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Zimbabwe The African Workshop School / text by Frank McEwen; photography by Sylvia Beck. [Salisbury: National Gallery of Rhodesia, 1967]. [34]pp. illus. NB1096.6.R5A25 AFA. OCLC 5993013. This booklet, consisting mainly of photographs, is of interest as an historical document of the Zimbabwe stone sculpture movement. The early photographs of sculptors, who have now aged along with the movement, are shown here at work or at play. They and others are referred to by McEwen, familiarly and cryptically, with single names -- "Fly," "Ask," "Simon" -- we wonder who they really are. What is also interesting in retrospect is the veil of romanticism that was already being draped over the sculptors -- "mystically inclined and armed with endless patience...with an inherent belief in ancestor worship and the realm of the unseen." The workshop school, ten years up and running by 1967, took pride in being self-supporting from sale of works. Commerce was part and parcel of the movement from the very beginning. Artnetafrica Arnold, Marion. Zimbabwean stone sculpture. Bulawayo: Louis Bolze, 1986. xxvi, 234pp. illus., map, bibliog. OCLC 18909483. Arnold's thesis was the first major study of contemporary Zimbabwean stone sculpture. The scope is somewhat broader in that she considers also ancient stone sculpture -- the stone birds and monoliths of Great Zimbabwe. Her focus is on Shona iconography rather than on the art movement as a whole in all its sociological and commercial aspects (as Winter-Irving's 1991 book is). An art historical study, Zimbabwean stone sculpture discusses form and content, including human, animal and supernatural imagery, by looking at the work of a select group of Shona sculptors. The biographies of these twenty-one sculptors are given in an appendix (pp. 183-197). Other stone sculptors, not discussed in the text but who have participated in exhibitions, are listed in a separate appendix. Although Arnold does not argue any direct connection between the ancient stone sculpture and the modern, she does suggest that Shona carving in wood and molding in clay of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures provided iconographical base and technical expertise on which the modern sculptors drew -- once the new incentive, an art for art's sake, was introduced. The original research on which this book is based was the author's master's thesis entitled: Some aspects of iconography in selected Shona sculptures. This reprint of the 1981 edition (Bulawayo: Books of Zimbabwe) incorporates place-name changes and offers a new postscript. Artnetafrica Coming of age: zeitgenössische Kunst aus Zimbabwe: Chikonzero Chazunguza, Doreen Sibanda, Voti Thebe, Ishmael Wilfred, Craig Wylie und die Bildhauer: Bernard Matemera, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Joseph Muzondo, John Takawira. Aschaffenburg: Städtische Galerie Jesuitenkirche, 1998. 96pp. illus. (color). (Forum Aschaffenburg, 20). N7396.6.R5C66 1998 AFA. OCLC 43343882. Painting is privileged over stone sculpture in this exhibition of contemporary Zimbabwean art held in Aschaffenburg, Germany, in 1998. Featured artists are Chikonzero Chazunguza, Doreen Sibanda, Voti Thebe, Ishmael Wilfred, Craig Wylie, Bernard Matemera, Nicolas Mukomberanwa, Joseph Muzondo, John Takawira, and Sithabile Mlotshwa.
Contemporary art in Zimbabwe. Amsterdam: Artoteek Amsterdam Zuidoost, 1998. 39pp. illus. (pt. color). qN7396.6.R5C68 1998 AFA. OCLC 47094868.
Contemporary stone carving from Zimbabwe : [exhibition] Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 22 July-25 November 1990. [Wakefield, England]: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1990. 60pp. chiefly illus. (pt. color). qNB1209.Z55C76 1990 AFA. OCLC 23359729. Yorkshire Sculpture Park was an elegant setting for what was the largest exhibition of Zimbabwe stone sculpture ever assembled. Thirty-six artists were featured, early masters and younger sculptors alike; their works are photographed in situ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The catalog text offers three perspectives on the Zimbabwe stone sculpture phenomenon. Frank McEwen, who was present at the creation of this art movement, but has now departed from the scene, shares some personal reflections from his unique vantage point. Art critic Michael Shepherd assesses the work from the opposite pole: an outsider who has never been to Zimbabwe. Thirdly, Joram Mariga, sometimes credited with being the original Zimbabwe stone carver, certainly one of the first, speaks of his own work. Artists' biographies and a glossary of stone of Zimbabwe are included. Exhibition reviewed by Gemma Nesbitt, "Captivating sculpture," Southern African economist (Harare) 3 (5): 45-46, October-November 1990.
Cousins, Jane. "The making of Zimbabwean sculpture," Third text; Third World perspectives on contemporary art and culture (London) no. 13: 31-42, winter 1991. illus., notes. NX1.T445 AFA. The commodification of Zimbawean stone sculpture has been a problem right from the beginning both for its promoters and its detractors. Since Independence it has become a political commodity as well, symbolizing a national cultural identity and promoted as such by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and others. Yet for most Zimbabweans, "traditional" stone sculpture remains alien, or rather, they remain notably indifferent to it. Its commercial success is international, not local. Cousins explores why this is so and why the handful of artists who are trying to break out of this mold are finding it so hard to do. Among these younger artists pursuing their own intellectual visions are Tapfuma Gutsa and Vote Thebe.
