AN INVESTIGATION OF COMPUTER APPLICATION TO PAINTING IN NIGERIA

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Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
This study historically, overviewed the subject and development of painting from the primordial time, to the postmodern period, bringing into focus the computer as a new medium for artistic inquiry. The background similarly overviewed the influence of the machine on various artistic forms like textile and graphic design. The problem of the study was the seeming apathy by Nigerian painters to apply computer to painting. Objectives were set as follows; i. to record the historical developments of the computer in Nigeria. ii. Investigate the dimensions of computer application to painting in Nigeria. iii. Analyze computer paintings by Nigerian painters and state their biographies. iv. Make a comparative analysis of conventional and computer paintings by Nigerian artists. v. State the advantages and disadvantages of computer painting in Nigeria. The review of literature was structured on; i. Historical overview of persons, products and ideas that have influenced painting. ii. The computer and its influence and, iii. Computer influenced paintings. Some authors reviewed were McMorran (2007), Azi (2006) Ogene (2009) among others. Methodology was based on art historical paradigms of inquiry which were essentially qualitative. However, quantitative values in the objectives made it pertinent to combine quantitative statistical results. The population was 42 computer paintings by Nigerian painters and 13 Nigerian computer painters based on purposive/judgmental sampling. Data was variously collected through the following instruments; questionnaire, interview schedules, observation,, and the internet. Books, exhibition catalogues and social media like facebook, provided secondary sources of data gathering. Field work benefitted from a pilot study with validated questionnaires and interview schedules. A total of 139 questionnaires were turned in and 13 artists with computer paintings were interviewed and analyzed respectively based on prescriptions by Eyo (1977) and Stokstad (2005). Major findings vii from available literatures were that the computer had made inroads into Nigeria since 1963 at the University of Ibadan and 1967 at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with developments leading to the application of computer to painting around the early 1990s. It was also found that Nigerian painters had applied the computer to panting in various dimensions like image manipulation, enhancement, illustration, and painting with software like Photoshop, CorelDraw among other software and hardware. Another finding was that few Nigerian painters were actually interested and had created paintings with the computer. Furthermore, because the paintings shared certain commonalities, they could be grouped and analyzed like the conventional ones. However, differences, advantages and disadvantages existed. The major challenge was posed by the frequent disruption in electricity supply in Nigeria and lack of acceptance of the computer as a conventional tool. The research theoretically found support from Friedberg (2006), theoretical polemics that asserts the metaphor of the windows as a frame that encloses a painting. The researcher therefore, suggested that computer painting be included in the painting curriculum to give the desired clout and to enhance painting and complement the examples analyzed and discussed in this research.