ART GALLERIES AS ARBITERS OF COLLECTORS’ TASTE A STUDY ON SIGNATURE BEYOND LAGOS

ABSTRACT

With Signature Beyond being our focus case of study, there is no doubt that the most appropriate  method  of  our  data  interpretation  and  analysis  tend  more  towards  a  historical approach in research, although, with a degree of overlap on stylistic, functional and technical methods. With that said to had been adopted; we proceeded to exploring field trips to Signature Beyond, Lagos, as our primary data source, exploring the in-depth, one-on-one interview method of data collection, backing it up with archival evidence. Mr. Akah Rahman, the director and owner of Signature Beyond, and the host of other staff members whose opinions were relevant, were engaged in discursive investigations as to how well Signature has been doing in Nigeria; the tone and texture of its association with Nigerian artist; and to what extent Signature Beyond has been able to either distinguished itself as part of the cure or committed itself as part of the disease stated as research questions in chapter one, to which this project is set to provide answer. We have also embarked on gallery visits to Signature Beyond, Lagos and other galleries such as: Quintessence Gallery, The Hour Glass Gallery, Arthouse Contemporary Ltd, Mydrim Galleries Limited, and numerous other newer galleries situated in various locations within Lagos; to garner relevant information based on participant observation of the realities of gallery situations, as relevant to answering research questions raised in the statement of problem, as could be seen in various chapter of this project. We have introduced the use of archival images through photography, and a video documentary to further enrich this investigative study, and to evaluate the significance of this project. As part of exploring the secondary data collection method, we headed to Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Fine and Applied Arts Departmental Library; as well as consulting several books in private collections, for additional data collection on art galleries, art collectors, art, artists and art practice in Nigeria.

With the implied code of conduct and ethics said to guide effective art practice and promote balance and synergy in the symbiotic associations of all parties concerned within the art world, this project has done justice to the reconciling factors between professional art intermediaries such as art galleries, and professional artistic practice in Nigeria, as could be observed enumerated in chapter one, as part of the research questions that necessitates the need for the project.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

It is the duty of art galleries to represent artists, by means of displaying art works from such artists to audience including collectors whose duty is to collect art works that appeal to their taste of personal values. Art galleries are meant to promote  art appreciation across the art world by advertising artists who they represent and their works, causing their value to appreciate in terms  of  economic  worth  and  career  excellence,  especially  to  collectors  who,  in  response, consider such artists and the galleries that represent them as best of the best in their judgment. It is important therefore, at this point to imply that, the worth of an art piece depends on the history and worth of the artist that creates it. Hence, there is a network of judgment and expression of taste, which creates the reality of existence for the relationship between the artists and the collecting audience.  In other words, art collectors who, in an ideal circumstance, deal directly with only artists with which they have previously established contacts, depend on the advice of galleries as expert brokers who associate and interact regularly with old and new artists in order to develop, enhance or improve their idea of excellence in judgment as it concerns taste in collection, so as to be able to make the best choice in collecting works from newer artists.

Conversely, it is quite unfortunate that within the context of Nigerian art business, the interest of art galleries in the arts since modern time is perceived as limited to sales-and-purchase while in reality it should be understood as transcendent towards hyping the artist into a more flourishing career; hence, art galleries suffer the stigma of alleged exploitative dealings over the decades. 1999. Collection of Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi.

Here therefore, comes the need for reevaluation, attributing a social responsibility such as taste arbitration to art galleries so as to intensify the symbiotic experience among members of the art world, artists, critics, collectors, galleries, museums, museum goers and other members of the consuming public. This is particularly a necessary factor to promote the appreciation of art as an important course in the Humanities. Art galleries in Nigeria in most recent time have not lived up to expectation in terms of advertising artists which they are expected to represent instead they base their priority on advertising the galleries which they believe constitute the core of their investment, failing to realize that without the artist and the art they have no investment such as the gallery. The closest they have gotten to advertising artists is announcing art exhibitions, where it is important and profitable to state names of exhibiting artist who have worked so hard to gain fame and fortune all by themselves. Some galleries in Lagos take it as far as posting art works  on  social  media  to  advertise  the  gallery  and  announce  gallery  activities  without mentioning or acknowledging the artists, whose works are used, yet claim to advertise the work,

when they should be advertising the artists who create the works. Some gallery workers who care to respond to this lacuna every now and then in casual conversation admit the gimmick, and add that the possibility of artists appreciating in value and worth then leaving them afterwards for other galleries  is  their major fear. Meanwhile,  artists  on the other hand,  claim  to  have no justifiable reason to stick to one gallery since the responsibility of promoting themselves to appreciating level in taste and worth rests solely on them.