Kennedy, Jean. "The sculptors of Zimbabwe: artists with an old legacy," pp. 158-168. In: New currents, ancient rivers: contemporary African artists in a generation of change. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. illus., bibl. refs. (page 192). N7391.65.K46 1992X AFA. OCLC 22389510. The stone sculpture movement in Zimbabwe has provoked much discussion about authenticity, quality, commercialism, and imitation in art, but after almost four decades it remains a vital and successful movement, like it or not. Kennedy's retelling of the story of Zimbabwe stone sculpture focuses on the formative period, during which the first generation of artists emerged. Many of them are still (or until recently were) active -- Sylvester Mubayi (1942- ), Joseph Ndandorika (1940- ), the late John Takawira (1938-1989), Henry Munyaradzi (1931- ), and Joram Mariga (1927- ).
Kennedy, Jean. "Sky and land in Zimbabwe," pp. 155-157. In: New currents, ancient rivers: contemporary African artists in a generation of change. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. illus., bibl. refs. (page 192). N7391.65.K46 1992X AFA. OCLC 22389510. The genesis of modern art in Zimbabwe was in the Workshop School at the National Gallery, the brain child of Frank McEwen (1907-1994). In the beginning (in the late 1950s) painting and woodcarving were taught, but eventually stone carving predominated, according to the gospel of McEwen. This abortive effort at painting did produce one painter of note -- Thomas Mukarobgwa (1924- ). Though he, too, abandoned painting for stone sculpture, he has, interestingly, been encouraged to return to this medium in the 1990s. Artnetafrica Kileff, Clive and Maricarol Kileff. Street sellers of Zimbabwe stone sculpture: artists and entrepreneurs. Gweru: Mambo Press, 1996. xii, 68pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. (pp. 67-68). HF5459.Z55K55 1996X AFA. OCLC 35948827. The Zimbabwe stone sculpture movement has always been as much about commerce as about art. From its inception in the late 1950s, the debates have centered on issues of authenticity, fine art versus tourist art, and distinguishing the "real" artists from the imitators and hacks. No one has really focused on the lower end of the high art-low art spectrum -- the street sellers, entrepreneurs who earn a livelihood from making and hawking sculpture. The Kileffs' short study is a refreshing look at the small business end of art production in Zimbabwe. It begins with the premise that this business is perfectly legitimate and worthy. Far from adopting a dismissive stance toward these individuals, the Kileffs admire the artist-entrepreneurs for their industriousness and initiative. The authors side-step the concerns of the art establishment, and squarely investigate what goes on outside the air-conditioned art gallery. From this vantage point it is all about economics and survival strategies in a competitive marketplace. Seven marketing strategies are identified and discussed: solo street walkers, roadside stand, rented overnight stand, collective ownership stand, curio shop, diversified communal venture, and gallery. Consumer behavior is carefully scrutinized by the sellers, and they adapt their selling pitch and negotiating patter accordingly: the soft sell, one upmanship, name your price, privately under-cutting the going prices, the absent sculptor represented by another who cannot adjust prices, and mass bombardment. The vignettes of life stories of individual artist-entrepreneurs, which the Kileffs have collected, speak to aspirations, acquired skills, and economic realities. Many of the artists are school-leavers seeking to make an honest dollar; several are women; some are family enterprises; a few are venturing as far afield as Cape Town, South Africa, to sell their wares. Although only a tiny fraction of Zimbabwe street sellers will ever make it to the art gallery circuit, most dream of doing so. But in a postmodern world, issues of quality are being swept aside, as elite cultural authority is challenged. Commodification of art is a great leveler. Does it matter who makes art or where art is sold? Despite a postscript on "A post-modern evaluation of the quality of street sellers' art," this is not a study weighted down with heavily-worded analysis and lots of statistics; it reads almost anecdotely, like an essay that grows out of personal interest rather than academic necessity. Illustrated with photographs of the artist-entrepreneurs. Reviewed by M. F. C. Bourdillon in Zambezia (Harare) 24 (2): 201-202, 1997. Reviewed by Murray McCartney in Gallery; the art magazine from Gallery Delta (Harare) no. 10: 22, December 1996. qN1.G168 AFA. OCLC 33161032.
Kuhn, Joy. Myth and magic: the art of the Shona of Zimbabwe. Cape Town: Don Nelson, 1978. 112pp. illus. (pt. color). NB1096.6.R5K83X AFA. OCLC 5661113. Joy Kuhn's perspective on Zimbabwe stone sculptors and their mentors, Frank McEwen, Ned Patterson, and Tom Blomefield, is a highly personalized one; her narrative is downright chatty. But beneath all the first-person singular, one can glean some insights into these early pre-independence years of the movement, when Harare was still Salisbury, Zimbabwe was Rhodesia and "terrorists" were abroad in the land. Annoying, however, is the total absence of captions to identify the photographs; no names, no places; no dates; nothing, except a note that most are from the private collection of Tom Blomefield and so, presumably illustrate Tengenenge sculptures.
