The integration of contemporary Ghanaian murals and sculpture in Ghanaian architecture within the urban environment

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1993-09-03
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The urban environment has a powerful influence upon the mind. Within this urban setting, buildings are an unavoidable facet of it. One way to create an architectural setting that provokes aesthetic contemplation is to integrate it with murals and sculpture. The integration of murals and sculpture with architecture, paves a way for the individual within the community to identify with the architecture of his time by engaging in the active process of perceiving the environment and conferring aesthetic value on objects of interest. Work in this area of study has been done by some individuals, Bachelor of Arts (Degree) thesis reports from the College of Art, at the University of Science and Technology reveal that some amount of documentation has been engaged in, bordering around this phenomena of Integration. 1) Traditional Decoration in Tamale District, 1978/79 by M. Aihassan. 2) Building Styles and Interior Decoration of Northern and Upper Ghana, 1978/79 by B.A. Ackah. 3) Art in Contemporary Architecture in Ghana, 1987/88 by F. Oboubi. Notwithstanding the above named thesis, Hannah Schreckenbach’s book on ‘Construction Technology for a Tropical Developing country’ highlights a bit on techniques employed with decorating Northern traditional Ghanaian habitats. The operational framework within which facts on this study were gathered included the following methods; 1) The historical method was used for the documentation of secondary data on traditional architecture integrated with other works of art namely, murals and sculpture where possible as well as on contemporary evidence of the phenomenon of Integration. 2) The descriptive method in which primary data was derived from simple observational situations in existing architecture to establish the commonly used materials for murals and sculptures. The justification of this study lies in the following; 1) Architecture provides scope and security for other works of art. Larger sculptures, paintings and objects of decorative design are required as a part of a building itself. 2) Murals and Sculpture integrated with traditional architecture formerly in Ghana had a more completeness than prevails today when visual arts are (or seem to be) added as an afterthought to the buildings, is a school of thought requiring investigation. 3) Contemporary art expresses itself in every phase of our living and it gives opportunity to interior and exterior decorators, architects and students to gain an insight into the depth of Ghanaian aesthetic awareness. Types of buildings examined while discussing the integration phenomenon were public, offices and institutionalized buildings. The cardinal reason behind this selective approach is basically the question of the financial capability of the above listed to afford the purchase of large scale works of art Field work methods used to obtain primary data are; 1) Interviews with selected professionals. 2) Photographic data obtained on murals and sculpture integrated with selected architecture.
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Arts in African Art, 1993
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