A-ARTs: Metaphorical lines in ‘The Orders of Things’

'Hidden Convergence' (photography) by Oluwatosin Bakre.

By Tajudeen Sowole

AS one of the basics of creating art, the aesthetics value of line keeps proving its resilience as seen in the photography works of Oluwatosin Bakre. Thematically, her works also apply line in analogous context that cuts across many aspects of human encounters.

While Bakre’s works celebrates lines, extracting other subjects like rhythm and memory in relationship with daily activities of people, they also attempt to collapse the borders between conceptual and simplified photography. Grouped as The Order of Things series, the simplicity of capturing objects and structures through Bakre’s lens questions the adventurism in digital-effect photography.

However, from one work to another, the seemingly quiet, but crucial role of lines oozes across subjects in each of the pieces. Some of the works highlight the metaphoric impact of lines, especially in repetitive context as well as the difference between aspiration and the reality of life. The works further exude the duality of creation, irrespective of the focus, cutting across humans and inanimate subjects.

With natural and simplified contents, Bakre’s lens finds quite a lot to capture in objects and sceneries to celebrate the strength of lines. Among the pieces that speak louder on the theme of the central theme is Parallel Lives, which depicts lines, taking off from one spot and, perhaps, heading to a common destination. Most likely captured from the shadows of some bars, the black lines on yellow background running out of frame in the distance, symbolises daily activities of people who share some parallel things in common.

In another piece, Held In Formation, the theme presents sculptural objects lined and mounted as a sign of disciplined order, on a common bar. The emphasis on the objects’ formative posture, rather than on the bar that holds them, also underscores the shared spirit of discipline among people who have something common as a goal. In this particular work, the metaphor of shared journey among people and the path being used together suggests a camaraderie.

Taken from slightly high angle view, the work shows lines of bars that form the basement for the objects in focus, dictating the direction of the collective journey. From the other side of fate, Held In Formation also warns of error or danger in herd mentality. Flocking together and heading towards a single direction comes with the duality of fate; success shared or failure mourned together.

Other works in The Order of Things series include Quiet Alignment, Unspoken Order, Hidden Convergence, and A Line Remembers Its Shape. Interestingly, one of the works, suspiciously, deviates from the path of the series, especially when it comes to the line identity of the central theme. Most likely taken from an electrical component, the depiction of lines in A Line Remembers Its Shape are too complex to be captured within the themetical and analogous focus of the series.

And as photography keeps expanding from portraiture, and naturalism to conceptual contents, Bakre’s The Order of Things brings simplified perspective to the conversation. From a critical lens, it could be contested that her photography works of regular and common objects, scenery or structures are not conceptual. But weaving strong depths of themes around such works, as seen in The Order of Things, attempts to expand the scope of conceptual photography beyond digital manipulation of imageries.