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THE IRRELEVANCE OF ETHIOPIAN-ARTISTS-IN-THE-DIASPORA
"Ethiopian" Artists at the Smithsonian, and other Related Matters In the Life of Ethiopia and Ethiopians
I. INTRODUCTION
I open my article by quoting from an astonishingly profound commentary by a daughter and father team of Ethiopians responding to an article of commemorative congratulation to Afewerk Tekle on the occasion of his 70th birthday. They wrote, "We are not artists and/or historians (by title). We are, however, Ethiopians who document by virtue of living, and create by virtue of how we live. We are the nation[�s] very literal manifestations of what worked, what didn�t, and what needs [to] work." [From "Whose Ethiopia?" Hermon Getachew and Getachew
Mebrate, M.D.] These words of great depth and wisdom tell us the importance of context in art, or for that matter in anything else. Art created or seen in a vacuum, if that is possible at all, is meaningless. I read somewhere that stated about eyes that stare for long into the void going blind. Even if I do not go that far in my statement, I can safely assert art without context is a self contradiction.
It seems that there is an existential connection between catastrophic events occurring in nations and the rebirth of nationalism in those same societies that had overcome tribalism, colonialism, and racism. This is not unique to a particular society. There are historical incidents where communities at the verge of great destruction, nevertheless, have some how survived such calamity and even prospered from it. The one period that aptly exemplify my thesis is the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: a period of great revolutions such as the Belgian, the American, and the French Revolutions, but most importantly the Ethiopian great resistance and victory over European colonial ambition over Ethiopia. It was a period of great human suffering, death and destruction due to Western colonialism. But it was also a period that produced some of the greatest works in the fine arts and literature.
The Romantics in Western Art are not only one good example, easily identifiable as "western" but also as the most universalistic group. Their work, though nationalistic (contextually), nevertheless, addresses in its thematic rendition all of humanity because the subject matter of their work is the human condition--like love, courage, sacrifice et cetera. One main reason why I decided to bring these "western" paintings in my discussion of Ethiopian art is to establish at the outset the overall connectedness of the aspirations, needs, and disappointments true to all human beings. If life imitates art, then the best examples for our period are two monumental works from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: David�s "The Oath of the
Horattii," and Picasso�s "Guernica." I do not mean to imply that there are no other works, which even may surpass these two paintings, that could symbolically represent diverse events in the last two Centuries.
The French painter Jacques?Louis David�s (1748?1825), "The Oath of the
Horatii" was painted at the height of the French Revolution in 1784, which revolution sadly swept David also in its frenzy. According to the description offered at the
Louvre, the painting is about a moment in the history of Rome and the life of a Roman family, the
Horatii, who were chosen by Rome to defy the champions of the town of Alba, the
Curiaces. The Horatii brothers are shown taking an oath, swearing to defend the Republic unto death, and receiving swords from their father. The moral of the story so wonderfully depicted in the painting is republican virtue: courage, loyalty, love of country, sacrifice for the good of the community et cetera. [The term "republican" here does not in any way refer to the oligarchy that calls itself the "Republican Party" in the United States.] Other than the fact that David as a master artist adopted the neoclassic technique of painting with great skill and integrity, he was able also to depict a timeless moment in the life of a family who had decided to hold the survival of their nation above all else.
The other important painting from the Twentieth Century is by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973),
"Guernica," painted in 1937 about the bombing by Hitler�s war plans a Basque village where 1,600 mostly women and children were murdered, an emotive depiction of the horror of war, which has unbelievable impact on any viewer. Here we have a different approach in the depiction of a highly charged moment from the individual�s perspective the horrors of war with powerful images. How could anyone forget the agonized face of the horse symbol of innocence and beauty, and the wailing and accusative face of the mother carrying the fragile body of her dead child? Because of its depiction of the horror of war, the Bush administration was accused of forcing the United Nations administration to cover up a tapestry copy of the famous painting that hung since 1985 in the hallway where the Security Council Conferees congregate to give press conferences. Looking back at the incident, which occurred this last January-February during Colin Powell�s last presentation, it is quite sobering to think about the time the belligerent representatives of George Bush were berating the representatives of the World trying to intimidate the Council to approve the War on Iraq, that Picasso�s work was being silenced from making its sad presence felt on the inhumanity of man. It was one clear modern example of the power of art that has been feared by dictators through the ages!
