The African Democratic Dirge: An Artistic Muse through Streamwrite

Abstract

The paper problematizes democracy in Africa using a qualitative research approach called Streamwrite; It is a research through art, the art of producing, meditating, evaluating and writing freely like a water fall, in order to bring forth revelations not immediately appreciable at face-value. Three artworks are presented using the stated method which has appropriate attributes to tackle a sensitive subject of contradictions and intractable challenges. The study zeroes in on the current democratic governance in countries on the African landmass as representation of Africa’s wilful ignorance and neglect and irresponsibility on the part of leadership as ominously amplified across her wider post-colonial life. The author argues that a crucial factor accounting for the failure of Africa’s democratic governance is due to lack of local origin and thrust. The streamwrite proves to be a forceful way of discussing artworks, by unearthing revelation and associated cues not immediately accessed in the work at face-value, by pressing imagination to the hilt in encounter with the spirit of the work.