Introduction:
The purpose of this post is to explore the visual contexts of Skunder Boghossian’s Night Flight of Dread and Delight. Skunder Boghossian was from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. He was influenced by many cultures as he studied in London and Paris then returned to Ethiopia for a few years to teach before moving to the United States. Night Flight of Dread and Delight was painted during his time in Paris. While in Paris, Skunder Boghossian was influenced by surrealism and the negritude movement. Surrealism was an art movement from 1924-1966 that focused on creativity coming from the unconscious mind. There are two styles of surrealism: hyperrealism and automatism. Hyperrealism focused on having realistic details, while automatism was more abstract. Following the Harlem Renaissance of the 20s in New York, the negritude movement emerged in Paris. The negritude movement lasted through the 30s, 40s, and 50s and focused on celebrating African culture instead of assimilating. This post will describe Skunder Boghossian’s Night Flight of Dread and Delight and the visual contexts surrounding it. Specifically, the work of author Amos Tutuola, Ethiopian art, Surrealist art, and Paris while Skunder Boghossian was residing there.
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Night Flight of Dread and Delight by Skunder Boghossian was painted in Paris in 1964. It was inspired by Amos Tutuola’s books which feature fantasy and myths. The surrealist influence is apparent through the dreamlike qualities of the piece. Night Flight of Dread and Delight features two figures. One is an owl and in the darker sky part of the painting, it represents delight. The other is located to the left below the owl and looks to be a mythical creature. It represents dread. This painting shows the influences of Skunder Boghossian’s exposure to many different cultures, as well as the influence of surrealist work.
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The Palm-Wine Drinkard is the most well known book of Nigerian author Amos Tutuola.
In addition to it being translated into eleven languages, there have been theatrical versions of it performed. Skunder Boghossian’s Night Flight of Dread and Delight is said to be influenced by this the fantasy novels of Amos Tutuola. Tutuola is known for writing fantasy that incorporated Yoruba mythology and religion. The Yoruba are one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria and their language is has many stories, poems, and myths. Amos Tutuola faced criticism when publishing his book from Nigerians who worried that it would reinforce views of the rest of the world that they were uncivilized because Tutuola had little formal education and his writing style used non standard english.
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Pictured here is an example of more traditional Ethiopian art. Being from Ethiopia, Skunder Boghossian was influenced by Ethiopian art. In 1955, He traveled to Europe to study art on a scholarship, but later he returned to Ethiopia for a few years to teach art at the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa. In addition to his art being influenced by his ties to Ethiopia, Skunder Boghossian also greatly influenced contemporary art in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the second largest African country by population, and is home to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest christian churches and is a prominent theme in ethiopian art.
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Harlequin’s Carnival is a well known work of art by surrealist artist Joan Miro. It was created in 1925 in Paris. Skunder Boghossian’s Night Flight of Dread and Delight was also painted as part of the surrealist movement in Paris, but it was done years later. Harlequin’s Carnival was done near the very beginning of the surrealist movement while Night Flight of Dread and Delight was created near the end. The surrealist movement lasted from 1924 to 1966 and focused on unlocking the unconscious mind and imagination. Surrealism characteristically uses fantasy and dream imagery, and had two main styles: hyperrealism and automatism. Both Miro and Boghossian use the automatism style of surrealism. Automatism as a psychology term refers to actions and things not controlled by the conscious brain. Because surrealists believe creativity comes from the unconscious mind, the applied this to their work to describe a more abstract style of surrealism that contrasts the hyperrealism style.
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Skunder Boghossian lived in Paris from 1957 to 1966. After spending two years in London at the Slade School of Fine Art, he moved to Paris and continued his studies at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. Many artists from different nations were drawn to Paris during the 20th century. During the 50s and 60s former colonies of Western European countries, including France, were gaining independence, leading to social and political tension. While in Paris, Skunder Boghossian interacted with many different figures in the Pan-African and negritude movements. The negritude movement was made up of French speaking black students, and through it art, literature and poetry were created as means to express african culture.
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Resources:
Art in France: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/euwf.html
Negritude Movement: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Negritude
Amos Tutuola: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Amos-Tutuola
Biography of Amos Tutuolahttp://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=355&lang=en
Surrealism Movement: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm
Automatism: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/surrealism/tapping-the-subconscious-automatism-and-dreams
Skunder Boghossian: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/18/nyregion/skunder-boghossian-65-artist-who-bridged-africa-and-west.html
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