Some political neophytes, such as the present political leaders in Ethiopia and their sycophantic followers elsewhere, with appalling ignorance and nihilistic view of their own great history, have been writing, giving interviews, and making official public statements on the non?existence or near non?existence of "Ethiopian" history. Such irresponsible acts by officials of the Ethiopian government leaders undermine current artistic developments. Especially in the arts one has to be extra careful not to impede the natural developmental process of culture. Where did this type of debilitating self?hate come from? Is it deep insight and great scholarship that led such individuals to question the validity of their own history? Is this a manifest destructive conspiracy by hostile neighboring nations? Should we assume the existence of a racist agenda to destroy Black people at work here spearheaded by powerful Western nations? Can Art counter such destructive self-hate? What is the role of Art in human history in general? What is the role of Art in Ethiopia? Should Ethiopian Artists serve the needs and aspirations of Ethiopians or their own needs?
All of the above questions are legitimate, and to varying degrees reflect real politick of our time. There is no point in demonizing those of us who criticize the dominance of Western civilization and the marginalization of black people. The accident of history does not override the fact of our equality, needs, aspirations, and malice et cetera. With such general understanding, how do we relate to an exhibition such as the one at hand at the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian? Or by asking such questions and attempting to answer them, am I undermining the very goals I am advocating for? Am I making a mountain out of a mole mound?
II. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ART EXHIBITION AT THE SMITHSONIAN
On the whole, the Smithsonian is an admirable and truly great establishment. It is a great museum and a delight to visit. It has great prestige and standing in the world of museums, archives, and collectors. However, the National Museum of African Art is something else. At the Museum of African Art, one can observe with dismay that the collection of African art and artifacts is very limited and qualitatively mediocre. In fact, it is pathetic that the great African civilization is being represented by so few pieces and of poor quality at that. What is tragic is the fact that in a community that has incredibly rich African-Americans and other new immigrants could only house such limited number of items. We have football, basketball, tennis, boxing et cetera stars whose combined income goes over billions of dollars. These individuals are willing to flaunt their heritage but almost do nothing to organize, promote, and fund such worthy establishments, such as the Museum of African Art that would have only enhanced their prestige and standing in the eyes of the diverse people of the United States and the World at large. These people are more interested in spending hundred of millions of dollars on expensive cars and on grand mansions, not to mention their pursuit of frivolity, rather than devote their considerable economic power on something that has permanence and positive impact on the role of the black man in the United States or elsewhere.
The art exhibition of ten Ethiopian Artists opened on 29 April 2003 at the Smithsonian is certainly a great event to the artists involved, and a backhand complement to the Ethiopian government--to the Ethiopian people? Questionable. The Press Release from the Ethiopian Embassy points out that the Art Exhibition marks/celebrate the One Hundred Year friendly relationship between United States and Ethiopia. Although the Ethiopian Embassy in its gullibility, on this as on other issues, did not catch the pointing accusative finger at the Government of Ethiopia in the Title of the Show "Ethiopian Passages: Dialogues in the Diaspora." It is ironic to see in that one hundred years relationship with the United States, Ethiopia has gone from self-sustaining proud nation to a nation of miserable people half of whom at any single moment are on the verge of famine or starving. By contrast, the United States has gone ballistic by developing in the same one hundred year period from a marginally industrialized, racist and violent nation to the most developed, richest, and most powerful (still violent) nation on Earth. Should we interpret this glaring contrasting fact right in our face that any form of relationship with the United States is a kiss of Death? What went wrong in Ethiopia that we are at the present time at the bottom of the list of countries around the world on any development measuring scale? Except the fact that Ethiopia is to be found at the top of any list for enfant mortality, risk of exposure to all kinds of diseases et cetera, we are at the bottom of the pit.
