An Interview with Gold Maria Akanbi

AN INTERVIEW WITH: GOLD MARIA AKANBI.

GOLD MARIA AKANBI, BA FINE ART, LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES (2018).

How does Diversity play a Role in Art Direction?

Well, when it comes to Art Direction the term in itself covers a broad range of industries that come under the terms ‘Arts’, sometimes overlapping into the entertainment industry - though not too much as that’s when it becomes pop culture and not everyone can pull off turning art into a popular trend. But I think that is one major impact of diversity within The Arts; changing popular culture and what is seen consumed by the masses. Plurality of choice, intersectionality and concepts of unique identity, in terms of both ethnic/natural cultures and personal constructs have made The Arts not only more appealing but more entertaining but also educating. For instance, I educate my mother on certain aspects of our ethnicity that she never knew about or that she even feared because there was no one around her that was willing to delve into the uniqueness of our culture to give her the comfort of understand, to educate her on the world that was around her.

Does the creative industries cater for intersectional narratives?

I think the Creative Industry is ‘attempting’ to cater to intersectional narratives. I think at times not all representation is good or even worthy representation. When it comes to the catering to or representation of the intersectional narratives, things can become skewed. Integrity and honesty comes into question. How much is for entertainment? How much is for education? How much is raw honesty? Is it really the rose and

all its thorns or is it merely a digestible version being created in order to meet a new, popular and demanding quota.

Can Art Direction be used as a tool for Activism?

Art direction can definitely be used as a form of activism but if it should always be used as a form of activism is another thing. I’ve found that activism can also become a thing of contentious entertainment, trying to see how far we can trigger someone into reacting, into clicking on a link, tweet or article. Sometimes the activists I see on Twitter make the activist life seem like a Telenovela, all drama with very little hope for change. I think that’s my issue with activism in Art direction, too many lack hope for change to be using activism in the creation or curation of art to make it a successful and beneficial thing for society as a whole. Also, who is being educated? And are we reinforcing stereotypes and the same olf tropes to fit these narratives into stirile and confirmed, acceptable boxes?

What is the importance of Art Directors within Activism?

Well without female activists I’m sure most of the world would be without rights. Man, woman or child. From what I do know the ‘Me Too’ movement was started by females, particularly black females, though I take issue with the use of the word ‘females’, I prefer ‘women’ or the more inclusive ‘womxn’ (it might be the millenial in me but I do like to include all my sisters). I think my problem is, when does it stop becoming activism and when does it start to become

clickbait? When does it become something to bolster one’s career? Sorry to sound cynical but I have seen many women rise on the necks of feminists only to discard the title or the belief system as soon as it starts to not represent their brand or as soon as it becomes ‘too extreme’. Of course things can have their extremes but that’s not the issues I’m referring, I’m trying to find a way to acknowledge culture vultures, whilst simultaneously acknowledging those who truly make sacrifices and everyday choices to truly make the world more aware of sexual assault, rape and abuse. I can’t think of a mainstream artist that truly does that. They talk about a man cheating on them quite often but they never truly delve into the dark dregs of sexual abuse. And they shouldn’t have to. I don’t want every womxn to feel like she must be part of the movement if it does not feel natural to her or it compromises her mental health. I’m often reminded of Nina Simone who said she wishes she never let the Civil Rights Movement affect her art so much, as she lost her way and her mind.

How can we Preserve and Protect Marginal Voices within Art?

Preserving and protecting marginal voices within art mainly lies in protecting marginal voices outside the art world. I’ve seen artists, spoken word for example, literally give what little they have left of their minds and pockets to the public to consume, whilst the hosts, at most, will offer nothing but transport fare. There are no real conversations happening about the real life struggles of marginalised people outside of the sphere of creating. Sometimes we seem to turn marginal people

into caricatures of themselves, making them numb to their own real life whilst they perform for institutions and companies.

What does Representation and Discrimination within art/creative direction industry roles look like?

Representation and Discrimination looks like the sentence. The separation of the people into what is seen as quality and not quality, too much ethnic and not enough, too much reality and not garish enough for reality. We are often seen as nothing more than a trend, a commodity, rather than people of different backgrounds that are also citizens of the Earth simply living their truth without fear and often with pride. That scares some people I think, when it comes to artistic and creative direction, that so many of us have (now) come out in droves believing that our narratives, our art, our visions and perceptions of truth are valid. I think that’s the true face of discrimination against representation in the art and creative industries, the power to tell someone their truth and their art is not worthy. Completely shutting down generations of voices because someone in HR merely looked at the applicants surname and skimmed through their portfolios and CVs - though they made up their mind as soon as they saw their name, they just skimmed through to be politically correct.

