The Symbol

            HISTORICAL FIGURE- THE LATE MRS. THEODOSIA OKOH.

            Theodosia Salome Okoh born on the thirteenth of June, 1922 in Ghana, Effiduase was a statewoman, teacher, horticulturist, housewife and popular known as an artist for designing the National Flag. She designed the flag in the year 1957 when Ghana had her independence.

She was named by her father, Very Reverened Emmanuel Victor Asihene who was a moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and her mother, Dora Asihene as Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene. She had seven siblings of which she was the fourth amongst them. Both her parents hail from Anum in the Asuogyam District of the Eastern part of Ghana. Theodosia was from a large family with successful siblings.

She began her formal education at Ashanti Effiduse Primary school then continued to the Basel Girls Mission Middle, Senior and Teacher Training Schools in Agogo  and then to Achimota School. In Achimota, she underwent three years of training in Fine Art from there, she took up her teaching career at Kukurantumi. Like any other person will do, she practised to make her self perfect and from the encouragement she received  from the Department of Social welfare, through the production of teaching aids and motives for nursery She had the privilege of travelling with her father and her husband, the late Enoch Okoh whom until the 1966 coup was the secretary to the Cabinet and Head of Civic Services in Ghana and across the world.

Theodosia rose among many best artist and designers when in 1955, she was given the challenge to design a flag for the nation, Ghana. She was able to do this because, Philip Gbeho, the composer of the national anthem helped her in choosing the colors that would depict Africans. The colors they decided on was picked by so many African nations but with different variations. She submitted her design to the British when they needed a new flag to advertise Ghana’s independence which was adopted as the national flag. She explained in an interview that, she choose the three colors; red, gold and green because of the geographical location of Ghana. Ghana lies in the tropics and She is rich in vegetation. The richness of our lands influenced the gold color and the red signified the bloodshed by those who worked to attain the independence of the country. The five-pointed star in the middle of the flag connotes the African symbolism of emancipation and unity in their struggle against colonization The then and first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the one who accepted and adopted it as the nation’s flag from the sixth of March, 1957.

The Ghana flag was designed and adopted in 1957 and was flown until 1962, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colors that are red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the centre of the gold stripe. The Ghanaian flag was the second African flag to have these features in terms of color after the flag of Ethiopia.

The black star was adopted from the flag of a shipping line incorporated by Marcus Garvey, Black Star Line that operated from 1919 to 1922. It gave the Ghana national football team their nickname, the Black Stars, which is held high esteem in the world today. The flag was designed by Theodosia Okoh. The red represents the blood of those who died in the country's struggle for independence from the United Kingdom, the gold represents the mineral wealth of the country, the green symbolizes the country's rich forests and natural wealth, and the black star is the symbol of African emancipation.The flag's design influenced that of the flag of Guinea-Bissau in 1973.
Under terms of section 183 of Ghana's Merchant Shipping Act of 1963, the civil ensign is a red flag with the national flag in a black-fimbriated canton. In 2003, a new merchant shipping act was enacted, however, and this simply provides that "the National Flag of Ghana" is the proper national colours for Ghanaian ships. No mention is made of other flags or other possible flags.The naval ensign is a red St. George cross on white flag, with the national flag in canton.

The Ghana Air Force has its own ensign which incorporates the flag of Ghana. Civil aviation in Ghana is represented by the national civil air ensign. It is a standard light blue field with the Ghanaian flag in the canton. It is charged in the fly with either a red, yellow and green roundel (in the case of the military ensign) or black five-pointed star (in the case of the civil ensign). they have both been used since independence, and the subsequent founding of the Ghana Air Force in 1959.

The Ghanaian government flag, adopted in 1957, was flown until 1962. Similarly, when the country formed the Union of the States,the flag of the Union was modelled on Bolivia's flag, but with two black stars, representing the nations. In May 1959, a third star was added. Nowhere specified how the stars were arranged, and it was possible that they were arranged in a triangle, although the three-in-a-line formation (as shown here) is more likely.

