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Modern African Art : A Basic Reading List

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Major Group Exhibitions
Western Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Eastern Africa
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ADA: art, design, architecture. no. 1, 1986 -- Cape Town, South Africa. quarterly. N1.A7836. OCLC 22445200.

ADA is an oversized, visually striking magazine devoted to contemporary arts in South Africa. Its avant-garde approach to the local art scene is multi-cultural and progressive, conveying the excitement of innovative art from South Africa. The editor is Jennifer Sorrell. Ceased publication.

Reviewed by Solvej Vorster in Art libraries journal (Preston, UK) 20 (4): 46-48, 1995; in African book publishing record (Oxford) 22 (1): 15, 1996.



African arts. volume 1, no. 1, 1967 -- Los Angeles: UCLA, African Studies Center. quarterly. N1.A258 AFA. OCLC 1461383u.

In its early years of publication, African arts carried occasional articles and reviews of contemporary art and profiles of artists. But during the 1970s, focus shifted away from the contemporary scene almost completely, largely because the discipline itself was concentrating on other matters. By the 1990s, however, the "winds of change" were blowing and interest in modern African art began to re-surface in the pages of African arts. The artist's portfolio format re-appeared along with feature articles. African arts is now available online through JStor and Wilson Web.



Art South Africa volume 1, no. 1, spring 2002 -- Cape Town: Bell-Roberts Gallery. quarterly. N1.A788 AFA. OCLC 51460137

Art South Africa, published by Bell-Roberts Gallery in Cape Town, has become the premier journal of contemporary South African art since it began publication in 2002. Each issue includes features on individuals artists, numerous reviews of current shows, news, views, commentary, and book reviews. Although there is some coverage of South African artists abroad, the focus is the South African art scene, particularly Cape Town and Johannesburg.



Critical interventions: journal of African art and visual culture (Oxnard, CA) no. 1, July 2007-- OCLC 64039624.



Eye: a journal of contemporary art. volume 1, no. 1, December 1992 -- Zaria: The Eye Society. 2 per year; irregular. N7399.N5E974 AFA. OCLC 28128364.

A promising journal begun by a group of academic artists based at Ahmadu Bello University's Department of Fine Arts, covering mainly modern Nigerian art. Includes feature articles, art critiques, artists' portfolios, exhibition reviews, and news items. Illustrations are black and white.



Gallery; the art magazine from Gallery Delta. no. 1-no. 31, September 1994 - June/September 2002. Harare, Zimbabwe: Gallery Delta. quarterly. N1.G168 AFA. OCLC 33161032.

This magazine features articles, profiles, interviews, reviews, and news on modern art in Zimbabwe, frequently highlighting artists exhibiting at Gallery Delta. Modestly produced, but illustrated with color photographs. Ceased publication.

All issues are avaliable via Internet Archive.



Glendora review: African quarterly on the arts. volume 1, 1995 -- Lagos: Glendora International (Nigeria) Limited. NX1.G558 AFA. OCLC 34616132.



Kurio africana; journal of art and criticism. no. 1, 1989 -- Ile-Ife: Ona Artists, Department of Fine Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University. irregular. qN1.K966 AFA. OCLC 20405789.

A modestly produced but serious and earnest attempt to raise the level -- one might say introduce -- discourse about contemporary art in Africa, Kurio africana is the undertaking of a group of artists originally based at Ile-Ife, Nigeria, known as the Ona Group of Artists. Their focus is Nigeria. In the first two numbers examined, they critique The Nucleus (1981), the inaugural catalog of the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Lagos and offer portraits of pioneers of modern Nigerian art, criticism of individual artists, and commentary on contemporary manifestations of Yoruba art. Published irregularly, volume 2, no. 2, was published in 1997. Ceased publication.



NKA; journal of contemporary African art. no. 1 -- fall-winter 1994 -- Brooklyn, NY. 2 per year. NX1.N737 AFA. OCLC 30121303.

An ambitious, well-produced journal, editorially committed to offering a serious vehicle for discussions of modern African art, according the Nigerian editor, Okwui Enwezor. NKA promises to carry feature articles, exhibition reviews, occasional interviews with artists and artists' portfolios. Also, a selection of poetry and short stories are included. The inaugural issue (fall/winter 1994) featured articles on Nigerian sculptor Olu Amoda and Sudanese painter Rashid Diab, commentary on exhibitions of African art in France and the "new internationalism," an interview with Ghanaian El Anatsui, and a portfolio of Nigerian artist Ike Ude. Seven current and recent exhibitions are reviewed.

By 2000, publication began to slow down and become more irregular in appearance.



Revue noire. no. 1, spring 1991 -- Paris. Text in French and English. fNX1.A1R45 AFA. OCLC 24056710.

A splashy, brash review of modern African art and artists, La revue noire covers visual artists, photographers, and occasionally others, such as theater and performing artists or literary artists. The accent is on eye-catching graphics and dramatic effect. Also included are notices of current exhibitions of African artists on the continent and in Europe and North America. Issues frequently focus on a single country or theme, e.g., Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau or photography. Revue noire is sponsored by the French Ministry of Cooperation and Development. Ceased publication.



Southern African art. volume 1, no. 1, 1992 -- volume 2, no. 2, 1993. Harare: National Gallery of Zimbabwe. N1.S727 AFA. OCLC 27129672.

The geographical scope of this new but short-lived magazine is southern Africa, although the first two issues have emphasized its home base, Zimbabwe. Includes feature articles, reviews of exhibitions at home and abroad, local art programs and competitions, and other news items.


USO: a Nigerian journal of art. volume 1, no. 1, July-December 1995. Lagos: National Gallery of Art. illus. (pt. color). N7399.N5U865 AFA. OCLC 35112418.

Published under the auspices of Nigeria’s National Gallery of Art, USO covers several fields of Nigerian art, including visual arts in all media, architecture, visual culture, material culture, decorative arts and technological aspects of art-making. The first three issues were promising and offered a wide range of essays by Nigerian academics. But after these three issues (covering 1995 to 2001), USO appears to have lost momentum, and may have faded away with the Millennium Edition (volume 3). Then, again, it may revive and come back to life.