This piece is an African work of art called Flow II , 36 by 48 inch acrylic on canvas, created by artist James Cudjoe in his home country of Ghana in Accra. I did quite a bit of research trying to find when this piece was created, but as it is not one of his most famous works, I came up unsuccessful. However, upon intensely scanning over the painting, you can see at the bottom right corner of the painting there is Cudjoe’s signature with an underlined ’09 beneath it which leads me to believe it was painted recently in 2009. Cudjoe graduated from Ghana’s private art college Ghanatta in 1996 and was born on September 7, 1971 in Takoradi, Ghana.
Much of Cudjoe’s works draw on images of everyday life and Flow II is no exception. You can make out a women, most likely an African market women, a figure Cudjoe says represents his own mother, his muse. This piece is also representative of the vibrant colors his works are known for. Cudjoe’s pieces such as this have become very popular world wide because they are thought to be emotional, evocative, and relatable.
Flow II is a simple piece meant to represent the beauty of the ordinary. This common, everyday African women may not hold a status of grandeur but in Cudjoe’s painting, she is beautiful and whimsical. The loose strokes of the painting and vibrant colors give it a very positive energy. Cudjoe has a great respect for women and their strength, so in his works, such as this, he often depicts woman in a strong, proud, yet beautiful light.
Flow II is one of my favorite pieces of African art because it utilizes vibrant, beautiful colors, it uses the brush strokes symbolic of the Impressionist style which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it is a light piece open to the viewer’s interpretation. The loose brush strokes and the way the artist depicts the woman’s garments blowing as if by a breeze make the work have a whimsical and just happy overtone. The woman holding her head high and looking forward against the breeze makes me think that the painting is depicting her as proud and respectable women even though she is probably a commoner, as most women are depicted in Cudjoe’s works.
I interpret this piece as light, joyful, peaceful, proud, and energetic all at the same time. It evokes many emotions in the viewer without depicting some dark underlying meaning. To me, this piece makes me feel the cool, fresh air blowing in my face on a warm sunny day and I just feel calm and happy and at the same time full of life.
I selected this piece because it is something that I enjoy looking at and I enjoy the way it makes me feel. As I mentioned above, it utilizes some of my favorite aspects of art like the vibrant colors and light subject matter that is open to the viewer’s interpretation. Not to mention, any work that truly embodies the strength and important role of women is a plus in my book.
Works cited:
https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_60839_1%26url%3d
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cudjoe
http://www.justlikemychild.com/auction.html
