THE INEVITABLE
The piece of art chosen for this research paper is titled the inevitable. This piece of art was done by an artist from Sudan known as Ibrahim el salahi. This piece of art has been chosen for this research because it is very rich not only a far as the artistic insight of the artist is concerned but also in terms of the rich history which the piece of art tells. This particular piece of art by el salahi is dated as far back as 1984 and led to el salahi being critically acclaimed for his visionary tendencies and to him being declared a modernist and one of the foremost champions for change in the African nation of Sudan and by extension the entire African continent. The question thus arises as to exactly what is so unique about this single painting that it could create such a buzz not only in the world of art but also in the world of politics and especially in the world of philosophy. It can be argued that perhaps the origins of this painting led to its critical acclaim. This is because the painting is from Sudan. There are only a handful of paintings from the African nation of Sudan which have reached the same status and surprisingly most of these paintings are from the very same artist. This fact alone makes this particular piece of art by all means very unique in its own right. Unlike Europe where there is an abundance of artist and famous art pieces, the inevitable is unique because it presents a whole new perspective to the world. This is the perspective of the African continent. This piece of art is also very important because it acts as a reminder to the rest of the world that art is not exclusive to the developed nations and continents.
The inevitable is very rich in terms of its cultural representation and content. This piece of art more or less tells the untold story of Sudan and its struggle along the years. This struggle is mostly political as well as it is social and cultural. This single painting more or less tells the entire story o Sudan right from the collapse of the British rule all from the perspective of the artist. The piece of art is divided into nine sections. This sections are not only a clear display of the artistic prowess of the artist but also very rich in symbolism. Each of these nine sections represent a time in the history of Sudan. The inevitable can therefore be viewed as a highlight reel into the political history of the African nation of Sudan. This painting is, however, a double edged sword. Not only does the painting tell of the political history and struggle in the African nation of Sudan but it also tells the personal story of the artist. This is because the painting is representative of the incarceration of the artist. The nine sections of the painting represent the various stages of the incarceration of the artist. This makes the painting very unique in terms of the fact that it presents a very unique perspective. It tells of the political situation of the African nation of Sudan from behind bars. This more or less gives the world a firsthand insight into the happenings in Sudan during this exact period in history. A very interesting section of this piece of art is the depiction of arms and fists. This section is very symbolic because it represents a revolutionary phase in the cultural disposition of the people of Sudan. This section represents a time in the history of the nation when injustice and oppression ran rampant. As a result the people were forced by the circumstances to take u arms and fight this injustice. This section of the painting therefore tells of the solidarity of the people of Sudan in the face of oppression and injustice. It is also an eye opener into the exact nature of the people of Sudan. These are people who believe in equal rights for all men. It is this belief that led to the civil rights activism that is clearly depicted in the inevitable by Ibrahim el salahi.
The period in which this painting was done is a major influencing factor as far as the contents of the painting are concerned. A god example is the depiction of distorted human faces in the painting. At first glance these distorted faces look like the artist was just trying his hand at humor while doing this painting. Juxtaposition of the painting against details of Sudanese history however reveals a different story entirely. These distorted faces tell the story of the Arabs and the captives in Sudan. The representation of their faces as distorted is really an artistic work of genius. The artist does not want to easily give away the deeper meaning of his painting and the fact that this particular section is talking about the Arabs in Sudan. The artist therefore takes full advantage of the clothing habits of the Arabs. The Arabs back then covered their faces in veils which made easy identification virtually impossible. Thus, instead of incorporating faces covered with veils in the painting, the artist slightly distorts these faces. Once distorted the faces are not east to identify at first glance much like the Arabs back at the time. Another illustration of the period of time in which the painting as done is the representation of African shields in the painting. African shields were exclusively items used to wage warfare. The shields were however defensive warfare tool as opposed to items used for offence. The presence of shields in the painting not only tells of the presence of an ongoing war at that period of time but also the nature of the war. This was a war in which the African people were mostly overwhelmed. As a result they resorted to defensive mechanisms in order to ensure their survival as opposed to offensive mechanisms which would most likely see the greater portion of them forfeit their lives in the process. The shields represent a period of time when the African people were under attack by a superior force. This force was superior both in terms of its tactics as well as its destructive capabilities. Resistance against this force was clearly file and the African people ha too resort to retreat and defensive mechanisms, thus the presence of African shields in the painting. The painting also tells of a period of civil unrest and an uprising by the common people. The fists clearly show that the people in the uprising were not armed. The only form of ammunition that they had was the truth and the solidarity of the people of Sudan.
The style employed by the artist in the inevitable is unique to say the least. Much like most of his paintings, Ibrahimel salahi chose to do the painting completely in black and white. The surprising this about this particular painting is that the lack of color in the painting is barely noticed. The painting can only be described as the perfection of a craft. A key element of the painting is its sharp nature. This sharpness can be attributed to the clear cut distinctness of the elements in the painting. There are absolutely no overlapping sections of the painting and it looks more like designed by a computer as opposed to a human hand. The monochromatic nature of the painting can be argued as the stylistic style of the painting that contributes most to its aura. As a result of the painting being completely in black and white, the audience can clearly relate to the story going on in the painting with relative ease. The monochromatic nature of the painting perhaps an artistic tactic by the artist to arouse the curiosity as well as the imagination of the audience. Since the painting is black and white, it tells its story more vividly. The painting is therefore more engaging as far as the attention and the imagination of the audience is concerned. Another artistic aspect of the painting is its division into nine sections. This division is aimed at helping the audience to gain a more distinct perspective of each of the sections of the painting. This is because each section tells an entirely different story, although all the sections are eventually related. This division of the painting helps the artist to put forward his agenda in an artistic manner. This agenda is the fusion of the Sudanese culture and history with the modernist views of the artist. Thus, the division of the piece of art into nine sections turns the piece of art into a systematic puzzle telling the story of Sudan as well as the vision of the artist in terms of the future that he predicts not only for Sudan but for the entire world.
A controversial aspect of the analysis of the inevitable is the determination of its purpose or rather the reason why Ibrahim el salahi saw it fit to paint this particular painting. This is because this is a controversial topic the world over. Art enthusiasts all over the world are divided down the middle as to the exact purpose of this painting. The purpose of the painting can however be derived from the content of the painting. This painting is a recollection of past events in the history of Sudan as well as prediction of future events not only in Sudan but also in the entire world as a whole. This painting tells the story of the dynamics of political power and social oppression of the masses by those in power. As a result of the powerful oppressing the masses, a revolution in the form of civil activism is an inevitable outcome in any part of the world. The purpose of this painting is therefore to shed light on the selfish nature of the ruling class and the inevitable uprising by the people against this selfish rule.
Works Cited
"African Painters." : Ibrahim El Salahi. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://africanpainters.blogspot.com/2006/05/ibrahim-el-salahi-inevitable.html>.
"Ibrahim El Salahi's 'The Inevitable'." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-724mZrw2s>.
"Ibrahim El-Salahi | Online references | cyclopaedia.net." Ibrahim El-Salahi | Online references | cyclopaedia.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://en.cyclopaedia.net/wiki/Ibrahim-El-Salahi>.