Legacies of stone: Zimbabwe past and present. Volume 2 / curated and edited by Geert G. Bourgois, assisted by Els De Palmenaer; foreword by George P. Kahari. Tervuren: Royal Museum for Central Africa, 1997. illus. (pt. color), map, bibliog. (pp. 190-194). N7396.6.R5L44 1997 volume 2 AFA. OCLC 38742939. A major exhibition on Zimbabwe was held at the Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale in 1997, half of which was devoted to modern art. Volume 2 contains nine essays which cover stone sculpture, mission art, painting, "outsider art," tourist art, and art education. This panoramic view of the contemporary art scene in Zimbabwe is intended not as a "who's who," but as a "what's what." Originally it was planned to include only stone sculpture, but the organizers were persuaded that that would do a disservice to artists of Zimbabwe as well as to visitors to the exhibition. Two essays on the stone sculpture lead off, followed by a "scientific interlude" by geologist Georges Stoops. His analysis of the rocks used by Zimbabwe's stone sculptors shows that the names of stone referred to in the literature do not correspond to reality. The most commonly used stones, chlorite, sericite, serpentinite and steatite, are all relatively soft and easy to carve with simple tools but are sufficiently tough to guarantee firmness. The early mission-based art schools, Cyrene and Serima, provide the substance of an important historical chapter in the history of modern art in Zimbabwe. The well-illustrated catalog portion (volume 2, pp. 141-184) mirrors the sequence of essays showing examples of all types of art. Not every work in the exhibition is illustrated, however. Contents: Paul Wade, Contemporary art in Zimbabwe; – Jonathan Zilberg, The Western reception of a modern African art: the case of Zimbabwean stone sculpture; – Geert Gabriël Bourgois, Twentieth-century stone sculpture in Zimbabwe; – Georges Stoops, Petrography of the rocks used for Zimbabwean sculpture; – Elizabeth Randles, Mission art in Zimbabwe; – Timothy O. McLoughlin, Zimbabwean landscapes and cityscape: some examples from Zimbabwean painters and writers in English; – Pip Curling, Outsider art: subject and style; -- Geert Gabriël Bourgois, Tourist art: a blessing in disguise?,; – Neo Matome and Stephen Williams, Bridging cultural boundaries: a school of art and design for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Reviewed by Gary van Wyk in African arts (Los Angeles) 32 (1): 17, 88-89, spring 1999. Artnetafrica Leyten, Harrie M. Tengenenge: een beeldhouwersgemeenschap in Zimbabwe / Harry Leyten. Baarn, Netherlands: Kasteel Groeneveld, c1994. 120pp. illus. (pt. color), bibl. refs (page 119). NB1209.Z55L49 1994 AFA. OCLC 37343584. This catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition "Tengenenge Old-Tengenenge New" at Kasteel Groeneveld, Baarn and in the Africa Museum, Berg en Dal, Netherlands, May 19-September 26, 1994. The "old and new" refer to three generations of stone sculptors who have worked at Tengenenge Sculpture Community in northern Zimbabwe from its establishment in 1966 to the present. Tom Blomefield, former tobacco farmer with an artistic bent, recounts how Tengenenge came into being following the Universal Declaration of Independence in Rhodesia in 1965 and the collapse of the tobacco business. The farm laborers became sculptors to eke out a livelihood. Chrispen Chakanyuka and Lemon Moses were the first. The war of the 1970s shut down Tengenenge but by 1980 it revived. Harrie Leyton writes a thoughtful well informed essay on the history and growth of Tengenenge Sculpture Community through these three phases: 1966-1978, 1981-1987, and 1988 to the present. It is not generally realized that Tengenenge artists have come from Malawi, Angola and Mozambique as well as from Zimbabwe. The now legendary feud between Tom Blomefield and Frank McEwen set Tengenenge on an independent course to make its own name apart from the art establishment in Harare, which was dominated by McEwen. With commercial success came the questions of authenticity, repetition, innovation, and quality. Zimbabwe stone sculpture has both succeeded and failed on these points, and Tengenenge Sculpture Community is no exception. The sculptures in the present exhibition are lent by the Chupungu Sculpture Park in Msasa, Harare. Photographs and biodate are included for the sculptors. ----------------------------------- McEwen, Frank. "Return to origins: new directions for African art," African arts (Los Angeles) 1 (2): 18-25, 88, winter 1968. illus. To McEwen the artists associated with his Workshop School in Harare (then Salisbruy) are the only truly authentic modern artists in Africa. Unlike the sappy, uninspired, homogenzied work coming out of the third-rate art schools in Africa, the Zimbabwe art arises "from the bowels of Africa." Nurtured and protected, "a dormant genius has revived." McEwen is unabashed in his defense of the role of the National Gallery in promoting, housing, and sponsoring artists of talent. What is interesting in this early manifestation of Zimbabwean talent is the number of painters -- works by Thomas Mukarobgwe, Charles Fernando, and Joseph Ndandarika are illustrated here. That part of the Zimbabwe art movement seems to have died out in favor of the stone carving. The sculptors Bernard Manyandure, Boira Mteki, Barakinya, Lemon Moses, Joram Mariga, and Kumberai Mapanda are also illustrated in this article. Artnetafrica Mawdsley, Joceline. Zimbabwe stone sculpture: the second generation : Dominic Benhura, Arthur Fata, Jonathan Gutsa, Tapfuma Gutsa, Kakoma Kweli, Wonder Luke, Colleen Madamombe, Fabian Madamombe, Eddie Masaya, Anderson Mukomberanwa, Alice Musarara, Joseph Muzondo, Agnes Nyanhongo, Gedion Nyanhongo, Brighton Sango, Norbert Shamuyarira, Staycot Tahwa / [designed and written by Joceline Mawdsley]. Harare, Zimbabwe: Chapungu Sculpture Park, 1994. [48]pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. (page 48). Notes: "A touring exhibition, launch venue, 1994, Atkinson Gallery, CRMA Fine Arts Centre, Millfield School Street, Somerset, England." Includes artists' biographies. NB1209.Z55M46 1994 AFA. OCLC 34126628. Thirty-five years after the beginning of the Zimbabwe stone sculpture movement, one can speak of the emergence of a second generation of sculptors. Most emerged as artists from the late 1970s. With the coming of independence in 1980 and with the support and encouragement of the first generation of sculptors, these newer (mainly younger) sculptors have flourished. The second generation, according the Mawdsley, are pushing the boundaries of Zimbabwe stone sculpture in innovative and important ways, such as combining stone with wood and other materials. The forms, too, are changing, and there is a move away from the overall highly polished stone surfaces. Artnetafrica Mor, Ferdinand. Shona sculpture / photographs by David Hartung; preface by Robert Mugabe; translated from the Italian by Belinda McKay. Harare: Jongwe, 1987. 