Thesis Abstract

<p> </p><p>Some aspect of art which has gained importance as a means of expression by artists over time is<br>landscape painting. The presence of the natural and man-made features on Shere village informed<br>the researcher to explore the possibility of developing and expressing these forms in an artistic<br>language. Shere village landscape comprises of many natural and man-made land forms such as<br>hills, mountains, rocky mountains, valleys, gouges, shrubs, rocks, rivers, ponds, gullies, cliffs,<br>man-made dumps, lakes, the atmosphere, and of course the sky. The researcher was influenced<br>by this event in nature. The motifs and forms on the Shere village landscape provided an artistic<br>point of departure in painting. This study focuses on Minimalism as a means of expression. The<br>exploration of landforms generally has been undertaken by various artists in Nigeria and other<br>parts of the world. The researcher however, is not aware of any record of painting using forms<br>from Shere landscape. The theory adapted for this research was minimalism. Minimal art was<br>developed in the late 1950s and 1960s in the United States of America mainly as a reaction to<br>abstract expressionism. Minimalism defines a simplification of forms in artwork and design. The<br>review examined written literature and works done by artists on minimalist paintings especially<br>landscapes and how they were rendered by minimalist artists, such as Kandinsky, Matisse, Klee,<br>and Buhari. The review also validates the minimalist style by entrenching its philosophy.<br>Collection of data was done by the means of study drawings and sketches from selected sites.<br>Photographs were also used. These selected land forms and sites were developed and translated<br>into minimalist paintings from their realistic state. This study was categorized into three (3) major<br>stages; representational, developmental and abstract stages (i.e. minimalism). Twenty two (22)<br>works were executed in the course of this research, presented and analyzed; they can be viewed<br>in the plates provided. The findings reveal that there were unlimited forms to explore. In<br>addition, a variety of colours could be explored which created interest. As a major contribution<br>to knowledge the research serves as a document for posterity, a catalyst and source of inspiration<br>to Nigerian artists to engage in paintings of their rich indigenous environments.<br>vii</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <br><p></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> 1.0 Introduction<br>Some aspect of art which has gained importance as a means of expression by artists over time is<br>landscape painting. Landscape painting is the representation of a panoramic view of the environment<br>depicting such forms as; trees, mountains, hills, rivers, sky, houses, cars, electricity poles and wires,<br>human figures among others.Aspects of landscape painting can be traced to prehistoric representations on<br>cave walls of Altamira as recognized by Gardner (1980). Funk and Wagnall (1995) define landscape as<br>“a stretch of country as seen from a single point.” They further stated that it is “a picture representing<br>natural scenery.”<br>Similarly, landscape painting according to the Encyclopedia of World Arts, volume ix (1964), is<br>“the type of pictorial representation in which natural scenery is the subject of or prevail over the action of<br>figures, this also describes the rendering of natural scenery, painting forms, and colour which makes up<br>the design elements of the landscape.” Landscape therefore, can again be defined as a form of art which<br>deals with the representation of a section of natural scenery or landforms.<br>Wikipedia informs us that “the word landscape is from the Dutch landscape, (the German<br>cognate is landschaft) meaning sheaft, patch of cultivated ground.” The word is said to have entered the<br>English vocabulary of the connoisseur in the late 11th century. Furthermore, Hornby (2000) sees<br>landscape as “everything you can see when you look across a large area of land, especially in the<br>country.”<br>2<br>Stylistic movements over time have represented landscapes in peculiar approaches. Among these<br>movements are Renaissance, Rococo, Baroque, Realism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism,<br>Futurism, including Minimalism, which forms the basics of this research.<br>According to Encyclopedia Americana Volume 19 (1829), International Edition:<br>“minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and<br>music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features and core self<br>expression.” Encyclopedia (Americana) further reiterated that the term “minimalist” is none<br>objective art that attempt to reduce artistic decision making to a few logical choice. It can also<br>refer to anything which is spare, stripped to its essentials, or providing only the outline of<br>structure independent of the particular art movement, and “minimalism” the tendency to reduce<br>to fundamentals. It is sometimes applied to groups or individuals practicing asceticism and the<br>reduction of physical possessions and needs to a minimum.” From the foregoing, minimalism<br>which started in 1960 in New York is a movement in the arts identified with development in<br>post-world War II Western Art, rooted in modernism and associated with post modernism. It is<br>simply the simplification of an idea or form for philosophical and aesthetical consumption. This<br>study focuses on Minimalism as a means of expression.