By OLIVER ONUOHA and PATRICIA ONYEKWERE
Unperturbed by the rosy future, which life in the U.K. holds for him, David Dale has remained in Nigeria practising his profession and contributing to the artistic development of the country.
Dale blazed the trail as the first person to hold a solo exhibition of Deep-etchings, Watercolour, Lino prints and Pencil Drawings in Lagos in 1972. Aside from that, he has participated in 58 exhibitions both locally and internationally and has numerous commissioned works at different locations.
A bookworm and a rare artist, who works proficiently in about 23 different media with equal dexterity, Dale told Daily Sun, “If I am going to die tomorrow, I want to work till one hour to the time I am going to die because that’s what Picasso did.” He spoke further on why he read arts, his philosophy and arts in Nigeria.
Background
My father is English, while my mother is a Nigerian. I went to school in England and at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where I read Fine Arts. I graduated from the school in 1971. Since then, I have been practicing.
Art school
I think that the issue is, people like to parade their schools instead of working hard.
All I do today is to conduct research; these are things I didn’t read at the university. If you don’t do that, nobody will call you a master.
Artistic media
I use 23 artistic media. I do paintings, beads and glass bead works, water colour, I do stain-glass in three different styles, I wrought iron works, etchings, mosaic and many others.
Collateral
I have not used any of my works as collateral, but I think that in the nearest future, some of these works can be deposited in bank to get some money. The type of art that I do is something that grows in value as the years go by. I don’t insure my works, it’s the buyers’ problem, mine is to create.
Arts in Nigeria
I think I have to come out very hard on this, government is not doing well for people who feed on creativity in this country. Right now, the materials that I work with have been banned. So, if I want to buy mosaic, I’ll have to cross over to Togo.
And when you buy it with CFA in Togo, when you get to Seme border, you’re going to pay the same amount you spent on the material to ‘settle’ them in Seme. The ban on art materials will affect the work of artists who now use oil paints as if they are using watercolour. It’s either you paint properly or you don’t paint at all. But can you blame them? Nigerian artists are good but the facilities are not there to enhance the quality of their works.
Exhibitions
I have featured in 58 exhibitions locally and internationally. I have exhibited in places like United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Eastern Europe, Sweden, France, Holland, Spain, Eastern Europe, Former U.S.S.R, Cuba, Japan, U.S.A, Canada and Australia. I have done so many commissioned works for both private and public collections within and outside Nigeria.
Art masters
Perhaps, you are referring to people like Bruce Onobrakpeya, Yusuf Grillo, Kolade Oshinowo and Isiaka Osunde. We’ve left the university and created our styles. Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya is known for what I call folk art. Everything he does is like going back to Urhobo culture. Oshinowo has not cut off from the northern landscapes and cultural events.
If you look at his works, you’ll still see the Durbar and the rest of it. Isiaka Osunde, who studied in the Soviet Union, still captures the European romanticism. Grillo has the elongated figuring. We’ve tried to say this is what we can do and what we can not do but unfortunately, most of these artists probably work in one, two, three or four media and this is where I probably have an edge over a lot of other artists because I make use of 23 media with equal dexterity.
Aim
I aim at the feeling that my work should end up in a very happy home and that is the first thing about me. People come in here to say I’ve been to Mr. A’s house, I’ve seen your works. But if you look at him, you’ll know that he’s a status symbol man, who wants to say I want to be like Mr. Obi, who has 10 of David Dale’s works and Obi is a man who collects genuinely. Now, he wants to beat Obi, saying I’m going to buy 15 of your works. But the way he talks, you’ll know that this fellow is just trying to show off and I don’t allow my works to go to such homes. I feel the works should be part of the home and not say its there and you start flaunting it, I hate people who flaunt.
Why art
I had always wanted to be an artist. When I gained admission to the university, my family could only sponsor six of us at the same time, so they told me straight, “ If its Fine Arts you are going to read, you’ve got to sponsor yourself” and I sponsored myself through the university actually.
Recycling collectors
For us to have more collectors, we need more exhibitions. If you are a collector and you are able to drag one or two other people along with you to art exhibitions, it will raise new followership for the artist and his works. Nevertheless, we have a few good collectors in the country today.
Philosophy
It can be summed up as ‘do unto others, as you would want others do unto you.’ Don’t shy away from the help you can render. If you are ably placed to do something, don’t tell the Lord, ‘I can’t do it.’
Legacy
I can’t see any legacy I want to leave behind for the young ones because a lot of people come in here as interns and youth corps members. I’ve stopped that now because most of them come here to steal. The idea is that, some of these young people don’t want to put down their first step before taking another.
Role model
My school in England is my first role model. Then, the artist I refer to today, Picasso. I have the same attitude as he had for creativity. He didn’t create because he wanted to sell; he created because of the way he felt at that moment.
Future plan
If I am going to die tomorrow, I want to work till one hour to the time because that’s what Picasso did. He slept and did not wake up again. He worked till he died. He had a project at hand then. He held a party over night and said he was going to wake up at eleven o’clock to continue, but he never did.
Appreciation
I am a very serious artist. Anything I do, I put in a lot to it and for the fact that someone is going to buy it from me, I make sure that I put in my best. So, when he comes to spend two hundred thousand naira he doesn’t regard spending that much because I’ve put in all my best into the work.
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