Globe Head Ballerina Essay
Globe Head Ballerina by Yinka Shonibare MBE
Born in London (UK) in 1962, growing up in Lagos (Nigeria) and later returning to London, Yinka Shonibare likes to refer to himself as a ‘post-colonial hybrid’ . He works across diverse artistic media (including sculpture, installation art, painting, photography, film and performance) to explore ideas about the construction of identity and issues of colonialism. His piece, the Globe Head Ballerina was installed at the exterior wall of the Royal Opera House, London in 2015 and will remain in place for five years. The work represents a life-size ballerina in a colorful tutu. Encased in a giant snow globe style sphere, the figure, whose head is a replica Victorian globe, rotates slowly. It depicts a strongly unconventional, racially inclusive image of a ballet dancer. The figure’s skin tone, garments, and location subvert the European image of the white ballerina in a white tutu. …show more content…
As in most of his pieces, Shonibare makes use of a culturally significant pattern for the construction of the dress and shoes of the ballerina, brightly colored African Dutch-wax print.
These fabrics that are stereotypically identified with African heritage have actually, however, been manufactured in the Netherlands and sold in England. Colonial powers such as the Dutch and English played great roles in industrializing the batik printing techniques and popularizing the textiles in foreign markets (e.g. West Africa). The fabrics posses a history and presence of their own, showing us that behind our conceptions of faraway places there often lurk entire different economic and political relations. Shonibare finds the fallacy of their signification interesting and they hence serve as a distinctive, signature element in his work. “They prove to have a crossbred cultural background quite of their own” , he says. The fabric in the piece creates an allusion of ambiguity and artifice, and the hybrid construction of
identity.
Another important feature in Shonibare’s artwork is the use of a headless mannequin. A reference is made to the 18th century French Revolution era, when England had become a major authority worldwide with the defeat of France in the Americas in the 1760s, and the conquest of large parts of India. At the same time, the use of the guillotine had become a part of popular culture in Europe. The fact that the figurine’s head is cut off is a reminder of the executions carried out by beheading. It also makes it harder for the viewer to recognize its ethnic background. Hence, the figurine is made ‘race less’, contributing to the ambiguity of the piece.
Additionally, another striking element present in Shonibare’s sculpture/installation is the use of globes, the Victorian World Globe in place of the mannequin head and the snow globe in which the piece is enclosed. They make a clear reference to the Victorian Era, which was also known as Pax Britannica, a period of relative peace in Europe and the world. During this period, England had reached its height as a world imperial power.
Born in London (UK) in 1962, growing up in Lagos (Nigeria) and later returning to London, Yinka Shonibare likes to refer to himself as a ‘post-colonial hybrid’ . He works across diverse artistic media (including sculpture, installation art, painting, photography, film and performance) to explore ideas about the construction of identity and issues of colonialism. His piece, the Globe Head Ballerina was installed at the exterior wall of the Royal Opera House, London in 2015 and will remain in place for five years. The work represents a life-size ballerina in a colorful tutu. Encased in a giant snow globe style sphere, the figure, whose head is a replica Victorian globe, rotates slowly. It depicts a strongly unconventional, racially inclusive image of a ballet dancer. The figure’s skin tone, garments, and location subvert the European image of the white ballerina in a white tutu. …show more content…
As in most of his pieces, Shonibare makes use of a culturally significant pattern for the construction of the dress and shoes of the ballerina, brightly colored African Dutch-wax print.
These fabrics that are stereotypically identified with African heritage have actually, however, been manufactured in the Netherlands and sold in England. Colonial powers such as the Dutch and English played great roles in industrializing the batik printing techniques and popularizing the textiles in foreign markets (e.g. West Africa). The fabrics posses a history and presence of their own, showing us that behind our conceptions of faraway places there often lurk entire different economic and political relations. Shonibare finds the fallacy of their signification interesting and they hence serve as a distinctive, signature element in his work. “They prove to have a crossbred cultural background quite of their own” , he says. The fabric in the piece creates an allusion of ambiguity and artifice, and the hybrid construction of
identity.
Another important feature in Shonibare’s artwork is the use of a headless mannequin. A reference is made to the 18th century French Revolution era, when England had become a major authority worldwide with the defeat of France in the Americas in the 1760s, and the conquest of large parts of India. At the same time, the use of the guillotine had become a part of popular culture in Europe. The fact that the figurine’s head is cut off is a reminder of the executions carried out by beheading. It also makes it harder for the viewer to recognize its ethnic background. Hence, the figurine is made ‘race less’, contributing to the ambiguity of the piece.
Additionally, another striking element present in Shonibare’s sculpture/installation is the use of globes, the Victorian World Globe in place of the mannequin head and the snow globe in which the piece is enclosed. They make a clear reference to the Victorian Era, which was also known as Pax Britannica, a period of relative peace in Europe and the world. During this period, England had reached its height as a world imperial power.