Art Pricing and the Nigerian Economy, 1960-2008; the Rising Profile of Modern Nigerian Art

Abstract

The turbulent situation in the socio-political and economic terrain of Nigeria
since the 1960s and the chaotic years from the time of the incursion of the
military in Nigerian politics from 1966 to 1999 signaled systemic regression. From the 1980s to 1990s, despite the negative factors prevalent as a result of corruption and mismanagement in the nation, sale of art works was favoured by an astronomical growth in local clientele.. Although Ben Enwonwu, Nigeria’s foremost modernist artist opined in 1966 (Ekwensi, 1966; 36) that for a piece of painting by a Nigerian artist to be priced for so much as five hundred guineas(about five hundred British pounds), then the artist should be much older with years of experience including the artist’s quality of training. The state of art pricing in modern Nigerian art has defiled such limitations. Many factors have come to influence the contemporary proclivic developments and this paper adopting the Marxist art historical approach of approach of the inter-relationship of art, power and economy in the society, examines the development.

Key Words: Patronage, Art Commission, Expressionistic, Art Contracting,
Road- side- art, Connoisseur