To this extent, this project is set at investigating the extent to which galleries in Nigeria are prepared to respond to the proposal on saddling such responsibility as proper artistic management and taste mediation for collectors, reconnecting arts and artists with collectors and entire consuming public in concepts and matters of taste, functioning as the umpire signaling career success to artists. Art galleries are expected to live up to their duty and function as mediators or arbiters of collectors’ taste but most gallery businesses in Nigeria seem to be limited to immediate sales-and-purchase and rules guiding it; as against going extra mile to engage in artists and artistic development as obtainable within the status quo in more developed societies in the world; it has not been so with the Nigerian art world.

Although this study is on Signature Beyond, Lagos, we will not hesitate to mention that there had been quite a number of successfully run art galleries, critic forums and publications to show that a lot had been done to develop art practice in Nigeria before and after Independence in

1960, thirty-two years before Signature was established in 1992. The development of any art depends largely on how it is critiqued and historicized…; the contemporary Nigerian art owes a great deal to the Nigerian Teacher (later Nigerian Magazine) which was first published in 1933 by the Federal Department of Culture, Ikwuemesi (2012).

Since inception Signature Beyond, although not mentioned in Art Expo (2008), has maintained  consistency  in  order  of  excellence  in  business  profile  and  therefore,  gained undisputed reputation in terms of quality of arts displayed, approach to collectors introduction to new works and sales strategy; although cannot be totally exonerated from the guilt as part of the causative factors for the artists-galleries-friction in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, excellence in such business matters presents it as leading in art business in Lagos; and for this reason, the researcher considers Signature Beyond a relevant case study for the topic.

According to Mr. Akar Rahman, the founder, Signature started at his Apapa residence, first as a framing shop. He would tour round Lagos city to find people who were interested in framing art works and that led him to meeting people who are interested in art. Therefore, he decided to maintain a network of players in the art world. Though difficult as it were, at the National Theater, Iganmu, he would pay studio and gallery attendants to get the names and contacts of key players such as Dele Jegede, Kolade Oshinowo and some others not well known as at then, such as Abiodun Olaku and the rest. With these artists he started organizing Colours and Forms in Africa, a Salon that became a popular demand. That led to the birth of Signature. It was not all “rose” as he implied but worth nurturing. Thorough investigation on the history of Signature Beyond will unfold in following chapters of this project.

Statement of the Problem

Considering the present state of artistic reality in Nigeria, art galleries have refused to play major roles in artistic development through promoting artists which they claim to manage or represent and their history of scholastic contributions and attainments. They are found wanting in failing to admit their responsibilities as transcendental to mere sales-and-purchase activities; and have refused to excel in simple duty of accentuating the sensible intellectual balance between taste and excellence in practice and connoisseurship.

Art in reality suffers gross misinterpretation by gallery workers and art dealers in Nigeria, presented as mere decorative commodity valued for financial (sales-and-purchase) exchange; such  inference  by  many  art  galleries  and  art  dealers  in  Nigeria depreciates  art  and  affects collectors’ taste. Gallery owners and gallery workers in Nigeria school themselves in business administration and the science and art of marketing but in their ignorance of the real value of art inherent in its meaning, they intend to thrive and excel leveraging on artists’ ignorance in the ethics of marketing and management hence, they are stuck to the stigma of dubious and exploitative deals with artists in early career, mid career and ones considered of average reputation. Many artists in early and mid career therefore, claim that most art galleries in Nigeria tend to depreciate art in their scheming attempts to belittle artists in terms of worth and in a bid

to exploit their situation, rather than appreciate efforts invested in making art, and this  prevents artists from standing the chance of right judgment in collectors taste.

Signature Beyond, since inception in 1992, as one of the populous third generation art galleries in Nigeria has not been appraised in University of Nigeria, Nsukka as an arbiter of collectors’ taste.

Objective of the Study

This project being a thesis through analysis and synthesis of the politics of collectorship investigating the concept of taste as collecting factor, will not only appraise the taste mediating functions of Signature Beyond with reference to other art galleries in Lagos for the purpose of advancing academic research and development in the art world, but   will also spur effective business rapport between conservative art collectors and art galleries; providing a new template for galleries to operate within the expectation of prioritizing intellectual and artistic promotions so as to earn collectors’ confidence for a stable profitability within the Nigerian art and business landscape.