In 1962, prior to the dissolution of the Union the following year, Ghana adopted a variant of the 1957 tricolour with white in the place of yellow, after the colours of the then president, Kwame Nkrumahs’s  ruling Convention Peoples Party [C.P.P}, and similar to the flag of Hungary. The original 1957 flag was reinstated in 1966 following Nkrumah's overthrow by a coup d’état.

In the 1960s, Head of Civil Services in Kwame Nkrumah’s regime, Enoch Kwabena Okoh got married to Theodosia and they had three children of which were two boys and a girl: E. Kwasi Okoh, Stanley Kwame Okoh and Theodosia Amma Jones-Quartey.

Theodosia loved and played hockey wo much that she had a very important and leading role in developing Hockey in Ghana such that she was nominated the first female chairperson of the Ghana Hockey Association and later became the president of Ghana Hockey Federation for over twenty years. During her regime that Ghana qualified for the first time to both the Hockey World Cup and the Olympic Games. She was also the junior first aid officer in the team. This was where she was given the name, ‘’ the Joan of Arc of Ghana Hockey’’. It was given to her by Ohene Gyan because she rose to the occasion to save Ghana Hockey when even men were faltering and vacillating about development of the game. This is the key reason why in 2004, the National Hockey Stadium was named after her. Mrs. Okoh fought so hard for the only hockey field at Electricity Corporation maintained and not to be replaced by any new building.

From thence, she became SWAG; Ghana Sports Writers Association’s patron for a long period of time.

In addition to honours bestowed on her, Mrs Okoh received a citation from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the National Sports Awards in 2004. Others are the Sports Writers’ Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards and an award from “Obaa Mbo’’, a TV Africa series. She will be greatly remembered for designing the national flag to replace the Union Jack after Ghana gained independence from Britain. Additionally, the Asuogyaman District Assembly in the Eastern Region has erected a bust in her honour at Anum, her hometown. Whenever Ghana’s flag goes high, Mrs Okoh’s name is mentioned.

Due to her hard work and dedication to national development, Mrs Okoh was awarded the Grand Medal (GM) by the nation. She also received a number of awards from some institutions in the country.

Later on, a decision was made to rename the hockey pitch to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of former President John Evans Atta Mills which attracted criticisms from many quarters. In her reaction to the name change, Mrs Okoh described the decision as very painful because it was done without any consultation with her. Intervened by President John Dramani Mahama, he then stepped in to stop there naming of the pitch since he felt she had done a great deal to the nation just as former President John Evans Atta Mills did.

She now lived quietly in Accra where she loves for people to come around to chat and possibly learn from her art, telling them about the awards she has received all adorning in her living room. On her eightieth birthday in 2002, she published her memories and later revised and updated it ten years after, thus on her ninetieth birthday, on the thirteenth of June, 2012. Mrs. Okoh, a renowned artist exhibited her work widely across the world. As an artist, she worked in so many mediums including watercolor, oil paint all in sketches and paintings. Moreover, she made collages from corn stalk and feathers some of which have been hanged in various homes and galleries around the world.

As part of her legacy, her grandson, Ian Jones-Quartey based on her to create a character Nanefua in the Cartoon Network animated show, Steven Universe.

She died on the nineteenth of April, 2015 at the Narh Bita Hospital in Tema after a short illness when she was in the ninety second year of her life on earth. According to a family source, she passed away at six in the morning. She was said to have been admitted to the Ridge Hospital about a month ago before she was transferred to the Narh Bita Hospital for further attention.Growing up in a typical religious and royal family, she decided to leave an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of people right from her childhood.

With all she did in developing the country, a direction came from President John Dramani Mahama that all flags should fall at half mast for three days which took its grounds on the twenty-first of April all in honor of her great works which benefitted the nation at large. The Minister of Communication, Edward Omane Boamah signed a statement specifying that it was in ‘’honor of this extraordinary Ghanaian’’ stating in his own words and further exclaimed that ‘’government acknowledges Mrs. Theodosia Okoh for her invaluable contributions to our nations building effort.