What is the future of Art Direction in the Digital Landscape?

Art Direction in terms of the digital landscape is still very much controlled by the

capitalism of this age. What do the masses want, what do they not realise they want and how can we make them want something completely different. But this is where the artisans come in. The niche photographers, designers, illustrators, writers and artists who express through numerous other mediums. They are part of the system too but they still offer liberation, even if on a niche scale. A niche subculture, as we have seen far before the age of social media when print and screen were the main modes of digital communication, can easily grow to influence most of the world, Hip-Hop culture of the 80’s and 90’s for instance or even Jazz and Blues era that came before the Civil Rights Movement in America. These things start off as niche and then break out into subcategories and cultures that even the creators did not imagine (and some did not live to see) just how far it would go. So I do believe that in the age that we currently live in, plurality may come to rule over mass consumerism. People will take from many art directors/content creators to buil upon their individuality creating a uniqueness created by globalisation that we have not seen before. The artisan can become famous from having followers, not just from their hometown (sometimes rarely, word to Little Simz) but from small portions all over the world equating in a large following and a kind of viral affect. Once again, the issue with this becomes authenticity. Who is a master of capitalism and who has simply benefitted from it?

How does Academia play a role in Art direction?

I believe those who have succeeded the most at Art Direction have normally had strong academic or professional connections before pursuing their works. Before Naomi Campbell was a model she took ballet classes, before Basquiat was a painter his mother took him to numerous art galleries as a child and he came from a middle class family with good ties to education, Edward Enninful was a

model at just 16 and was noticed by a stylist and model scout most likely because his mother already had roots in fashion. People often disregard education as some kind of bourgeoisie lie but I think that is very far from the truth. In all honesty I believe what we really need is a more diverse approach and perspective when it comes to education, within ethnic communities and the larger social model. Art clubs and artist talks and workshops being held at primary schools, dance classes being available on concession, giving children and teenagers access to technical equipment and programmes at a younger age. We should have the opportunity to integrate these things into our lives from a very young age. I was taught about geometric abstract art by a South African supply teacher who HATED me (I was demon at 10 years old) and I’ve never left it behind, integrating it into my philosophical theoretical and visual artwork till this day.

How does Art Direction contribute to Popular Culture?

Art direction has a way of permeating and setting the scene for the perspective of the day. Such as the decision for fashion designers to give women’s clothes shoulder pads in the 80’s, some say this was indicative of the new emerging feminine power and concepts of dual sexuality. I vaguely remember in the early 00’s when men started to wear pink more and more because of some stylist somewhere in the world, soon after conversations about masculinity and masculine beauty soon became a topic. Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill gave birth to a wealth of Black women who love their natural hair, natural beauty and their blackness in a not so politicised way. Queen Latifa calling herself a Queen and demanding respect for her black body and stature, all whilst getting leading roles with diverse narratives. Films like Daughters of the Dust controlling the Deep South narrative of former slaves, adding a softness, a beauty

and an elegance, transforming the way we see black matriarchs and the black woman community as seen by numerous photoshoots and even in the visual works of Beyonce. Art direction has a direct affect on pop culture and can change popular narratives and perceptions of what is and should be popular, making even the most political of statements accessible to wider society.

How can Visual Art continue to contribute to Culture?

Without visual culture, in all its forms, our perceptions of our culture, post and pre colonial, would be warped and used to make us complicit in our subjugation and perpetuation of stereotypes. Visual culture has created pride and given life to black people, either through film, fine art, photography, advertisements and design. The research work of West African influencers, such as Amy Sall, have also contributed in giving our history richer depth by showing the historical diversity in Black African artistry particularly film and photography. For me personally coming across the work of artists such as Elizabeth Catlett and Ibrahim El Salahi has been not only affirming in my perspective of Black art but a catalyst in my individuality, especially when it deviates from the ‘Black norm’.

Does Art direction aid Authenticity?

The same way Art direction can aid superficiality it can also aid authenticity by giving diverse narratives and concepts; by making plurality an option we now truly have a variety of characteristics to identify with and to represent us. Afterall, no race of people are a monolith. The plurality available also means boundaries and boxes cease to be a controlling factor in people’s lives but we now have the opportunity to further push conceptions of identity by being uniquely ourselves, which is more revolutionary than we realise.