Contemporary Art and the Ghanaian Experience: An Iconographic Assay

Abstract

The primary focus of this study was to get a snug look at contemporary art and the Ghanaian experience with a critical look at the iconographies used by the Ghanaian contemporary artist. And extend perceptions of what philosophical underpinnings that inspires the Ghanaian contemporary artist in his quest to practice art. It was also intended that, the outcome of the study would be relevant for expanding the frontiers of knowledge in the field of art praxis in Ghana by helping to identify key factors that inform  contemporary art in Ghana, which would help inform, deepen and enhance understanding of the essence of contemporary art in Ghana's spatial, temporal, spatio-temporal and three dimensional art landscape. The principal findings of this inquiry revealed that Ghanaian contemporary artists played a lot on their personal experiences to create artwork that explored idea son current social, political and economic issues, such as sustainable development, globalisation, migration or intercultural exchange, while others tackle more intimate questions of human relations, gender and sexuality, memory, life and death. From the analysis it came out clearly that the Ghanaian contemporary artists utilised a variety of media including photography, film, technology, fabric, metal, glass, found objects, scrap metals, waste materials, plastics, nature, paint, paper and the human body.