With all these sobering facts in mind, let us dive into the Machiavellian world of the politics that might be in the fine arts. In choosing the artists who were invited to participate in the Smithsonian show, someone has made some form of evaluation of the merit of the works of the artists invited as opposed to those who were not invited. What ever criteria was used, it is a false criterion, a standard that is meaningless as much as being vulgar too. Whose aesthetics standard are we to look for when we are looking at the works of Ethiopian artists? It is highly presumptuous for any foreigner to make any judgment on Ethiopian art. He or she should be standing somewhere at a corner while we, the Ethiopian people, make our choices. Even if that is not possible, at least as a common courtesy, there should have been established an advisory committee to suggest on the scope and participation of Ethiopian artists. The committee could have been organized from the Ethiopian community here and from Ethiopia that would include community leaders and representative artists.
On a closer look at the works exhibited, the choice of artists invited to exhibit their works at the museum, and how the show was initiated and organized, clearly show that the focus is not on Ethiopian art or even Ethiopia. Only the most gullible of visitors would miss the clumsy and heavy handed promotional effort of Howard University and the United States Government to depict themselves as the depositors of Ethiopia�s artistic contribution to world civilization. Most of the artists who are participating in the show, at some point in their career have passed through Howard University. The show is wrought with shallow judgment and self serving decision, not to mention its racist undertone by just observing the participants. Other than the fact that the works displayed are eclectic, and the show does not have rhythm or rhyme, moreover, displaying the works of such limited number of artists excluding others, for no apparent artistic reason, smacks of arrogance, favoritism, and divisiveness.
There are very many outstanding Ethiopian artists here in the Washington area and within calling distance else where in the United States whose works are no less important or artistic than the ones exhibited. It might seem also that the Ethiopian government had a hand in the selection process choosing the least trouble makers for the show. How does such an effort promote the fine arts in Ethiopia or here? Who is setting standard of excellence for Ethiopian Art? Foreign museums? Maybe foreign professors? God forbid, hyphenated "Ethiopian" critics? At any rate, the show has opened old wounds, friction, and suspicion among artists and their admirers that would strain and color all future relationships among Ethiopian artists and Ethiopians in general.
Already the response to an article that appeared in the Washington Post by Michael O�Sullivan, "Ethiopian Show Asks: Is Identity in Crises?" illustrates a range of emotional responses from Ethiopians artists and "nationalists" who read in the article not only a criticism of the works presented but also a presumed attack on the country of Ethiopia itself. Here on this particular score, I find my self defending a newspaper that has been blatantly anti-Ethiopia. The article by O�Sullivan raised several important questions more than giving answers or passing judgments. No matter how much I find the Washington Post detestable in general and on its editorializing "news" on Ethiopia in the past, I must say that this particular author is not a biased racist writer as several others in the past were. His points are well taken. The Ethiopians who responded to that article are to be applauded too because they are reacting sincerely with patriotic zeal. I wish more Ethiopians would do the same not only about Ethiopian art but also in very many areas.
III. ETHIOPIAN ARTISTS AT HOME AND IN THE DIASPORA A. Ethiopian Artists at Home
The day Emperor Haile Selassie showed up decked in a French Field Marshal uniform for his Jubilee celebration was the day the last nail was hammered into the coffin of Ethiopian culture and art. It marked our decent into the nether world of discarded heritage. Actually, the decline of Ethiopian culture and art started with the ascendance of Hails Selassie to power in the 1920s. With zeal of a new convert, the ambitious young Regent/Crown Prince to Empress Zewditu started out on a destructive course of "modernity" that marginalized not only the "arts" but also heretofore revered institutions that provided for ages safety-nets against hunger and starvation for the common Ethiopian man and woman. He demolished the sense of pride Ethiopians had in their ancient culture. He introduced the stuffy protocol of the Court of St. James down to minute detail of dress code.
