Girl on Globe 2 2011

Curator: At first glance, there's something playfully precarious about Yinka Shonibare's "Girl on Globe 2" from 2011. The mixed-media sculpture seems to defy gravity. It makes me think of childhood and playfulness. Editor: Absolutely! But that precariousness also hints at the complexities Shonibare layers into his work. Look at the fabrics, the batik, so-called 'African' wax prints. Their very production and global trade embody postcolonial narratives. The Dutch originally industrialized it, copying Indonesian batiks, for export to West Africa, isn't it fascinating? Curator: Fascinating, yes, and key to the piece's layered meaning. The headless figure, a motif for Shonibare, does that further alluding to the beheading during the French revolution, while, atop the globe, she becomes a symbol of disembodied power, divorced from any grounding or true understanding of the world below. It raises issues of class, history, and trade. Editor: Precisely. The figure's stance, slightly off balance, could reflect a state of constant negotiation, balancing act across cultures. Also, consider the globe itself, not depicted realistically, but rather abstracted and earthy. Is that not an artist comment on distorted perspective and ownership? Curator: I do agree that it serves that double sense of whimsy and critique, though. Shonibare’s choices aren't just about the 'what' but about the 'how' and 'why'. The visual appeal pulls you in, but the construction, materials and methods lead you down very complex, global histories. It shows how intertwined those visual and material practices become. Editor: Exactly! It’s in how he brings together those elements that truly unlocks Shonibare's voice. Craft, global trade, identity... He has got it all going. Curator: This is what strikes me; seeing her there in a standstill moment captures everything and how the threads are bound together tightly. Editor: It leaves me thinking, about how easily these stories we inherit need challenging, shaking, and seeing afresh.