Art Review: Still Searching by Romanus Isichei - Essay Example

The background has been further ornamented with colorful blocks and circular designs in bright blue, orange, green, and yellow shades. The larger footprints are mainly in darker colors of blacks and greys while the smaller ones are dominated by brighter colors of orange and yellow.

 The painting has been used as a metaphor for Africa. The merge of bright, vibrant colors is used to represent the political clashes and instability in Africa. The artist has used two fragmented canvases which have footprint designs in different directions, crossing each other or in the same direction. This is a metaphor for the conflicting agendas and ideologies of the African people and the two canvases represent the fragmentation of the continent on the basis of politics, culture, and social agendas. Isichei explains that the painting is a representation of the continent’s instability which has disabled them from discovering their beautiful land and succumbing to contradictory ideas, agendas, and political mayhem, exploiting their beautiful land.

The painting grabbed my attention at the Denver Art Museum because of its boldness and vibrant display. The beauty of the art lies in its simplicity to convey a social or a personal idea yet in a visually attractive manner. Still Searching by Romanus Isichei appeared as an appealing display on the wall, screaming for attention with its vivacious colors and straightforwardness. To represent the African instability only with the crossing footprints in the background of contrasting shades is indeed a beauty in itself. I have always loved to play with different contrasting bright colors and paintings that use them in a shrewd manner to express feelings and meaning, always fascinate me. I observe the paintings in Denver Art Museum that try to reach out to the observer with their effortlessness and innocence.

Isichei is an artist who has always used very colorful representations of his ideas, making him one of my favorite artists, owing to my love for bright colors. I think the crossing footprints are a beautiful metaphor to represent the conflict Africa is facing and the bright colors exhibit their vibrant culture, beautiful people, and spirited land. However, because of the conflicting perceptions, plans, and ideas, the people fail to recognize and cherish their beautiful African land. I like that the artist has articulated two different concepts and has merged them beautifully with the crossing footprints and the bright colors.