160pp. illus. (color), map, bibliog. NB1096.6.R5M82 1987 AFA. OCLC 18537957. Mor, a former Italian ambassador to Zimbabwe, has encapsulated the Shona sculptural tradition for nonspecialists in what he calls "a text and an invitation." An informed layperson, he wrote this non-scholarly but thoughtful and sincere essay, obviously, as a labor of love. Although Mor uses the designation "Shona" sculpture, now generally discarded as misleadingly narrow, the list of artists (pp. 152-158) mentions several who are of Yao, Chewa and other non-Shona origins. Mor's focus, however, is the "Harare school," and he interviewed a number of Harare-based artists. He discusses origins and developments -- Frank McEwen, Vukutu and Tengenenge communities -- characteristics and tendencies, even the stone itself as a medium of sculpture. Singling out John Takawira, Henry Munyaradzi and Nicholas Mukomberanwa as the three luminaries of the tradition, he also briefly discusses several others. One hundred sculptures are illustrated in color. Extensive bibliography, including newspaper articles, and list of exhibitions of Zimbabwe stone sculpture are appended. Artnetafrica Noy, Ilse. The art of the Weya women. Harare: Baobab Books, 1992. 184pp. illus. (pt. color). [distributed: African Book Collective, Oxford]. N7396.6.R5N94 1992 AFA. OCLC 29293467. This attractively produced book, with many color photographs, is a collaboration between rural Zimbabwean women and a German artist and art teacher, Ilse Noy. Noy originally taught Zimbabwean women in the Weya Communal Area sewing and painting, to help them supplement their subsistence farming earnings. Through their art, the women revealed aspects of their lives and traditions. They talk about their work in the captions with the color photographs of the best of their artwork. In the accompanying text, the women talk about their worlds of marriage and children, sexuality and death, spirits and ancestors, hopes and worries. The book is at once a book about the art of the women, and a glimpse into the fabric of the artists' lives. Reviewed by Janet L. Stanley in African book publishing record (Oxford) 20 (3): 181, 1994; by Victoria Scott in African studies review (Atlanta) 38 (1): 168-169, April 1995. Artnetafrica Pearce, Carole. "The myth of `Shona sculpture,'" Zambezia; the journal of the University of Zambia (Harare) 20 (2): 85-107, 1993. table, notes, bibl. refs. Abstract, page 85. H1.Z35X AFA. Zimbabwe stone sculpture was so delimited and channeled by Frank McEwen and subsequently by other promoters that it was inevitable that the sculpture has become homogenized, commercial and formulaic. Its "authenticity" is the modernist vision imposed by McEwen, whose insistence on shielding the artists -- rural, largely uneducated men -- from pernicious outside influences has in fact stunted their growth as artists. "Shona sculpture" has remained remarkably consistent over the years in theme and content -- conservative, rural, idealized, detached from realities of life in Zimbabwe. Working the stone is conceptually easier than formulating an idea in a two-dimensional painting. McEwen preferred stone as the medium best able to express this "authentic" African creativity. The market demands and taste for Zimbabwe stone sculpture have perpetuated these formulaic and conventional artistic solutions. Artnetafrica Ponter, Anthony and Laura Ponter. Spirits in stone: the new face of African art. Sebastopol, CA: Ukama Press, 1992. 202pp. illus. (color), bibliog. NB1096.6.R5P814 1992 AFA. OCLC 26610101. Lavishly produced, Spirits in stone is a cross between a glossy coffee-table book, a slick sales catalog from an upscale department store, and a save-the-planet environment magazine. Art history this is not. One should place this book at the opposite pole from serious art history. Generic sculptures -- the owl symbolizes this, the lion symbolizes that -- are offered up for potential buyers, and a remote, exotic setting is evoked to complete the picture, with requisite wild animals and rainbow over Victoria Falls. Reader beware. Enjoy the pictures, which are suitably impressive and all in color, but skip the text, which is patronizing and preoccupied with making the reader feel good about Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe stone sculpture rather than understanding what it is all about. Artnetafrica Spirit in stone: Zimbabwe Shona sculpture: the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, June 1-August 4, 1991 . [Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1991]. 24pp. illus., bibl. refs. qNB1096.6.R5S75 1991 AFA. OCLC 24169497. For this American exhibition, Roy Cook selected nine Zimbabwe sculptors whose work represents for him the most outstanding and most seasoned of that country's stone sculpture. In so doing, he hoped to spark the interest of the American public (and other museums) in this art form. That these sculptures were shown in a natural history museum instead of an art museum raised a few eyebrows. The larger dilemma for Cook and others, who appreciate Zimbabwe stone sculpture as a truly fine art, is its rapid commercialization and consequent dilution by inferior imitations. Art critics here and in Zimbabwe have failed so far to draw the line: most viewers genuinely cannot see the difference between the good, the bad and the mediocre. Perhaps we should rely on Cook's judgment. His nine are: Edronce Rukodzi, Henry Munyaradzi, Joseph Ndandarika, John Takawira, Moses Masaya, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Sylvester Mubayi, Norbert Shamuyarira, and Richard Mteki. Frank McEwen, the instigator of this artistic phenomenon, contributes an essay to this catalog entitled "Rebirth of an art." Exhibition reviewed by Evelyn Castillo, "Spirit