As a young child growing up in wonderful Dessie, I used to wonder about the dress instruction announced over the radio by the Radio Court announcer repeatedly admonishing the people lucky enough to be invited to the palace to wear "civil morning coats." I am sure most of my fellow Ethiopians had no clue what the announcer was instructing dignitaries to wear. For Hails Selassie where appearance seemed to have been more important than substance, he might have fancied himself "civilized" at observing his
Rases, Dejazmatches, and upstart Ministers dressed in such European finery while almost one hundred percent of his subjects were dressed in their traditional beautiful
shemas, bernoses and kabas. It was and still is comical to me to this day to see a handful of Ethiopians dressed in shirt and ties discarding their noble and wonderful native clothing of rural Ethiopia.
The anachronism of the life of Ethiopia�s aristocracy and the elite, who tried very hard to imitate them, is obvious to most of us. These two groups of individuals with expectations to be perceived as "Westerners," civilized and advanced, paradoxically also expect to have Ethiopians bow to them in the most traditional manner and respect them excessively. They might even have ideation to be worshiped by ordinary Ethiopians. Let alone fraternize with ordinary Ethiopians, they will not be caught dead in the same room with common Ethiopians. Under such polarized social structure, it is difficult for the arts to develop and flourish.
Rather than building on the rich artistic culture that was already alive, vibrant, and engaging in Ethiopia, the new policy of sending students to Western nations was underway with vengeance. The wholesale replacement of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church school system by Hails Selassie�s education program not only devalued the importance of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but also created a new hierarchical structure of elitism. To this day that distortion of the role of "educated" Ethiopians is manifested in the self importance educated Ethiopians display among less educated Ethiopians. The great scholars of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church took the backseat as well. We were not helped much in advancing either the literary or the visual arts by such policy looking at our tumultuous past in hindsight.
In traditional Ethiopia, the bigger the "timtim" [turban], the more a person is respected and accorded a place of honor at feast tables at holidays or other festivities, which meant he has a greater chance to be served with choice food to his heart�s desire than the lowly
"debtera" with a mere token sash around his head where even the top of his head is not fully covered. Although not in the same context, the connection between food and piety, or education was real also for all "educated" Ethiopians. This is still true--the many personal questions we Ethiopians ask of each other revolves around food because we use the Amharic verb
"meblat" (for the act of eating) in such query.[Min yahil demoz
tebelaleh? Arshe ebelalehu. Negej ebelalehu. Et cetera] Maybe our lack of response and appreciation of subliminal or transcendental expressions of artists could be explained by our being inhibited due to our oral fixated psyche. In that case, we would have been great epicures of food and wine, but that is not the case either since we hardly move beyond Kitfo and
Brindo.
In modern Ethiopia, the "timtim" is replaced with advanced academic degrees, such as M.D., Ph.D.,
S.J.D., J.D. LL.M, M.A. et cetera. If a person has received one of these advance diplomas, he/she will be accorded a good seat at the "feast tables" literally and metaphorically. "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The type of education listed by each artist in any show is of similar genera. Specially in the arts, we all know that creativity cannot be taught, it may be sharpened, pruned, enhanced, but never taught. Creativity is some thing that you either have or you do not. And if you do not use it, you will lose it too.
The local artists (artists of the people) who provide some needed services are not considered of much worth nor respected by the elite of Ethiopia or by foreigners. Sadly, we have abandoned our right to judge our own artists and their output. Now, we depend on the recognition and respect accorded to Ethiopian artists by foreign collectors and foreign museum officials in order for us to recognize the merit of our own artists and their works.
