Glendora Review and Visual Arts Criticism in Nigeria, 1995-2004
Glendora Review was established in 1995 by Olakunle Tejuoso of the Glendora book store. It’s first issue launched under the editorship of Dapo Adeniyi, who had previously written for and edited the review pages of the Daily Times. After seizing power in November 1993, Sani Abacha’s government began a wide ranging assault on the press. Another paper well respected for its arts coverage, The Guardian, was amongst of a number of publications banned by the state. The Daily Times continued to operate under tightening government control, but Dapo Adeniyi was frustrated by the limited space given over by his editors for arts criticism – with review pages increasingly being jettisoned whenever extra advertising space was needed.
In this climate, Glendora Review served as an independent space for Nigerian arts criticism that would be to some degree shielded from the turbulent fortunes of the newspaper industry in the mid-1990s. In his opening editorial, Adeniyi paid tribute to the long line of earlier arts publications in Nigeria, in whose footsteps it hoped to follow (including Association of Nigerian Authors Review, Okike, Black Orpheus, Positive Review, Opon Ifa and Transition[1]) and announced the publication’s focus would be primarily Nigerian but with “a broad international focus”.
This hints towards an important transnational aspect of the Glendora Review. In the early 1990s many Nigerian artists and writers left the country owing to economic collapse and political repression at home. Glendora Review provided an important conduit for these exiled artists and intellectuals, who were often attached to fine arts departments in American and European universities, to continue conversations and debates with their counterparts in Nigeria. Due to this connection, Glendora Review also became a forum where transnational artistic trends and theoretical models could be mediated, appropriated or rejected by Nigerian artists. For example, the validity and desirability of ideas and practices associated with post-modernism were vigorously debated in the pages – it is worth reading Krydz Ekwuemesi and Peter Ezeh’s 1998 debate regarding installation art practices.[2] Contributors also challenged the presentation of Nigerian and African art by western curators in overseas exhibitions, with the Africa ‘95 exhibition receiving particularly penetrating critiques.
Topics covered in the pages of Glendora Review also included literature and music, but its coverage of the visual arts is of particular relevance to the ArtoP research project. Highlights include an interview with members of the Photographers’ Association of Nigeria, an essay by Chika Okeke on the popular arts of Onitsha, an interview with Obiora Udechukwu, and an article on the history of Nigerian cartooning by the late Tejumola Olaniyan. Dapo Adeniyi edited his last issue in 2000, going on to edit the Position: An International Arts Review. Glendora Review continued publication until 2004, steered by an editorial team of Sola Olorunyami, Akin Adesokan, Olakunle Tejuoso and Ololade Babidele, and featurn guest edited issues by Dele Jegede and Michael Veal. This beautifully designed publication has been made available for posterity by Missouri State University’s African e-journals Project. Below is a bibliography we have compiled of articles about the visual arts which were published in Glendora Review.
Kunle Filani, “They Judge the Art, They Judge the World” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 1 1995: 26-31. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no1/graa001001008.pdf
Okwui Enwezor, “Uli at the Skoto” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 23-24. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002010.pdf
Viktor Ekpuk, “My Sources”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 17-18. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002008.pdf
Ekpo Udo Udoma with Maurice Archibong, “No More Boundaries: Gani Odutokun Remembered by Zaria.” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 72-74: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002026.pdf
Maurice Archibong, “Elegy Gani”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 75-76. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002027.pdf
Bruce Onabrakpeya and Uche Okeke, “Conversations of Two Masters” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 25-31. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002011.pdf
“Agbo Folarin at Wisconsin.” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 77-78. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002028.pdf
Tai Ade Fato, “Back in Ife: The Sculptor-Storyteller Back at his Base” [Agbo Folarin profile]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 2 1995: 78-80. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no2/graa001002029.pdf
Okwui Enwezor, Retrospecting Africa ‘95. Occupied Territories: Power. Access and African Art.” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 3 1996: 29-34. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no3/graa001003009.pdf
Maurice Archibong, “A Sculptor’s Lonely Journey Home: Tribute to Okpu Eze”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 3 1996: 63-64.