in stone: Shona sculpture," Real deal (Cleveland, OH) 1 (2): 5-7, June 21, 1991. Artnetafrica Stanislaus, Grace. "Frozen spirit: Zimbabwean stone sculpture," Sculpture (Washington, DC) 11 (1): 44-47, January-February 1992. illus., bibl. refs. VF -- Artists -- Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe stone sculpture has been praised as "authentic tribal art," marketed as "spirits in stone," decried as "airport art." That it has been threatened by commercialism almost from the very beginning in the late 1950s is not in dispute. In fact, those who cry loudest are the art dealers. Stanislaus singles out three sculptors, whom she feels rise above the angry debates and whose work speaks eloquently for itself. The three are Nicholas Mukomberanwa and Henry Munyaradzi of the first generation of Zimbabwe's sculptors, and Tapfuma Gutsa, a younger, more experimental sculptor. Artnetafrica Sultan, Olivier. Life in stone: Zimbabwean sculpture; birth of a contemporary art form. Harare: Baobab Books, 1992. x, 86pp. illus. NB1096.6.R5S95 1992 AFA. OCLC 27981056. Sultan has organized exhibitions of Zimbabwe stone sculpture in Harare and in Paris; he sees his role without apology as art promoter and is quite keen to bring this work to European audiences. This book serves his goal. His audience is one of non-specialists, who want a reliable, accurate introduction to the subject and are willing to spend more than a few minutes leafing through photographs (although his book is comprised mainly of photographs). The photographs are all black and white. Sultan discusses the origins of the art movement and the seminal (some would say, domineering) role of Frank McEwen, director of the then National Gallery of Rhodesia, in its formation and international promotion. An alternative center developed at Tom Blomefield's tobacco farm, Tengenenge, and another center later emerged at Roy Guthrie's Chapungu. Sultan sees three phases in the evolution of this young movement: the early years under McEwen's tutelage (1957-1973), the war years after McEwen's departure (1973-1980), and the post-independence era. He devotes less attention to the recent period. He highlights the work of fifteen sculptors: John Takawira, Henry Munyaradzi, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Takawira, Tapfuma Gutsa, Lazarus Takawira, Joseph Ndandarika, Bernard Matemera, Fanizani Akuda, Brighton Sango, Joram Mariga, Norbert Shamuyarira, Sylvester Mubayi, Richard Jack, and Eddie Masaya. Reviewed by Janet L. Stanley in African book publishing record (Oxford) 19 (4): 229, 1993; by Johnston A. K. Njoku in Africa today (Denver) 41 (2): 98-99, 1994; by Stephen Williams in Africa today (Denver) 41 (2): 100-101, 1994; by Carlo Magee-Curtis in African arts (Los Angeles) 27 (3): 24, July 1994. Artnetafrica Talking stones / a Granada Television Production for ITV; narrated by John Bowe; produced and directed by Tony Bulley. 60 minutes. Videocassette. VHS. sd., color, ½in. Title on cover: Zimbabwe: talking stones. Distributed by Films for the Humanities & Social Sciences, P. O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053. video 000228 AFA. OCLC 28287035. A look at the Shona stone sculpture movement and how it has evolved. Frank McEwen, founding director of the Workshop School at the Rhodes National Gallery, is clearly the protagonist in this story -- present at the creation and instrumental in its development. Interviewed at the end of his life, McEwen can look back with some of the same uncompromising spirit that made him a controversial figure throughout his life and career in Rhodesia. Talking stones also includes segments with Roy Guthrie, of Chapunga Sculpture Park, Tom Blomefield, rogue tobacco farmer-turned-sculptor and founded of Tengenenge Sculpture Community, and several of the artists, who speak about their work and inspirations. Among those interviewed are Tapfuma Gutsa, Joram Mariga, Lemon Moses, Sylvester Mubayi, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Takawira, and Lazarus Takawira. The issue of commercialization of the stone sculpture is also addressed and how it affects both established artists and the copyists seeking to earn an honest dollar.
Winter-Irving, Celia. Stone sculpture in Zimbabwe: context, content and form. Harare: Roblaw Publishers, 1991. xviii, 210pp. illus., bibliog. NB1096.6.R5W78 1991 AFA. OCLC 26124120. Zimbabwe's stone sculptors have found an able and enthusiastic publicist in Celia Winter-Irving, a transplanted Australian sculptor and former gallery director, who has taken up the cause of this "home-grown movement" with an intensity and vigor that makes us sit up and take notice. Her sincere enthusiasm comes through clearly in these pages as she addresses the origins of the sculpture, its formal qualities and relationship to other sculptural traditions in Africa and elsewhere, the cultural origins of the sculpture's subject matter (rejecting the appellation "Shona sculpture"), the seminal role of Frank McEwen and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, and the contributions of the Tengenenge Sculpture Community. One long chapter is turned over to the artists to voice their own perceptions of their art. Based on interviews, twenty-three sculptors are profiled, presumably selected as representing some of the best and brightest (though not all are household names). Included are: Sanwell Chirume, Barankinya Gosta, Tapfuma Gutsa, Makina Kameya, Wazi Maicolo, Amali Mailolo, Damien Manuhwa, Josia Manzi, Joram Mariga, Moses Masaya, Bernard Matemera, Richard Mteki, Thomas Mukarombwa, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Joseph Muli, Henry Munyaradzi, Joseph Ndandarika, Locardia Ndandarika, Agnes Nyanhongo, Brighton Sango, Bernard Takawira, John Takawira, and Lazarus Takawira. By way of deep background, Winter-Irving offers some views on Zimbabwe's cultural and artistic past -- Great Zimbabwe and San rock art. Moving forward in time, she considers next the colonial impact on the visual arts in Zimbabwe, then contemporary arts other than stone sculpture. Finally, she tackles the thorny question of quality and its opposite pole: over-commercialization of the art. Private, foreign and corporate patronage and government sponsorship are all key elements in this discussion. All in all, Stone sculpture in Zimbabwe is probably the most useful book to begin a study of the subject.