By contrast, a lot of Ethiopian artists with some formal training, specially in Western countries, just like their counterparts in other academic or professional fields, are elitist and contemptuous of their not-so-fortunate-uneducated-Ethiopian contemporaries. It is a big deal for such Ethiopian artists to have a foreign collector. It is like the "civil morning coat" of Haile Selassie�s that stamps a person with approval as "westernized" and a member of the elite. These Ethiopian artists in general complain endlessly that Ethiopians do not appreciate their art works, and do not buy their paintings and sculptors. How could Ethiopians buy art, when such artists are living in some dream world, and are charging hundreds of dollars for their smallest effort when the yearly salary of Ethiopians, on the average, could barely feed such Ethiopian families properly. At any rate, those artist who complain should really look into their role in society, and the wealth of the Ethiopian communities. It is understandable that knowing how talented and creative they are, and comparing the types of ridiculously high prices the works of western artists fetch, Ethiopian artists may also expect the same high pricing. There is a lot of politicking that goes in the market for art works. Ethiopian artists should never confuse their great talent and masterpieces that may not be fetching such high prices or is in poor demand, with the type of high pricing game played out in western art markets. On the other hand, to their surprise Ethiopian studio trained artists might find out that except for few artists, they may have no relevance either in the social or cultural lives of Ethiopians. This is the time to reflect on the role we play in Ethiopian communities whatever our profession or calling might be. The artists I admire the most are individuals like Ale Felege
Selam, Zerihun Yetmgeta, Mezgebu Tessema, Behailu Bezabih, Bekele Mekonnen, Bisrat
Shibabaw, Mulugeta Tafesse (whom I knew as a young boy who have turned out to be such a sensitive artist to my great delight), and several others who create authentic works of art under the most taxing situations.* These are Ethiopian artists of great importance because of their honesty, courage, creative ability and dedication to their art. Being of the people, and being very talented are not mutually exclusive qualities in an artist. These artists who chose to stay in Ethiopia are not spoilt because of premature publicity, or suffer from overblown ego from aggrandizement by Western mercenary writers or museum administrators. In these wonderfully talented and industrious Ethiopian artists, I see Ethiopia�s best, and the best of the world. What is most significant about those artists is the fact that they live in real time and space in Ethiopia, and not in some form of virtual reality through some thin thread of birth connection.
Even Afewerk Tekle, despite his rotten characteristics and his neurotic love affair with himself, has been doing some good to the people of Ethiopia because he is still among the people of Ethiopia, and is part of the community compared to some of the Ethiopians in the Diaspora. Thus, few of his works are out standing, some are good even if extremely over-valued. He is an artists of inconsistent quality, but has relevance as part of the history of Ethiopian art.
B. "Ethiopian" Artists in the Diaspora
Of all the professional Ethiopians in the Diaspora, the people with minimal impact, or contribution to Ethiopia or Ethiopian society are �migr� Ethiopian artists in general. For the average Ethiopian bent under the enormous burden of poverty, stifling culture, and an oppressive and brutal government, the Ethiopia artist even residing within the Ethiopian community, let alone in some foreign land, is a remote entity. How would the works of
Wossen, or Julie, or Elizabeth, or any of the artists on display at the Smithsonian affect the lives of Ethiopian farmers, trades men and women, merkato chercharis et cetera? It is absolutely idiotic to think that these artists in the Diaspora contribute to the development of art and culture in Ethiopia.
In order to have a better understanding of the high stake-issue we are discussing here, let us consider briefly the role of other forms of artistic outputs. If we take for example Ethiopian musicians, we can easily assess the monumental impact of their work, from the most famous like Tilahun Gessesse to the lowly
"Tejbet azmari." Ethiopian writers through their articles, books, and dramas have had the most revolutionary impact on Ethiopians. Consider, for example, the monumental impact of the plays and poems of Tsegaye Gebremedhin on millions of Ethiopians from every corner of life in Ethiopia. There is absolutely no comparison in terms of contribution to society between writers including musicians as opposed to painters (artists). Ethiopian artists in the Diaspora have not made a dent by participating in the art-life of Ethiopians, their presence or absence is of no consequence n the lives of Ethiopians.
