Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Art (MFA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Hulen, Jeannie L.

Committee Member

Posnak, Adam

Second Committee Member

McConnell, Mathew S.

Third Committee Member

Joseph, Qwist

Keywords

African culture; Assemblage; collaboration; installation; migration; music

Abstract

The Frimpong Case is the gathering of skills and voices of Africans and African artists. My collaborators from my Ghanaian family and neighbors to my colleagues in the United States have influenced my practice, allowing me to expand the history I have learned from the African musicians who have deeply influenced me to my heritage and the research I am able to expand upon to promote my vision of my culture and legacy. This paper describes the body of work and speaks to the themes of collaboration, migration, assemblage, and installation. The Frimpong Case is the root of my visions made real. These lyrics are from the song Oil in My Head by Black Sherif and they say, “Oh Lord, I won't stop for nothin' (stop for nothin', ah) Victory is near, I'm feelin' it And, I stay G with it, ah-ah” I put this as a small token of my determination to never stop, to work hard, have pride in myself and God, to make The Frimpong Case… “Dem go talk am someday”. In part one, the roles of a contemporary stance on assemblage, the influence of African music and heritage, and the integration of my lived experiences as an immigrant into my art practice through installation. Part two will focus on the aspects of community collaboration in Ghana and the United States. How I am using our collective bodies and voices to speak up about what it means to have unity and solidarity become the foundation of my work. The idea of involving others in my practice instils my value of wanting change in how we talk about Africa, what is made by Africans, and how it impacts me, as both artist and collaborator, expanding the contemporary artistic practice. Keywords: African culture, Assemblage, collaboration, installation, migration, music

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