YINKA SHONIBARE

  
​TITLE: Girl Girl Ballerina
ORIGINAL LOCATION: The Fuhrman Family Collection
BIG IDEA: Social Order
MAJOR THEME: Cultural identity related to colonialism and post-colonialism
MEDIUM: Sculpture
VISUAL COMPONENTS: Balance, Texture, Shape, Variety, Form
CATEGORY: Fine Arts

DESCRIPTION/INTERPRETATION:     There are two headless female mannequins standing with arms linked.  Their stance is a ballerina pose.  They are both wearing colorful dresses that have lively patterns. They wear ballet slippers.
     This work is truly multi-dimensional.  The use of Dutch wax printed cotton on white skinned mannequins makes commentary about the artist’s heritage and issues of colonialism in West Africa. The use of the ballerina as a symbol points to this theme of race and class stratifications as ballet is a western form of dance enjoyed by the wealthy.
     Dissonant beauty is suggested as typically ballerinas are depicted as something majestic and beautiful, but here they are being associated with an ugly form of societal oppression. 
USE IN THE CLASSROOM:     In the classroom we could discuss colonialism and structures of social stratification in various cultures.  Students could research various cultures where colonialism has occurred throughout history and across the globe. Using symbols and cultural artifacts from a chosen culture, students would create a textile representation using symbols and pattern that made reference to social issues within that country.
     Classroom discussion questions include: Is anyone familiar with them term colonialism? How are ballerina’s typically represented? What are some conflicting cultural symbols being used in this piece? How does using these cultural symbols make a commentary on the social structure in the past of West Africa? ​

SOURCE: http://theredlist.com/search-image?q=ballerina