The artists whose works are now on display at the Smithsonian, may not be identified as members of one single category. Their artistic opus is as diverse in its authenticity, originality, and relevance as their age and background. The works of the older generation like those of
Wossen, Achamyeleh suffer from cold-blooded premeditation, calculation, and conscious stylization, and above all imitation of either Skunder or
Gebrechirestos. As individuals these two artists are very affable and charming individuals; thus, my criticism is not directed at their person but their paintings. Moreover, of late, we may discern individualized assertion of their own personalities coming through in their works. In general, their paintings can easily be explained as works of assimilation of individuals who moved to the United States for advancement of their career, or enhancement of their lives, or for education that has nothing to do with protest or social turmoil. Their works have nothing to do with genuine human pain or suffering; their works are calculating, technically efficient, pretentious, and deceptive. In this category of early immigrant artists, we find their lives reflective of selfishness, individual achievement, at times anti-social, expatriate almost mercenary. This is not to deny the fact that they may, indeed, have some indirect influence on artists and government officials back in Ethiopia. In general, they are superfluous to the history of Ethiopian art; however, in a way, they might makeup part of the history of art in the United States!
[I left out Skunder Boghossian in my critique of Ethiopian artists as a form of respect because of his recent death.]
The second group of generations of �migr�s are far more authentic and sincere in their chosen expression than the earlier generation of �migr�s. Their works reflect their painful passage through their youthful lives of innocence and idealism that often was jerked around and scorched by brutal government violence during Ethiopia�s most traumatic period of Mengistu�s military rule from 1978-1991. Kebedech Tekleab is a good example of those artists with genuine life experience infused in their works. We see great originality and authenticity in their works. They show great humility and social consciousness and concern for their fellow human beings. They never look at human beings as a means but as an end, with deep seated respect to the humanity of the individual they come in contact with.
The youngest artists (even though most are over thirty years old) of the group are the most "westernized" to the point of being indistinguishable from artists who might have grown up anywhere in the United States or Europe. In fact, to designate them as "Ethiopian" artists sounds more like a racist expression whether intended or otherwise. Their creativity and work must be seen in that light--in the context of Western art history and aesthetics (culture). My use of the word "westernized" is simply descriptive and is not meant to impregnate such identification with a word with some hierarchical qualitative meaning. What I am saying is that their Ethiopianess is something that could be easily rubbed off with no detrimental handicap to their creativity or their lives. The collages by Elizabeth, the great canvases by Julie are works of great sensitivity but not localized and sentimentalized to a degree of being identified as a reflection of Ethiopian ethos, or squeezed from life in Ethiopia.
It is a fact that almost all artists are self-centered, and at times to the point of being narcissistic. However, this does not mean that artists are excused because of their artistic achievement from their duty to their community. Just like any member of a community, they share in the maintenance and upkeep of that community. In the pursuit of their individual creative goals, some artists do create works of art of enduring values to their communities. It is not difficult to name a few around the world, a few of whom I have already mentioned in the introduction and else where in this essay.
IV. AESTHETICS IN CONTEXT
When we discuss the aesthetic value of any work of art, let us keep in mind the age old wisdom "De gustibus non est
disputandum," meaning "Tastes can�t be disputed." Nevertheless, this does not mean every scribble is a master�s touch. Our artists who have adopted the "modern art" trend should always remember the fact that Western artists such as Picasso,
Matisse, et cetera painted the way they did and reached lofty heights standing on the shoulders of giants of Western Art such as Velasquez,
Goya, David not to mention Michelangelo and Raphael and thousands others. On whose shoulders, I wonder, our "Ethiopian modern artists" are standing to reach such lofty heights beyond the reach of their fellow Ethiopians? Thus, here below I am doing the unthinkable folly of suggesting standards by which to judge art!
