It’s in the blood: An artistic inquiry into the concept, materials, and works of Samuel Baah Kortey

Abstract

Contemporary art transcends a lot of areas of interest and also highlights a lot of artistic narratives. There is an enthralling array of potential expanding conversations on how every aspect of art production and distribution is marked by diversity. It comes from everywhere and strives to conceive the world as a distinct yet inextricably linked totality and the variety of modern art is its defining feature. This qualitative biographic study that craftily utilizes Feldman’s method of art criticism and Panofsky’s iconography in art historical writing sought to explore the concept, materials, and works themed ‘It's in the Blood’ by the Ghanaian contemporary artist, Samuel Baah Kortey. The study investigated the philosophical ideologies, materiality, and artistic narratives that his works evoke. His creative works reveal the dichotomies within the scope of the contemporary Ghanaian art scene and their twists and turn on religion, spirituality, and popular culture. The uniqueness about Kortey is how he deliberately works on projects that are provocative, testing boundaries of art and its ethics. The study revealed that Kortey theorise blood as synonymous with life; giving life to and spiritually cleansing every cell in the human body. His art concept and practice reveal that although humans have been oriented to conceive blood in biological terms, blood has immense spiritual importance. His art practice interrogates sacredness in human thoughts, religious concerns, folklore, and explores issues about animal cruelty. Kortey’s art practice is a revelation of the apparent commercialization or cheapening of religious iconographies in contemporary culture.