She was laid rest in Osu cemetery after a befitting state burial cermony. The great achievement she attained made her a prominent personality in Ghana and hence was laid in state at the forecourt of the statehouse at eight thirty o'clock in the morning where dignitaries from all walks of life came and paid their last respect to this honorable stateswoman from the current president to other officials working under him to other important personalities in and out of Ghana.

In all we all say ayekoo to the late Mrs. Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Okoh for being a great stateswoman, horticulturist, housewife, mother, grandmother and most importantly what we recognize her for; the great artist she was blessing her country Ghana with one of her cherished work, the National Flag. Surely, she became the creator of our symbolic people.She shall be forever remembered for her great work in sports and artistry which she is already the role model of the upcoming ones. Her watch words were to do things in perfection in order to reap something good in future.

Time to Play an Indigenous game - Pilolo

A Ghanaian traditional game; ‘’Pilolo’’, literary meaning ‘’time to search for’’ is found among the children. Both boys and girls come together to play this game, thus there is no gender discrimination. One person is given the mandate to hide the sticks whereas the others are expected to find them. He does this without the knowledge of the others; they are either put in a room or made to close their eyes tightly that they cannot see where the sticks are being hidden. Participants are timed as in when the game will be over even if you have found a stick or not. The number of sticks hidden are equivalent to the number of participants in the game. Since they disregard the game as having no benefits but just for entertainment, after the sticks are hidden and they go about looking for them, they sing a song which goes;

‘’Pilolo’’

‘’ Kwasie adwuma’’

A call by the one who hides the sticks and a response by the others, literary meaning; ‘’time to search for, a stupid work’’. This game is not only for entertainment and releasing stress but most importantly, have other benefits such as the ones below.

            To begin, apart from it socializing, it helps participants to work effectively; thus put in their all when they are given certain responsibilities. As one is given the mandate to hide the stones so does it prepare them to take up turns at any point in their life time. This benefit mainly comes out when they are grown-ups and have taken on job opportunities or probably during their school lives when they take up prefect ship or organizational positions.

            More importantly, it serves as a source of entertainment. When children close from school, they normally want to release school stress and thereby involve themselves in such games. With this, they refresh and free their minds of what went on wrong in school.

            Also, it helps them use their imagination ability and develop their problem-solving skills. Participants do usually put themselves in the shoes of the mandated person who hides the sticks in order to make it easier for them to find. This helps them when they face problems to figure out and solve them on their own. Nevertheless, they learn from other people problems when they imagine and think there is a possibility that they might go through a similar thing.

            Moreover, it helps to appreciate the concept of volume. The concept of volume has to do with the ability of being amongst other people, building a cordial relationship with them as well as accepting and appreciating them as they are because as part of the facts of life; no matter where you go and get in life, you meet other people adding up those whom you know already.

            In addition, it helps aids muscle development and build stamina. As they are timed to look for the sticks, they try their best to beat the time and in so doing, they are able to endure strength and energy. For them to be able to build their stamina, it also helps them build their body’s system in terms of muscle tissues.

            Coordination, balance and gracefulness of being quick are achieved in getting the stick from the perfect hiding place. This helps them to work hand in hand with other people as sometimes two of you will come together and help each other out in finding the sticks. Appreciating your effort also encourages you to take up other responsibilities and doing everything in time without delaying. Sometimes as the game requires you to be climbing and walking on things just to find any of the hidden sticks, as you continue to play, it helps in giving your body balance.

            Again, it teaches participants to feel the presence of objects; that things exist even if we do not see them. Thus listening to their instincts. It will help participants in real life determine when there is something strange around them either good or bad. For instance the African belief that ghost exist amongst the living; if it is so, the game will in a sense help participants feel the presence of ghosts and other spirits around.

            Participants also develop the ability of autonomy. They learn to exercise their power through this game because they take turns in hiding the sticks. Therefore, with the power given to them, they can do whatever they want with it; in terms of hiding it.

            Focus cultivation is also a benefit of ‘’pilolo’’. As the participants go around looking for the sticks, they pay attention to every little thing they see. This helps tune the mind in finding the sticks as well as them being very observant.