<br>1.1 Background of the study<br>Remarkable contributions in various areas of art expression have been made by modern painters<br>leading to inventions, discoveries and, the development of modern science and technology. The<br>exploration of landforms generally has been undertaken by various artists in Nigeria and other parts of the<br>world. The researcher however, is not aware of any record of painting using forms from Shere landscape.<br>3<br>The researcher had undertaken field studies including the review of exhibitions in Nigeria, exhibition<br>catalogues, books, magazines, newspapers publications, but has not come across documented abstractions<br>relating to Shere village landscape forms. In addition, there are in exhaustive variations in the physical<br>environment within the geographical landscape of Shere village setting. It became pertinent therefore to<br>look into this artistically Shere landforms.<br>Shere Hills of Jos are about 1,700 meters above sea level. They are located on the Jos Plateau in<br>Jos East Local Government Area. The features of Jos Plateau include a flat area of almost about 8,000 sq.<br>km which is elevated to about 1,200 meters above sea level. The Hills is ranked the second highest feature<br>in Nigeria after Adamawa Mountains. Schoeneich and Mbonu (1991) submit that, “Shere Hills are said to<br>be built up of granite rock formation which solidified from liquid magma, the depth estimated at about…<br>10,000 meters below sea level”. This might have happened some 150 million years in the middle of the<br>Jurassic period. He further noted that, they were tectonically lifted above the ground surface and long<br>eroded by rivers and streams, leaving a beautiful and low landscape.<br>Schoeneich and Mbonu (1991) observe that geomopologically the landscape erosion formed over<br>millions of years ago. Dip valley with steep slopes called “V” shape are also visible features in the Shere<br>Hills rock formations. The main feature seen after further erosion presently may have been continually<br>transformed after the elevation of the plateau some 60 million years ago. It may have been that during the<br>period, the details of reliefs were modified both by dynamics of human and scientific exploration. The<br>people who inhabit the Shere village prefer to be called the Afizere. However, they are popularly known<br>4<br>as the Jarawa, which is a derogatory term. Their occupation includes farming, (both root and tree crops<br>such as cocoyam, cassava, yams ,both sweet and Irish potatoes, Acha, rice, millet, maize, guinea corn,<br>tamba and most of the vegetable crops), hunting, pottery, weaving, carving and blacksmithing and,<br>trading. The hills are said to provide avenue for relaxation and protection against external aggression on<br>the Afizere people. Tin and columbite mining within the surrounding of the hills which flourished with<br>the coming of the colonial rule around 1880 became part of their modern occupation. Furthermore, the<br>coming of British traders following the discoveries of metal sticks by the locals around 1884 in Ibi town<br>in Taraba state brought a larger invasion by the British soldiers. This generally paved way for the influx of<br>workers and metal seekers that culminated into larger exploratory excavation work. This continued to<br>cause further undulation of the terrain (Schoeneich and Mbonu 1991).<br>The lucrative tin mining activities or excavation on the Jos plateau in addition to the natural<br>features on the landscape brought about with them the appearance of dumps, gorges, as well as artificial<br>streams and lakes which were created from washing the tin and columbite (mineral ore). Shere village<br>and its surrounding is highly endowed with beautiful vegetated Rocky Mountains. This includes: shrubs,<br>rocks, hills, plains, ridges, mountains, lakes, rivers, and valleys. Some of the rocks are balanced as if<br>tactfully arranged by man, one stone on another, creating artistic arrangement in the landscape thereby<br>giving a general outlook of one of these most outstanding features in the Nigerian landscape.<br>The presence of the natural and man-made features on Shere village has informed the researcher<br>to explore the possibility of developing and expressing these forms in an artistic language. Landscape<br>5<br>painting in Nigeria since the 19th century is influenced by the European way of presenting landscape as<br>Okeke (1980) posits in Gushem (1990). “Landscape in Nigeria at the beginning of the 19th century was<br>adulterated by the European cheap representation of British landscape art, in line with the contemporary<br>freedom of expression and by painters”Gushem (1990).