating pointillism from painting to stylization in relief<br>sculpture.<br>1.4 Justification of the Study<br>A few number of works have been done using nails to produce a pointillistic<br>appearance in three-dimensional sculpture, with artists like Olu Amoda and the Minkisi<br>sculptures. All of them, to the awareness of the researcher, tilt towards free-standing<br>sculpture. More so, the relative novelty of the nail as a material of expression, which hitherto<br>was used as a carpentry material in joining wood and its (nails) availability informed the<br>choice. This research therefore, attempts the production of sculptures in a relief format on a<br>plain surface, with the use of industrially manufactured nails.<br>1.5 Significance of the Study<br>The conventional methods of modeling, carving, casting and lately, installation, in<br>sculpture have in no small measure impeded the supposed developmental pace of this area of<br>art which hitherto made the conception of this approach in sculpture to look burdensome,<br>tedious and impossible. This study shall provide an extra option at producing sculptures,<br>especially with nails without necessarily using the conventional materials of expressions but<br>yet achieving the desired results. This shall also unlock the seeming possibilities by<br>proffering suitable solutions to arriving at various aesthetics associated with it.<br>19<br>1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study<br>This research is delimited to changing pointillists’ expressions and its associated<br>aesthetics that were usually considered an exclusive preserve of painting into relief sculpture<br>on a flat surface. It is primarily concerned with the exploration with nails as a suitable<br>material for gradual translation from subjective realism to stylization.<br>In relation to the above, the researcher chose to explore these forms under the<br>guidance of selected natural and social elements within Zaria. This is due largely to the<br>researcher’s proximity to, and admiration for some of the natural and social activities within<br>Zaria. The availability of steel nails, which is the material of expression for this research, also<br>informs and nurtures the researcher’s choice.<br>1.7 Organization of the Work.<br>This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one deals with matters concerning<br>introduction in its totality, chapter two looks into review of relevant literature and works,<br>chapter three takes charge of methodology whereas chapter four analyses the works and<br>presents catalogue of works produced in the course of the research, while chapter five deals<br>extensively with summary and conclusion.<br>20 <br></p>