Indeed, great work of art may be as Adorno succinctly stated, "the sedimented history of human misery." I personally gravitate toward Adorno�s views of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory that contrast with the classical philosophy of art or standard as developed through thousands of years with numerous philosophers, art critics and historians from Aristotle to Ruskin to Clark to Sister Wendy et cetera by which great works of art are appreciated. I have no particular demand on any artist except one--sincerity, or authenticity; and of late, playfulness. However, there are a number of aesthetic principles that may underline our creativity and critical judgment. It would be worth our effort to understand the following basic principles:
Artistic works may have to be meaningful or teach us something of value (not frivolous).
Artistic works may have to convey values or beliefs central to a culture or tradition in which they originate.
Artistic works may have some capacity to help bring about social or political changes.
Artistic works may have some capacity to induce pleasure in people who are involved in the works as creators or as observers.
Artistic works may have some capacity to induce certain emotion in lieu of real life experience or situation.
Artistic works may have some capacity to give feelings of autonomy or self-containment to those involved in the creative process or those who observe works of art.
Artistic works may possess special aesthetic form independent of representation.**
I am not critical of non-figurative or non-representational works just because they are that. In fact, some of the paintings that have touched me to my very core are non-representational and/or semi abstract works. For example, one of the most exquisite works I have ever seen anywhere is by Behailu
Bezabih, "Bale Gariw" 1997 small oil on canvas painting. Some works could be highly abstract even though they may contain figures quite representational and recognizable as such, and in this regard consider the master works of Mezgebu
Tesema, such as "Black and White," "Semrite" et cetera.* Here you have a master of the horizontal who is in his elements with precise use of the "golden mean" or "the golden rectangle" with mathematical precision that puts even Piet Modrian�s totally abstract work in the shadow in the use of space and judgments of coherence and completeness.
On the other hand, I am very critical of imitation, dishonesty, and perverse assimilation. Not only am I critical of hyphenated modernity that makes fun of our indigenous culture, but also very offended by such impertinence. In the short lived but very popular news/art/magazine called Addis Reporter, in the name of "modern-art," there was a relentless attack on the Ge�ez Ethiopian culture and art that has dominated Ethiopian societies since the founding of the Axumite Empire. No one can deny the fact that Ethiopia is rich with different ethnic based communities. It is the synergic relationships of all these communities that make up one Ethiopia, Nevertheless having said that, we still need to look at our heritage, the Ge�ez civilization, which has produced some of the greatest musical compositions
(Yared), architectural and engineering marvels (Axum Oblisks, Lalibela Rock Churches), literary and legal traditions
(Kebre Negest, Hateta), and ethical philosophical principles (Emperor Zer�a
Yacob, Zer�a Yacob the philosopher), with reverence and great attention. Ethiopia�s core civilization emphasized order, predictability, and communal duty, which to some extent represented two contradictory trends: stagnation or revolution; whereas, the modernist trend in art as well as in politics created the counterpoint of individualism, experimentation et cetera . It is in this regard that I see the fault line between two powerful social forces that has been plunging us into two main trends. I must emphasize that such fault line is not based on religion, it is far too sophisticated than that.
Our Ethiopia has seen many actors of every description coming and going across its bounty. As the eminent Ethiopian human rights advocate, Mesfin
Woldemariam, puts it in a different context, but still valid for the purpose of this article, that Ethiopia is like a rubber band that is elastic that shrinks at times and expands at others, but never is broken. Despite my writing off the Ethiopian artists in the Diaspora, the hold their mother country might have on them may be far too thinly stretched but never broken. We have stretched our country in every conceivable direction. We need to be aware of the fact that there is a limit to our abuse. It is a fitting symbolism to conclude this essay that is at times quite uncouth, but at all times sincere.
*I have only seen the reproduction of the works of the artists mentioned in the paragraphs.
**Summarized from Moore, Brooke N. and Richard Parker, Critical Thinking 6th Edition (Mountain View CA: Mayfield Publishing, 2001).
Tecola W. Hagos
Copyright 2003 Washington DC
May 16, 2003
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