El Anatsui’s works are part sculpture and part tapestry, and have all the color and painterly quality of Titian. An exhibit recently opened at the Brooklyn Museum is a great place to see his work.
Professor M. Och
ARTH 114 and ARTH 115: Introduction to Western Art, University of Mary Washington
There is so much that is going on in this tapestry. It looks like there isn’t much order to the colors, random blotches almost. But then again it kind of looks like the artist had a plan the whole time he was making it. Do you know how long it took to make this?
This piece is entitled “A Million Pieces of Home”, and for me, that makes all the difference. This work is not meant to make sense to anybody but the artists. While beautiful to look at in passing, there lies beneath a message and an homage to the complexity as well as the nostalgia that accompanies the memory of “home”. I am overwhelmed by the detailing and the seamless transition between each of the elements. Even the disjointed marks of the red seeping through the tan is elegant in a rather melancholy way. This piece is simply overwhelming in terms of size and mass. Yet, this makes sense. This tapestry is representative of the interwoven memories and associations the artist attributes to his home. There is no beginning or end to this work, and nor should there be. The memories that are represented here are of the past, present and future and will continue to shape the life of the artist himself.
This work now on display in Brooklyn is beautiful and easy on the eyes. Although it may be difficult to perceive what its about, the overall creativity and imagination that goes into this piece is quite incredible. Imposing in scale, sumptuous in color and texture, and yet profound from everyday materials. El Anatsui’s works are visually rich and give the mind thought to ponder. I wonder how long this amazing peace of work took to complete. The inspiration this tapestry evokes is incredible and fabulous.
I love when you can see in the finished product just how much time and effort was involved. Each small bottle top was painstakingly wired together to make this amazing piece. I like that anyone can hang it or drape it as they want to, and that it’s so big but it can be folded into a suitcase if need be. Anatsui is bringing Africa and African art to the attention of the world with his pieces.
The piece is incredible in it’s overwhelming appearance, and particularly in the amount of work that it must have taken to put together. Reading about the piece in the context in the development of global interest in international art is also fascinating, particularly in learning how El Anatsui came to be one of the central figures of the African art scene. Certainly a work I would love to see in-person at some point.
This positive spotlight being shown upon Africa and the fantastic creation of Anatsui is reflective of the efforts to improve life in Africa while maintaining the core of the culture. The materials used give each viewer a chance to appreciate the work of art uniquely. I enjoy the versatility and culturally reflective nature of the metal tapestry because it is welcoming, making it more approachable to an amateur viewer like myself.
Looking at this piece of art is pretty interesting. There doesn’t seem to be a clear pattern anywhere. It seems like Anatsui was a sculptor and painter. The detail of the tapestry is astounding as well. Especially the parts where it comes out at you on the sides and the middle. I am curious to find out what technique he used to accomplish this. This kind of reminds me of the work in the Baroque period. Some of the artist painted figures so well it looked three dimensional. It would be interesting to find out if Anatsui could have used paint to give the illusion of 3 dimensional architecture.