<br>Wikipedia notes that, “early in the 15th century, landscape painting was established as an art genre<br>in Europe, as setting of human activities.” This means that not until around the 17th century when<br>landscape gained a place as an independent form of pictorial art, it was considered inferior to figure<br>painting. Constable (1883) holds a view against “painting landscape that meant only to enhance the<br>beauty of the figure.” He further notes that, “under no circumstance should nature undergo correction”.<br>He however accounts for and justifies the diversity of styles in landscape painting by stating that just as in<br>nature, where no two hours are the same, neither were there ever two leaves alike since the creation of the<br>world, therefore, each valid work is distinct from every other.<br>The Encyclopedia.com views that the concept of early landscape painting in the West grew very<br>slowly, where nature was traditionally viewed as consisting of isolated objects, long before it was<br>appreciated as a scene or environment. Landscape as an independent art was a late development in the<br>West. Many scenes from the Hellenistic pictorial painting of antiquity to the religious works of the 16th<br>century A.D continued showing expansive landscape backgrounds, but they were usually subordinated<br>within a narrative context.<br>6<br>The landforms of Shere village from which this study gained its inspiration exist with natural and<br>man-made features. It is remarkably outstanding from within its surrounding. The painting possibilities<br>inherent in Shere hills have stimulated the researcher to undertake this study.<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>It appearsmost available landscape paintings in Nigeria are realistic in style or rendition; attempts<br>at other styles such as minimalism, in landscape painting are few, as observed by this researcher. An<br>artistic transformation of degraded Shere landscape as a result of unfriendly human activities on this<br>landscape by imbibing the minimalist approach offers a fresh perspective and inspiration to the<br>representation of landscapes. This will bring to limelight man’s unfriendly act (mining) to the<br>environment by means of exhibiting the products of the research.<br>1.3 Objectives of the Study<br>The major objective of this researcher is to use a minimalist painting approach to depict Shere<br>village landscape forms and its immediate environment. To achieve this therefore the specific objectives<br>are to,<br>1. develop minimalist painting possibility of transforming forms from a study of the Shere Hill<br>landscape from realism to a simplified state;<br>2. explore the aesthetics of Shere Hills landscape in painting medium ;<br>7<br>3. create awareness in society through exhibition of the paintings, on the need to respect nature and<br>cultivate it rather than destroy it; and<br>4. record this research work so that man will realize the importance of conserving his<br>environment for future generations.<br>1.4 Significance of the Study<br>The significance of this research is centred around the destructive activities of man on his<br>environment and can therefore be viewed in the following way:<br>1. The study will act as a record of the grandeur and beauty of the Shere village land formations and<br>its immediate environment for posterity.<br>2 The adaptation of the minimalist approach has a two-way significance in that since man’s<br>activities are ravaging the environment, and therefore minimalising the land forms, a minimalist<br>painting approach is found most suitable to depict it.<br>3 Using a minimalist approach adds new impetus to existing knowledge in Nigerian painting which<br>has a close affinity to traditional Nigerian art where simplification of forms is the norm.<br>1.5 Scope of the Study<br>This research is limited to the study of Shere village of Jos Plateau State and its immediate<br>environment. It is concerned with the exploration and development of landscape forms as inspired by the<br>Shere village landscape.<br>8<br>1.6 Limitations<br>The Shere village topography consist of difficult terrain including deep mine pits, rocky high<br>grounds, water logged ground and sharp outcrops and dangerous reptiles, all this constitute difficulties<br>that the researcher encountered in the course of the research.<br>1.7 Delimitations<br>A major problem encountered was with the selection of sites considering the numerous<br>sceneries, forms and motifs which could be used however; some suitable sites were cellected based<br>on their shapes, physical appearance, motifs and aesthetics of the scenery for the purpose of<br>handling this study.<br>1.8 Theoretical Framework<br>The theory adapted for this research is minimalism. Minimal art was developed in the late<br>1950s and 1960s in the United States of America mainly as a reaction to abstract expressionism.<br>Minimalism defines a simplification of forms in artwork and design. Minimalist artworks<br>“consist of geometric shapes or other simple forms” favouring use of basic colours arranged in<br>an impersonal manner (Encarta Encyclopedia 2009).<br>It is these basic principles that have endeared this researcher to the minimalist approach;<br>since in the landscapes emanating from this study are simplifications derived from the reality of<br>the land forms which have already been distorted by natural phenomena and human activities. <br></p>