Childhood Memory 2020

Cornelius Annor’s painting, Childhood Memory, utilizes layers of oil paint on canvas to evoke a poignant scene. Annor’s material choices are telling. Oil paint, a traditional medium, is applied in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. The canvas, a woven textile, provides a textured ground for the smooth, viscous paint. The artist captures a moment of quiet consumption: a child absorbed in a television program, seated on a patterned sofa. The patterns on the sofa appear to be West African wax prints, which serve to imbue the painting with a sense of cultural identity and heritage. Consider the labor involved – not just Annor’s, but the labor of those who produced the textiles, electronics, and even the content on the screen. The artist prompts us to consider the confluence of global industries that shape our everyday lives and memories, and the way these are transformed by an individual’s experience. Ultimately, this work demonstrates the power of painting to capture not only a visual scene, but also the complex social and economic forces that shape our lives.