            From personal experience in this game, it is the best you can ever think of especially when you come back from school and you see all your friends gathered at a particular place. You never know what will happen, by the time you realize, you have indulged yourself in the game so much that you do not notice that the night is near and you have to go to your various homes. This even happens when you hear your mother calling out your name. I never knew the benefits of it until now that I have found out why I possess certain abilities and qualities as well. 

In a nut shell, no matter how insignificant we think most of the Ghanaian traditional games are, there are benefit strings attached to them; effectiveness in work, entertainment, socialization, imagination and problem solving ability, concept of volume and amongst the above expressed points.

PERFORMANCE ART.

The expression that ‘’art is life’’ which many people without the artistic sense think of it as irrelevant actually has a gratuitous meaning in that it expresses us. Art has the ability of telling whom and what we are and helps us freely express ourselves. Even though sometimes it is boring and weird, it comes with a concept and relevance backing it; meaning every art that is expressed has a meaning no matter how absurd, abstractive or meaningless it looks like. Moreover, every artist has an inspiration from which he gets his ideas to bring out that beautiful or ugly meaningful or meaningless piece as you perceive in your eyes and thought.

Art as explained by Kofi Antubam; a Ghanaian symbolic artist is ‘’any expression of emotional conceptions or ideas which a people possess about what is beautiful or ugly, wise or foolish, pleasant or unpleasant to them of the decent or indecent in all things in their environment and of all they do in their everyday life’’, This definition is based on concept and ideas; thus, depending on what is in your mind and what you feel inside is what you bring out. It could be to either address issues or just for pleasing the eyes but most importantly, it must be meaningful. In J. H. Nketiah’s article about Kofi Antubam, he expresses that Kofi believed that ‘’art was vital only when it reflected the values and ideas of a society and that in old traditional utilitarian approach of art which made it an integral part of society. This goes to say that the acceptance and meaning of art depends on the belief and norms of the people.

Consequently, performance art as a discipline of art as it is now has a stand in the world. This is so because of the direct appeal and appreciation of the audience. Performance art is however explained generally as ‘’the expression of art in the fine art form’’. This is where art moved from being still to live which artist did by involving human beings. It has various forms of which dwells on the movement of the body in different posture in time and space with or without any specific venue. Most at times, the actions are made with the help of other art forms like paintings, statues and other objects that have a relation to the concept of the artist. Also, performance art connotes more aesthetic value because of the connection between the body involved and the objects at which the art denotes. They might have the same color, shape or style in order to get the audience wonder and marvel at their performance as to how these objects move. Moreover, it sometimes borrow things outside the artistic work; death, rituals and other social and behavioral acts.  It can be done with the audience or not, in the same way can either be chronological or be done in any sequence, it just has to have a meaning and concept. Performance art can be done solely by an artist or he can collaborate with other artist or performers. It is done anywhere; thus, it does not necessarily need a special space such as the art gallery or one of the great halls. This also constitutes one of the reasons why it is most embraced by the youth since with the little resources they have, they can put up a great performances without any major hindrance.

Considering, the great artist, Leonardo da Vinci works, it is in the framework of fine arts. If in one of his works, he does a painting on a wall; mosaic and then employs a performer to make known his concept then it moves from being just art to performance art, a disciplinary in art. Here, he costumes the performer in the same colors as the painting and makes him position himself in a way that will fit that of the mosaic in order to avoid the audience from seeing exactly a human being involved. From there, they involve movements using any of the forms of performance art that befits the concept very well. The art then ceases to be still but live.

           According to the scholar, Miriam Griffin, history of performance art stretches further than one might think of. She elaborates that it started in the sixteenth century where in Iberian Peniasala and in America's new colonies. Poets throughout those provinces found live art, a new way they presented their works. It cut across visual arts, music and literature. They usually presented them in the parks, markets and other open areas for the audience as they pass by.

Historically, performance art started in the nineteenth and early twentieth century’s having its roots in experimental art where it was largely practiced

After the Second World War, artist thought it right as a useful tool to express philosophical and psychological questions about human existence. The body is now used as a powerful medium to express and communicate physical and emotional feelings about issues pertaining to us as humans. This is where the advancement came in and technology was introduced to the board. In the twentieth century, the performance s were made thin in order for the audience to keep the memory of it.

