Leisure Lady with Ocelots, 2001

Shonibare, of Nigerian descent, was born in Britain in 1962. His work spans many media in its attempts to touch on ideas about African identity and the “legacy of European colonialism.” Most famous for his use of “Dutch wax fabric” this exhibition on through September 20th highlights 12 years of his work including installations, photography, film and sculpture. He first used the “Dutch wax fabric” to replace linen canvases but it has now become a means to make statements about social class and colonialism. The fabric, produced in Europe for West African markets in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was inspired by Indonesian batik. For Shonibare, “it symbolizes the complex web of economic and racial interactions between Europe and Asia and Africa.” It is now a signifier of African identity and for Shonibare, “All African exotic implications remain fake. And I actually like that fakeness.”

Shonibare’s sculpture often features headless mannequins clothed in elaborate costumes from the period just before the French Revolution when European aristocracy controlled vast wealth, land, and power. This is a nod to the beheading of the aristocracy during the French revolution, but it also removes direct connotations of race or identity. Referencing art history , in particular the Rococo period with its depictions of luxury and privilege, Shonibare portrays romanticized narratives as well as imagined scenes of sexual decadence and violence. He states, “To be in a position to engage in leisure pursuits, you need ….spare time and money buys you spare time. Whilst the leisure pursuit might look frivolous…my depiction of  it is a way of engaging in that power.” In 2005 Shonibare was awarded the title: Member of the Order of the British Empire. He uses this title now to further explore colonial legacy, class structure and social injustices that exist in the country he calls “home.”

The Swing (After Fragonard), 2001

In 2001 Shonibare created The Swing (After Fragonard) in which he transformed a well-known European painting The Swing from 1767 into a three-dimensional installation with a twist. Fragonard depicted the upper class at play and in the original work he painted a woman on a swing with her shoe flying through the air. We are introduced to the exhibition with Shonibare’s installation depicting a similar scene. It pulsates with a sense of whimsy and delight.

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

In the next gallery hang Shonibare’s most recent photos which are based on Goya’s etching, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters from his “Los Caprichos” series. The artist restages the original image in five variations, each representing a world continent by means of the sleeping figure.

The installation Gallantry and Criminal Conversation from 2002 fills a large gallery in the middle of the show. The work was inspired by the idea of the Grand Tour which the wealthy used to take through Europe in the 17th through the 19th centuries. It focused on introducing the elite classes to art, culture and history in Europe. The installation explores “slippings between public and private life revealing hidden intimacies and exchanges.” The Grand Tour is shown to be filled with sexual exploration. Headless men and women are shown in Dutch wax attire with legs splayed, heads under dresses and men entering from behind all with traveling trunks scattered around and a lifesized stagecoah hanging above implying travel.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, another photo series, a handsome young man gives his soul in order to remain forever young, but a hidden portrait captures the effects of his age and his increased moral corruption. In 1945 it was made into a film and Shonibare borrows the film still idea in the creation of this series.  

Film Still, Un Ballo in Maschera, 2004

Un Ballo in Maschera from 2004 is considered by the artist to be a “moving tableau.” It is his first film and the titles comes fro Verdi’s 1859 opera. In it, people clad in Venetian masks and decorative “Dutch wax” costumes participate in carefully choreographed dances that are quite beautiful. I was unable to stay for the entire work but it appears to play forwards and then proceeds to play in reverse in one full cycle.

Film Still, Odile and Odette, 2005

Another film I very much enjoyed was Odile and Odette from 2005. Inspired by Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, he explores themes of blackness and whiteness and the associations of evil and good that go hand in hand with them. The film consists of one black ballerina and one white dancer dancing the exact same steps in what appears to be a mirror separating the two. However, the viewer quickly discerns that it is simply a frame. It is quite beautiful but the underlying themes are powerful indeed.