Winter-Irving, Celia. Contemporary stone sculpture in Zimbabwe: context, content and form. Tortola, BVI: Craftsman House, 1993. 203pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. NB1096.6.R5W78c 1993 AFA. OCLC 28397803. A more lavish, larger format and better illustrated edition of Stone sculpture in Zimbabwe was published in 1993 by Craftsman House under the slightly modified title. The text is the same. Reviewed: "The speaking stones of Zimbabwe," Caribbean times/African times (London) June 29, 1993, page 16.
Zilberg, Jonathan Leslie. Zimbabwean stone sculpture: the invention of a Shona tradition / by Jonathan Leslie Zilberg. PhD dissertation, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, 1996. xiv, 332 leaves : illus., map, bibliog. (leaves 300323). NB1209.Z55Z5 1996a AFA. OCLC 37149185. This thesis details how Zimbabwean stone sculpture has been creatively conceived in terms of a "tribal" renaissance by the first director of the National Gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe, Frank McEwen. Despite the complexity belying the movement's history, McEwen initiated the Shona sculpture discourse through drawing upon theories about artistic revivals developed by French art historian Henri Focillon as well as the pedagogical techniques of the nineteenth century symbolist painter Gustave Moreau. In doing so, McEwen presented the works created during his tenure (1957-1973) as the re-emergence of an ancient Shona tradition. He heralded Shona sculpture as a cultural revival that would stimulate a return to the spiritual in modern European art which he construed as hopelessly trivialized. Through a critical analysis of his writings, the dissertation reveals the complexity subsumed in the construction of a tradition rooted in essentialist conceptualizations of ethnicity and history and heavily inflected by early modernist and symbolist ideas of art as sacred. In contrast to the McEwen's widely accepted conceptualization that there have been no foreign influences on this tradition, the dissertation demonstrates African influences other than Shona. In addition to revealing these influences and the links to early modern European art through McEwen's inspirational role, the dissertation describes how the tradition is linked to the British Arts and Crafts Movement through the life-works of Canon Edward Paterson, an Anglican missionary who trained the first modern Zimbabwean stone sculptors. The dissertation situates Shona sculpture in a specific relation to the study of tourist art as Frank McEwen defined it to be the unique historical antithesis of tourist art--or, as he termed it "airport" art. Hence this study details an ongoing debate over the need to differentiate "real" from "fake" Shona sculpture. Beyond problemizing the issue of authenticity, the thesis concludes that while many artists do perceive their works to be expressive of Shona culture, others struggle to transcend the ethnic label so as to be accepted in the modern art world as contemporary international artists in their own right. -- original abstract.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1986: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe heritage: contemporary visual arts: [commemorative catalogue for the 8th summit of Non-Aligned States, Zimbabwe: National Gallery of Zimbabwe annual exhibition -- Nedlaw contemporary sculpture, Baringa contemporary painting, graphics, ceramics, textiles, and photography, 25 August-28 September 1986]. Harare: [National Gallery of Zimbabwe], 1986. 80pp. illus. (color), bibliog. qN5290.Z55Z71 1986 AFA. OCLC 15095188. This is the first in a new annual exhibition of contemporary Zimbabwean art juried by an international panel; it combines the annual Nedlaw sculpture exhibition, begun in 1981, and the Baringa exhibition which recognizes painting, graphics, ceramics, textiles and photography. The overall grand prize winner for 1986 was sculptor Bernard Matermera. Gillian Wylie, curator at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, introduces the exhibition. Includes color illustrated section and short biographies of the artists.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1987: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe heritage 1987. Harare: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1987. 48pp. illus. (color). qN5290.Z55Z71 1987 AFA. OCLC 17515993. The second comprehensive competition of Zimbabwean art followed the lines of the original 1986 one with two exhibitions in one: the Nedlaw exhibition for sculpture and the Baringa exhibition for painting, graphics, ceramics and textiles. Tapfuma Gutsa won the Nedlaw with his smoldering grass engulfing a wood bird, which turned into a performance piece. Berry Bickle won the Baringa competition for his mixed media work. Elimo Njau, one of the panel of jurors, makes some overall comments on the strengths and weaknesses of "Zimbabwe Heritage" 1987.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1988: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1988: annual Baringa-Nedlaw exhibition. Harare: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1988. 48pp. color illus., ports. qN5290.Z55Z71 1988 AFA. OCLC 19882457. The third annual juried art competition, "Zimbabwe Heritage" awarded prizes in painting/graphics, textiles, ceramics, photography and sculpture. Overall winner was Bernard Takawira. Nedlaw award for best sculptural work went to July Nyengera. The Baringa prize for best painting, graphics, ceramics, textiles or photography went to painter Bert Hermsteed. The competition, organized by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, fields a growing number of artists each year. Awards of merit and highly commended works are illustrated in color. Very brief biographies of the artists are included.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1989: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1989: Baringa/Nedlaw annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts: National Gallery of Zimbabwe; [exhibition held October 1989]. Harare: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1989. 