Allan Kaprow staged these arts on humors and irrelevant events from performance art. He did these performances consciously and others unconsciously in the year 1927.Most importantly, it only required the art of the artist expressed fully to the audience.

In addition, German Expressionism brought about the rejection of formal conventions of traditional art in painting and sculpture and brought about concept in artwork leading to Dada and Surrealist movements, Futurism, Conceptual art, assemblage and construction, installations and happenings, all of intellectual origins of performance art. In this period, it was known as body art because art was basically focused on the body. Joseph Beuys, a German artist liked to call it ‘’action painting’’ because the arts were no longer two dimensional but involved the use of bodies terming it as live; three dimensional.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Americans solely elaborated on feminism where the women were able to confront social injustice, gender discrimination and other problems they are facing through performance art. This made them to be heard and they did not let lose this opportunity. In this same era, Chris Burden and Joseph Beuys used performance art to criticize and reject US imperialism as well as question political motivation, a material significantly provided from the Vietnam War.

            Notwithstanding, performance art has so many features that distinguishes it from theatre even though people mistaken one for the other. It has no strict rules governing because artist say, ‘’art is experimental’’ and hence even mistakes do form part of their works. Another feature is that, it is live and can be made of forms such as theatre, music, dance, dialogue, sculpture and so on as it is with artist. They differ from each other in terms of concept, style and forms.

                Everything in this world no matter great or small, relevant or irrelevant as u perceive it has an importance. Performance art accepted by many of us in the world today has a great benefits to us.

We are able to express ourselves very well through performance art. Assuming we live in a corrupt country and the president is the gear in it, you cannot just go and address him just like that because you could be either arrested and imprisoned or better still killed. The best thing you can do is to put up a performance through which you can draw attention to the source, causes and consequence of their actions.

Moreover, we are able to explore beyond what is around us. Performance art provides an avenue for us to look beyond what we see. Certain theories are sometimes employed and best explained through performance art. Discoveries and understanding of them are also known through performance art.

Also, performance art brings about cohesion and unity amongst us because it serves as a platform for socialization. Here, both commoners and intellectuals from all walks of life come together and enjoy the art putting aside their differences and having a common motive for the performance to go on well and after leave peacefully to their various destinations.

Performance art again serves as a facilitating material and a therapy. It helps in educating the public about issues as well as helping in the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental state of the people especially with the handicapped

              Performance art is moved by various art forms which include theatre, dance, music, illusion, mime and puppetry and amongst others. Depending on the style of the artist, he chooses the medium through which he expresses his art. Performance art does not stay in a particular trend for a long time but moves in due time. Modernity and technology has made it possible to view such performances over and over again because the rate at which the art flows is continual that the interest of the audience becomes intense as the show goes on. Moreover, these forms can be put together and used in one piece.

With music, the performers move with rhythm and tempo. They always make sure they are able to relate with the music very well because even though they can communicate their actions and movements without it, the music rather enhances their performance to the very best. The music could be either orchestrated or from recorded music.

Also, for theatre, it should be three dimensional such that, it should have a plot, dramatic actions and most importantly, tension. Performers should also be able to adapt to change faster. With this, they relate more to the props and most at times take the features of the props in which they work with especially their color.

However, with dance, it is usually accompanied with music. Much of these arts are dwelt on various and exclusive body movements. Dance has come to stay longer possibly than other form of art and hence contain much of the culture of the people making performance art have an importance in their lives.

Moreover, with mime and puppetry, the artist remains quiet throughout the whole performance and tells his story through movements. It is a cross between stage play and dance. It is found amongst the medieval Europe and in China. In contemporary times, mime is done by painting the face white usually done in open areas like the park as a form of practice or as a source of living.

Nevertheless, spoken word is also another form of performance art. Performers can also use words to relate to the concept from which the artist is coming from and relating to the props involved in the performance.

Finally, performers use illusions commonly known as magic to skillfully deceive audience. They use large props in order for their tricks not to be visible. The more and harder the audience watch with anxiety and curiosity, the less they see.

