SEMBLANCE REALISM OR EXPRESSION OF AN ARTIST JOURNEY TO A NEW PATH. The Arthedger’s sub-title: Comparison, aka, the death of the artist.

I have been procrastinating. Long I grappled to put Emmanuel Anaiye [Ifebunmi] work into art history context from the collector’s perspective. What appealed to me about his diverse work styles? I know people who see his pieces, love them. So, I asked him in his own words how does he see his practice? To my delight and in all honesty surprise, Emmanuel introduces us to his concept of “Semblance Realism”: “what I want you to see are my thought's appearance on canvas or apparent form of a portrait of an individual, image hidden in a reality of textured materials and colors. The idea is to move the viewer very close to each art piece so that all you see are its colors and textured effect not a face bringing the colors and materials together to form a portrait.” The Arthedger explores Emmanuel’s “Semblance Realism” created either with pallet knife painting or spontaneous dripping techniques.”

Like a Prayer, 3ft x 3ft, Emmanuel Anaiye

I love this piece, “Like a Prayer;” its powerful, imbued with emotions, and uniquely Emmanuel. He would love me to end it there, but as a collector I must see him within art’s historical context.

Introduction

SEMBLANCE REALISM OR EXPRESSION, AN ARTIST JOURNEY TO A NEW PATH

Emmanuel introduces us to his concept of “Semblance Realism”: “what I want you to see are my thought's appearance on canvas or apparent form of a portrait of an individual, image hidden in a reality of textured materials and colors. The idea is to move the viewer very close to each art piece so that all you see are its colors and textured effect not a face bringing the colors and materials together to form a portrait.”

Emmanuel’s paintings are loaded with color, create illusions, play at the contradictory crossroad where abstraction meets portraiture. Understanding of his reality may entail lifting the Veil of the painting to see, perceive the image, thought, feeling. Said another way, Semblance Realism sets the dialogue with the viewer around perception, abstract portraiture, abstraction within portraiture, an invitation to see the paintings are loaded with color, create illusions.

The Eyes (Colors of Emotional Struggle series), 4ft x 4ft, Emmanuel Anaiye

As Mark Twain puts it: “Comparison is the death of Joy,” and as a Jamaican Artist Nakazzi Hutchison likes to remind me, comparison is the death of the artist. Yet, to frame, to put in context compare we must. The above piece show elements of Renaissance and post Renaissance paintings.

Titian, Venus of Urbino

Emmanuel’s Colors of Emotional Struggle series best illustrate the pallet knife technique: a body of 12 works, “The Colors of Emotional Struggle” are my thoughts and desires being given meaning. I start by trying to figure out the colors to use which is part of my own struggle; then pattern of black lines inspired by Araism, a Nigerian painting style "Ara" is incorporated to divide all the colors. (In Yoruba, Ara means LIGHTENING).

Araism:

AISM: Africa Portrayed As They Know It!

https://www.onepageafrica.com › Arts & Life; Jul 5, 2020 — Importantly, the works, fully expressed in the Araism Movement, play a vital role in the identification of originality in a continent so ...

AFRICARTS | ARAISM MOVEMENT |TVC NEWS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij3FPgDOJk8

The colors of Emotional struggle represent this artist facing a new part of self-discovery. It also talks about our cultural heritage as Africans, racism and a question on my mind: "What If? "We were not just black or white but beings of multiple colors, and can we learn to love, appreciate and complement each other to create a beautiful world.” To that end, the deep background shows our world or thought processes, as well as the birth of different colors representing the emotions, struggles all coming together in a square of unity in our individual diversity.

Emmanuel’s Drip Technique contracts, if not complements his broad stylistic range, incorporates elements of African fabric, cord, heavy paint. To me, the style is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock (though Emmanuel professes to not studying him formally, will limited or no influence).

African Boy, Emmanuel Anaiye, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022

***No. 5, 1948*** is a painting by Jackson Pollock

Whether conscious or unconscious he draws inspiration for Art History, past and present.

Before brushing up on my Jackson Pollock for this article, this eclectic collector encouraged Emmanuel to explore more abstraction with his drip technique. My instincts may have been verified after finding Pollock’s No. 5, 1948.

“No. 5, 1948 is a painting by Jackson Pollock, an American painter known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement… Using his entire body to paint in a method called “action painting,” Pollock dripped and splattered layer upon layer of paint to create his chaotic patterns.”

Hidden, Emmanuel Anaiye, 2022

What is perhaps novel about Emmanuel’s Semblance of Realism is his recent exploration of the crossroads between Abstraction and Portraiture. The images on the “tapestry” create familiar people in realistic tradition of modern painting. In one particular “commissioned” piece called “T.”

“T”, Emmanuel Anaiye

**Portrait of a Dream– Jackson Pollock (T would say, “living the dream”)**

Emmanuel Writes: The Spontaneous Dripping style gives me a world where nothing is planned, a world where everything just happens in its own time and space. The ropes form the squares that connects and unites us all together. It is a bold statement of our African pride and heritage. Now, some of my art piece to most of my collectors could be related to and some say it reminds them of one artist or the other but I will say I really love to be seen for me an artist faced with so many challenges in his environment that uses art as a means of storytelling therapy and an escape to a world of creativity. I'm a product of own thoughts and inspiration and all these I have done before hearing most of the artists my collectors referenced.

Tiger Woods, A Fathers Legacy, Emmanuel Anaiye

**Mural on Indian Red Ground, 1950, Pollock**

Emmanuel Says: When you see my semblance realism paintings, I want you to understand it talks about our African heritage, culture then also the struggles we all face but then the colors serve as a show of hope and the squares a symbol of unity and acceptance in our world.

Of course, to compare is to find contrast, or rather novelty in an artist, and perhaps help to define his particular style, uniqueness. Historical references, known to him or not, represent elements of art history that he has made them his own. He channels Kerry James Marshall; he is making blackness real, producing a statement on what is missing and what he wishes to contribute to the world.

Making the Drip Technique his own, pushing the boundaries of abstraction and portraiture. Emmanuel’s use of the drip technique was to bring out Realism, blending abstraction with images with real character and emotions. Look at the eyes, sad, piercing, with their souls bare. The eyes are the to… the soul… The vibrant colors, heavy cord, in squares, does pull the viewer into the piece. At angles, there is pure abstraction, until the view is drawn in to perceive the image and personalities of each piece.

We end with more comparison, not to suggest copy, but to highlight common tends and motifs within African Contemporary Art and their precedent influences.

The below piece, Untitled (Sad Girl) reminds me of Amoako Boafo, the heavy impasto, who finger painted impasto, produces similar form/weight/characterization as the palette knife technique used by Emmanuel.

Untitled, 4ft x 4ft, Emmanuel Anaiye

Conclusion

I end with the Oil on Canvas, portrait of Harriet Tubman, from his great figures’ series. It has elements of other contemporary African painting, and yet unique, and striking, imbued with grace, steely nerve, and the classic piercing eyes of Emmanuel.

Title: Harriet Tubman, Emmanuel Anaiye

Emmanuel’s the self-therapy of Art of the Artist explores complex themes of emotional struggle, the why’s and what if we were not as divided, celebrating the common and majestic beauty in people, especially the Black woman portraiture.

Emmanuel’s “Semblance Realism,” palette and drip techniques makes his pieces familiar, yet unique, fitting in the greatest traditions of Art, post Renaissance and modern. Yes, comparison, especially for some artist, is death, more than the death of joy. Emmanuel in this case comparison is compliment.