60pp. illus. (pt. color), ports. qN5290.Z55Z71 1989 AFA. OCLC 21400145. The fourth annual juried art competition, "Zimbabwe Heritage," awarded prizes in painting/graphics, textiles, ceramics, photography and sculpture. Sculptor Nicholas Mukomberanwa received the top award. The Nedlaw awards for outstanding sculpture went to three sculptors: Nicholas Mukomberanwa (again), Bernard Takawira (last year's grand prize winner), and metal sculptor Paul Machowani. The Baringa award went to an outsider, Fidgie Ngombe, a painter of promise, who has come up the hard way. Organized by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the competition fields a growing number of artists each year; in 1989 alone, there were 548 works submitted with sculpture being the largest category. Awards of merit and highly commended works are illustrated in color. Very brief biographies of the artists are included. Some of the 1989 entries were to be re-exhibited in Auckland, New Zealand, at the Commonwealth Games, January 1990.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1990: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1990: Mobile Oil Zimbabwe annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts: National Gallery of Art Zimbabwe; [exhibition, October 1990]. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1990. 60pp. illus. (pt. color), ports. N5290.Z55Z71 1990 AFA. OCLC 26118015. This was the fifth "Zimbabwe Heritage" exhibition, now a well established annual event in Harare. The international panel of judges selected more than four hundred works from among those submitted. Although the category of stone sculpture still predominates, other areas, such as painting and textiles, show increased vitality and creativity. In addition to awards by medium, the judges also honored young artists of promise and women artists (trained and self-taught). The top award in 1990 went to painter Helen Lieros. The works of winners are reproduced in color in this catalog, and short biographies of all the artists are given. Exhibition reviewed by Celia Winter-Irving, "Zimbabwe Heritage 1990 annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts," Artist (Harare) 1 (9): 4-5, November/December 1990.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1991: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 91: commemorative catalogue. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1991. 64pp. illus. (pt. color). N5290.Z55Z71z 1991 AFA. OCLC 25769391. The sixth "Zimbabwe Heritage" exhibition introduced a new feature: invited artists. In addition to the open competition, five recognized and established artists were invited to show works. They included painters Berry Bickle and Helen Lieros and sculptors Bernard Matemera, Bernard Takawira and Agnes Nyanhongo. Grand prize winner in 1991 was Nicholas Mukomberanwa. Further awards were made in each of the media categories and others were given for outstanding women artists and young artists. Artists' biographies are included.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1992: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1992: annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts sponsored by Mobil: National Gallery of Zimbabwe; [exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, October 1991-October 1992]. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1992. 56pp. illus. (pt. color). N5290.Z55Z71 1992 AFA. OCLC 27916976. "Zimbabwe Heritage" for 1992 continued the feature introduced in 1991 of inviting artists of distinction to exhibit alongside the competitors. This year's invitees each represented different media: Babette Fitzgerald ("textilist"), Never Kayowa (painter), Nicholas Mukomberanwa (sculptor), Linos Mushambi (graphics), and Estelle Zimi (ceramicist). The grand prize winner was Bernard Takawira and the top two director's awards went to Rashid Jogee and Steven Williams. The works of these and other award winners in the media categories are illustrated.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1993: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1993: annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts sponsored by Mobil: National Gallery of Zimbabwe; [exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, November 1993-1994]. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1993. 47pp. illus. (pt. color). qN5290.Z55Z71 1993 AFA. OCLC 31926253. The eighth "Zimbabwe Heritage" exhibition with its ever more complex array of "invited," "selected," "award-winning," and "highly commended" artists remains a good barometer of the national art scene. In the 1993 exhibition, there were 307 entries, representing a cross section of established and emerging artists. Stone sculpture continues to dominate the field, but the painting, graphics, and metal sculpture sections show more innovation. Among those singled out for awards of distinction were Luis Meque (painting), Kier Turner (graphics), Gladman Zinyeka (stone sculpture) and Martin Mushonga (metal sculpture). The president's award of honor in 1993 went to invited artist Nicholas Mukumberanwa.
Zimbabwe Heritage (1994: National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 1994: annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts sponsored by Mobil: National Gallery of Zimbabwe; [exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, October 1994-January 1995]. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1994. 47pp. illus. (pt. color). qN5290.Z55Z71 1994 AFA. OCLC 32767098. The ninth annual "Zimbabwe Heritage" exhibition was smaller than in previous years -- 258 entries -- but equally dynamic and diverse. The president's award of honor went to Bulawayo sculptor Adam Madebe, and the honored artist was the venerable Thomas Mukarombwa (aka Thomas Mu). Some new names emerged in the awards of distinction: Fasoni Sibanda (painting), Mary Davies (graphics), Sure Try Katinhimure (stone sculpture), and Tapiwa Vambe (metal sculpture).
Zimbabwe Heritage (1996 : National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Zimbabwe Heritage 96: annual exhibition of contemporary visual arts; [November 1995-November 1996] / National Gallery of Zimbabwe, [sponsored by Mobil, AAC]. [Harare]: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 1996. 43pp. chiefly color illus., portraits. N5290.Z55Z71 1996 AFA. OCLC 38075001. The eleventh annual "Zimbabwe Heritage" exhibition seemed more selective than in previous years -- only 226 entries in paintings and graphics, textiles, ceramics, photography, and sculpture from just over one hundred artists. The president's award of honor went to the venerable Bernard Matemera; other awards of distinction and merit went to Ishmael Wilfred, Shepherd Mahufe, Joseph Muzonda, Godfrey Machinjiei, Martin Kafara, and Anderson Mukomberanwa. Their works and those of lesser award winners are illustrated in color. Biodata is included for all artists.