All these come together to make up performance art with various styles and diversity.

In the life of performance art over the years, many ideas and concern have been employed by artist and performers through which it has attained its firm grounds. .

Juliana Emilia Fusco Miayers, born in New York on June 18, 1960 is a Cuban-American interdisciplinary artist and writer. She had her Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Society in 1982, Brown University. In Stanford University, she furthered her education again for a Master’s of Art degree in Modern Thoughts and Literature, 1985 and a Doctorate degree in Visual Culture from the Middlesex University, England in 2005. Coco Fusco takes her inspiration from women and society, war, politics and race.

She started her career with teaching as an assistant professor of visual arts in Temple University. Due to her marvelous work in the field of teaching, she had so many transfers and promotions which all helped build her up in the art industry. She went out for both single and collaborative works. Some of her works include; the last wish, rights of passage, stuff and a room of one’s own, all have their central part from women, society, war, politics and race.

One of her best performances, In the Last Wish, she expresses her emotions about her grandmother’s death and relates it to the way and manner at which she died. As she performed the piece, it denoted the theme as that of death. Also, she was able to put across the wish of her grandmother and that is for her to die in her hometown. Coco lied beneath a black light in a long white dress surrounded with flowers indicating a coffin.  As the saying goes that ‘’two heads are better than one’’, collaboratively, she also did the Year of the White Bear and Two Undiscovered Amerindians Visit to the West(11992-1994), Dolores from 10 to 10(2001) and the Incredible Disappearing woman(2003) which she did with Ricardo Dominguez depicting death, sex, art and immigration between United States and Mexicans. With these, she was able to contribute massively to performance art by relating it to the things that go on around us.

Another great scholar in this field is the Legend Robert Wilson. It is said that he pioneered performance art as well as experimental art in the 60s and 70s; for which he is known internationally today as the director and creator of series of hallucinatory, elegant artworks and theatrical works including Einstein on the Beach.

In 1968, he started a performance group by name Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds, to pay tribute to the dance instructor in her 70s who taught his sister ballet. Performance in those days were done in the streets, alleys and other open space areas because it was expensive to hire theatrical spaces. It was exciting been done in parks, streets, alleys but it was done ones and you had to enjoy it to the fullest and keep it in memory. With determination to build up this industry, Robert spent all his savings in getting a space that would bring artist from all walks of life together. He purchased an abandoned telecommunication laboratory on Long Island in Water Mill. Water Mill has grown from a meagre table to larger ones. There now, most of the artist present their works

Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 7^, 1949-May 16,1984), an American entertainer, actor and performance artist even though people thought of him as a comedian, he did not consider himself one instead, he considered himself as a ‘’song-and-dance man’’. He was born in New York and grew up in a middle-class Jewish family in Great-neck, Long Island, New York and began performance at age 9. He attended Graham Junior College, Boston and graduated in 1971 after which he started performing stand-up comedies in clubs.

He caught the attention of the audience with a character, Foreign man. He characterized Foreign man to be from Caspiar; a fictional island on the Caspian Sea. He cited the line, ‘’here I come to save the day’’ with great enthusiasm as he plays a theme from Mighty Mouse cartoon. He then begins to tell a number of jokes as well as impersonating other characters on television shows and famous people. With his weak imitations of famous people, the character Foreign Man then changed Latkas Gravas for the ABC’s Taxi sitcom, appearing in 79 of 114 episodes from 1978 to 1983. Other characters he also worked on are Tony Clifton, Fridays Incident, Andy’s Funhouse, amongst other.

Hannah Wike, an American artist with professional skills in painting, sculpture, photography, video and performance art was born in March 7, 1940 and died in January 28, 1993. She was born in New York City to Jewish parents. In Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia, she received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree and Bachelor of Science in Education. After which she took up her teaching career mainly in several high schools and later joined the School of Visual Arts, New York teaching sculpture and ceramics in the year 1974 to 1991.