http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no3/graa001003016.pdf
Chika Okeke, “One more Word on Africa ‘95”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 4 1996: 5-7. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no4/graa001004003.pdf
Chika Okeke, “Obiora at 50: Still so Much to be Done” [interview with Obiora Udechukwu], Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 4 1996: 33-39. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no4/graa001004012.pdf
Olu Oguibe, “Uzo Egonu: An Artist and a Gentleman” [obituary] Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 4 1996: 55-57. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no4/graa001004018.pdf
“Making Photographs” [Interview with members of the Photographers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 01 No. 4 1996: 102-117. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no4/graa001004024.pdf
Chika Okeke, “Onitsha: a Commercial City & its Middle Arts”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 1 1997: 42-50. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/html/itemdetail.cfm?recordID=2362
Ghariokwu Lemi, “Producing Fela’s Album Jacket”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 2 1997: 54-56: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no2/graa002002009.pdf
Tejumola Olaniyan, “The Traditions of Cartooning in Nigeria.” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 2 1997: 92-104. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no2/graa002002013.pdf
Chika Okeke, “We Now Need specific detailed studies of Groups of Artists” [Interview with Simon Ottenberg. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 2 1997. 106-114 http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no2/graa002002015.pdf
Mechi Nzewi and Doris Weller, “The Art of Mothers.” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 3 1998: 75-79 http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no3/graa002003012.pdf
Dapo Adeniyi, “Enugu on My Mind”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 02-06 : http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004002.pdf
Krydz Ikwuemesi, “There are no Installations Here” Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 7-10: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004003.pdf
Peter Ezeh, “All, Minus Installation Art”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 11: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004004.pdf
Krydz Ikwuemesi, “Still on ‘The Curse of Postmodernism’”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 12-13: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004005.pdf
Depo Adeniyi, “For Now and Always: Interview with Chris Afuba”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 15-20. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/html/itemdetail.cfm?recordID=2302
Dapo Adeniyi, “Art Feedback and other Literatures: Interview with El Anatsui and Ola Oloidi”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 21-26. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004008.pdf
Sunday Tumo Ojelabi, “Documenting Lagos” [Photo-essay]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 02 No. 4 1998: 37-40. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004010.pdf
Olu Amoda, “Mission Impossible”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 1 2000: 9-10. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no1/graa003001003.pdf
Dele Jegede, “Nigeria’s New Soho” [report on Lagos’ galleries]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 1 2000: 24-26. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no1/graa003001007.pdf
David Aradeon, “The House Indifference Built” [Public Art and Monuments in Lagos]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 57-60. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no2/graa003002014.pdf
Dele Jegede, “A Glimpse Into Our Visual Culture”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 61-79 http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no2/graa003002015.pdf
Kunle Filani, “Wither Patronage for her Visual Art?” [On Patronage of the arts in Lagos]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 81-86. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/html/itemdetail.cfm?recordID=2390
Akin Adesokan, “the Art of Man Must WackGlendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 98-106 [on Nigerian Video Film]. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no2/graa003002020.pdf
“Storm in a Sunday Teacup: Josy Ajiboye Looks Back” [Interview with veteran Nigerian cartoonist Josy Ajiboye]. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 117-122. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no2/graa003002023.pdf
Dele Jegede and Yusuf Grillo, “More to Art than Exhibition”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 2 2001: 123-136. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no2/graa003002024.pdf
Sola Olorunyomi, “Visual Narratives of Dissent Soundscape: Lemi Ghariokwu on the Afrobeat Tradition”. Glendora Review: African Quarterly on the Arts Vol. 03 No. 3&4 2004: 80-83. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol3no3-4/graa003003-4016.pdf
Further Reading on Glendora Review
http://chimurengachronic.co.za/periodicals_posts/glendora-review/
http://www.bellagiopublishingnetwork.com/newsletter29/review_adebowale.htm
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[1]A blog post put together by the Chimurenga Chronic team also helpfully situates Glendora Review within a wider ‘family tree’ of Nigerian periodicals: http://chimurengachronic.co.za/periodicals_posts/glendora-review/
[2] See also Krydz Ikwuemesi’s reply to Peter Ezeh: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol2no4/graa002004005.pdf