This project evaluates the taste mediating activities of  Signature Beyond, Lagos, its method in achieving excellence in art business and small scale attempts (mentoring a few OND students) on professional development in artistic practice for Nigerian art graduates, by means of academic  appraisal;  evaluation  of  taste  enhancing  and  the  effects  of  symbiotic  experience between art collectors and art galleries as relevant to academic development of Nigerian art.

Methodology

This research basically engages two major types of data sources, primary and secondary sources  of  information.  The  primary  source  which  was  mainly  in  form  of  in-depth  oral interviews, video and photographic documentation is paramount. A bulk of relevant information was sourced in course of field investigation. The field experience was undertaken during the long vacation. The informants were mostly gallery owners, gallery workers and other members of the

art consuming public who have had any form of business relationship or transactions with Signature Beyond or any other galleries in Lagos claiming to have understood the arbitrary functions of art galleries in relation to collector’s taste in the city. With Signature Beyond being our focus case of study, there is no doubt that the most appropriate method of our data interpretation and analysis tend more towards a historical approach in research, although, with a degree of overlap on stylistic, functional and technical methods. With that said to had been adopted; we proceeded to exploring field trips to Signature Beyond, Lagos, as our primary data source, exploring the in-depth, one-on-one interview method of data collection, backing it up with archival evidence. Mr. Akah Rahman, the director and owner of Signature Beyond, and the host of other staff members whose opinions were relevant, were engaged in discursive investigations as to how well Signature has been doing in Nigeria; the tone and texture of its association with Nigerian artists; and to what extent Signature Beyond has been able to either distinguished itself as part of the cure or committed itself as part of the disease stated as research questions in previous paragraphs of this chapter, and to which this project is set to provide answer. We have embarked on gallery visits to Signature Beyond, 107 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and other galleries such as: Quintessence Gallery, Park View Entrance, Off Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; The Hour Glass Gallery, Unity Road, Off Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos,

5, Biaduo Street, Off  Keffi Street, South West, Ikoyi,  Lagos; Arthouse Contemporary Ltd, Penthouse Floor, Foreshore Towers, 2A, Oshore Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; Mydrim Galleries Limited, 74B, Norman Williams Street, South West, Ikoyi, Lagos; Nike Art Gallery, 4 Chief Augustine Anozie Street, Off Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; and numerous other newer galleries situated in various locations within Lagos; to garner relevant information based on participant observation of the realities of gallery situations, as relevant to answering research questions raised in the statement of problem, as could be seen in Chapter One of this project. We have introduced the use of archival images through photography, and a video documentary to further enrich  this  investigative  study,  and  to  evaluate  the  significance  of  this  project.  As  part  of exploring the secondary data collection method, we headed to Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Fine and Applied Arts Departmental Library; as well as consulting several books in private collections, for additional data collection on art galleries, art collectors, art, artists and art practice in Nigeria.

Scope of the study

This project report is a specific navigation within the scope of role, functions and taste mediating activities of Signature Beyond, Lagos, and ways it might have contributed to artistic development in Nigeria, although references will be made to other art galleries in the bid to investigate arbitrating activities and the politics in matters of collectors’ taste.

Limitations of the study

In  trying  to  execute this  task  the researcher encountered  some  challenges  that  create limitation for the study. These are factors such as limited availability of related literature and reference materials on the topic which poses enormous difficulty on the study. The collection of data on Signature Beyond is regarded as secondary to Signature’s main business objectives especially with Signature’s Director Mr. Akar’s outburst of discontent with teaching methods which many art schools in Nigeria adopt in teaching art student, expressing concern that the method is deterrent to confidence and freedom of creative expression, therefore, did not feel comfortable to schedule a meeting with the researcher or maintain transparent handouts of detailed information considered useful to the study.

Significance of study

This project is an appraisal of the taste mediating functions of Signature Beyond, Lagos for the purpose of advancing academic research and development in the art world; also, a spur for effective rapport  between  conservative art  collectors  and  art  galleries;  providing  a new template for galleries to operate on a clean slate   as well as prescribe a conducive system of operation within the expectation of prioritizing the  promotion of artistic intelligence  so as to earn collectors’ confidence for a stable profitability within the Nigerian art and business landscape; connotative of the contribution to existing scholarship on art galleries in Nigeria and their influence on collectors’ taste. It is also a channel towards alterative approach in stimulating fundamental  Art  Appreciation  within  the  realistic  business  of  artists  hype  and  publicity  in Nigeria, appraisal of galleries such as Signature Beyond, in University of Nigeria Nsukka, hence, presenting art galleries academically as taste mediators conducting the business of creative and economic match between artists they represent and collectors that visit.

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