One major work she did in her early days include body art in the 1974 when she started with her work on photography body art piece. Her art piece, S.O.S meaning Starification Object Series emerged from her minimalist sculpture and her own body which she made from tiny vulval sculpture out of chewing gum and sticking it to herself. She then took photos of herself in different poses, style in glamour depicting tribal scarification. She termed this aspect of art as ‘’performalist self-portraits’’ to give honor not only to herself but also to photographers who assisted her including her father and sister. Some of her other works include Death and Intra-Venus (1992-1993) and Pose and Narcissism which expressed feminism; everything that had to do with women.

            With technology still on the go rising, performance art has a great future. Depending on the intensity of the use of the technology, performance art may lose its intimacy with the audience in that if the technology grows to the extent of making the movements themselves, then there is no need to involve humans. Moreover, if we as artist are able to maintain the balance between technology and our human effort, then the interest and intimacy of the audience will still be there.

On the other hand, technology can also make it easier for artist because with technology, they would not go through the stress of making and composing every little detail of the performance. Performers will be able to make movements simple since with the help of light, costume and other technological elements, they can improvise to bring out a quality and clean art form.

Again, because it has been held esteem mostly by the youth and have extreme and intense interest in it, performance art has got a strong stand in the world today. It has gotten a place to stay such that the youth now form groups mainly to undergo this activity.They believe that through this, they are able to put across their ideas and thoughts especially when the authorities are not ready to hear them out. They call these kind of their performances ''mob''; literally meaning ''a youth gang''.

Today, the works of artists especially women who showed their concerns on feminism are not shown any more in museums because of the thought that it did not fit into distinct genre or style in this generation than in the then generation. This tells us that before a performance can be staged, it should fit the concerns and mind of the world as it is in that particular time and if possible, follow to the trend in the past and specifically, the future.

            To draw the curtain down, performance art is a form of art that evolves movements of the body in time and space. It has gone above the ground and hence has been recognized as a discipline and a form of art since artist have gone beyond the art of realistic paintings and sculptures and have brought about the era of involving humans for there to be a greater intimacy between art and audience.

It started in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in America and has to stay and cherished more than the ordinary commodities in the world now; it is neither sold nor bought like other raw materials. Moreover, it is used as a medium for philosophical and psychological questioning and answering of human existence. Performance art was also influenced by the Dada, Futurism, the Bauhaus and the Black Mountain College.

Performance art uses art forms such as illusion, music, dance, theatre, mime and puppetry to enhance the performance. Sometimes, more than one medium can be used to express the art. Lately, technology has advanced and since artist like to use it in their works, it has also made performance art advanced.

Scholars such as Coco Fusco, Legend Robert Wilson, Andy Kaufman and Hannah Wike in spite of them having different inspirations and diversity do all express fully themselves in art. This helps them relate much more to the audience with their different styles in approaching their forms. They are also able to change the notion and insight of the world that art is irrelevant by connecting it to their culture. Art will always be meaningless to people if they do not understand and have the insight of it just as you would think of a song being full of noise if you do not know the inspiration behind it.

Even though, technology has set a boundary between traditional and the 21^st century art and has enhanced it, I strongly believe that the human effort; movements and other art forms and technology should be on the same scale to keep the intimacy and interest of the audience for them to feel their culture and their lives in the art.

Also, the fact that artists of this generation has the ability to merge the various forms of performance art, it makes it have a bright future in the world. This is because there will always be a variety in the works of artist with the forms they use.

Distinctively, performance art might share some of its features with theatre but genuinely, they are two different things together. It has become one of the respected art in the industry today.

In the world today, people are mostly and usually influenced, spoken to and addressed by performance art. With regards to what is pertaining, they educate both the young and the old, the leaders and the followers which leads to the reduction in chaos. No matter how irrelevant performance art may seem, it will always be with us and help us in the various sectors of our lives being it self expression, explorations, socializations, facilitation, therapy and amongst other importance of it. Even though art is not sold like other stuffs, it serves as a source of living for people who have passion for it; thus they have found a way of getting paid for what they love and have passion for but not what they are obliged to do. On this note, I say.                                                                                                                                                                                  ''Art will always be expressed as life; eat it, drink it, enjoy it and express it'