Zimbabwe Heritage (2000 : National Gallery of Zimbabwe). Mobile Zimbabwe Heritage Biennale 2000. Harare: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 2000. 32pp. illus. (color). N5290.Z55Z71 2000 AFA. OCLC 49535078. More than 130 works were entered in Zimbabwe Heritage 2000 with the top award going to Morgan Musorowembudzi for his sculpture "Mugudu Riding." As in past biennales, sculpture and painting/graphics predominated, but there were a few entries of ceramics, textiles, and photography. In the sculpture category, scrap metal works outnumbered the usually prevalent stone sculpture for which Zimbabwe is famous. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zimbabwe, Skulpturen 1986-1988 ; [exhibition held at the Forum für Kulturaustausch in Stuttgart] / [text by Hermann Pollig and Monika Winkler]. Stuttgart: Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen, [1988]. 86pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. NB1209.Z55Z56 1989X AFA. OCLC 21375011. The Zimbabwe stone sculpture movement continues to gather new practitioners, but is a young enough tradition that some of the original artists are still quite active. The recent work of established artists, such as Bernard Takawira, Henry Munyaradzi, and Bernard Matemera, are featured in this exhibition alongside that of a younger generation of artists; seventy works in all are illustrated. In the catalog essay, Harrie Leyten recounts the
history and evolution of this stone carving tradition; its very
commercial success carries the risk of attracting imitators and
"airport artists." The two major centers of Zimbabwe stone
sculpture -- the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare (originally
under Frank McEwen and now the B.A.T. School) and Tengenenge Farm
(Tom Blomefield) -- have evolved on parallel yet distinct lines.
A clue to the future of this tradition is offered in the work of
Stanford Dereres, whose choice of political themes and use of new
combinations of materials, suggest a departure from the usual repertoire
of animal, human and mythological forms. Zimbabwean/Rhodesian Teak furniture Cecil John Rhodes' dream of a Cape to Cairo rail link spawned Southern Africa's earliest railway lines in the late 1800's. The tracks were supported by indigenous hardwood sleepers that have weathered for a century under the scorching African sun and torrential rain - soaking up the very essence of Africa. These sleepers, now obselete, are being recovered and once stripped of their scarred outer crust, glow with the warmth and richness of Africa's poignant history. Of these hardwoods, indigenous Teak (Baikiaea Plurijuga) with its fine weathering and warm tones, provides the most exquisite recycled medium. These items are hand fashioned from these sleepers into individual pieces of furniture unique in their design and enduring beauty.
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Mozambique
Alpers, Edward A. "Representation and historical consciousness in the art of modern Mozambique," Canadian journal of African studies (Ottawa) 22 (1): 73-94, 1988. illus., notes, bibliog. French abstract, page 73. Reprinted in Art et politiques en Afrique noire = Art and politics in Black Africa. Ottawa: Canadian Association of African Studies, 1989. N7391.65.A785 1989 AFA. OCLC 20260907. The artists of the colonial period in Mozambique shared an historical consciousness, which is expressed unequivocally in their art. Symbols of colonial domination and the superior even mystical power attributed to Europeans are reflected in art forms, such as the Makonde mapico (mapiko) masquerade or machinamu ancestor figures. Social commentary was understandably less evident in the early Makonde sculptures sold to the Europeans, but it was not wholly absent. Among the Makonde sculptors who moved to Tanzania, there is a greater artistic freedom in representing oppression or satirizing Europeans. The emergence of a national culture of resistance among artists in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) from the 1950s is an even clearer expression of historical consciousness. Malangatana is the dominating figure of this modern group of artists. His paintings and the later sculptures of Albert Chissano became powerful symbols of resistance to the increasingly radicalized intelligencia during the last years of colonial rule. The painter Inàcio Matsinhe was another voice of resistance, though from exile in Lisbon. In the period after independence in 1975, the new government encouraged revolutionary art, an official popular art, now seen as supporting the transformation of the society. Artnetafrica Descoberta: Concurso Nacional de Artes Plásticas, setembro de 1995, Maputo, Moçambique. [Maputo: Casa da Cultura do Alto-Mae, 1995]. 66pp. illus. (color). qN7397.M6D47 1995 AFA. OCLC 40520179. The initiative of the Casa da Cultura do Alto Mae in Maputo to organize a national art exhibition was a welcome opportunity to expose a wide range of talented artists. Around one hundred artists were selected and are each represented in this catalog with one or two works and brief biographical information. Malangatana and Albert Chissano, the best known Mozambican artists, lead off, but the majority belong to the younger generation -- born in the 1960s and 1970s. Painting predominates, but there are also wood sculptures and prints.
Images of a revolution: mural art in Mozambique / text by Albie Sachs; photographs by Moira Forjas and Susan Maiselas. Harare: Zimbabwe Publishing House, 1983. [88]pp. chiefly illus. (color). ND2866.6.M614 1983X AFA. OCLC 10779814. The murals of Maputo flowed from the hands of many painters, some amateur volunteers, a few, skilled professionals, like Malagantana and Mankeu. Following independence in 1975, these murals began appearing on walls of Maputo buildings. Although not planned projects, people's art of this sort is encouraged by the FRELIMO government. One of the most dramatic is that at Heroes' Circle, a mural ninety-five meters long and six meters high. The color photographs in this slim book show details and sections of some of these urban murals. Artnetafrica Mozambico: arte di un popolo ; exhibition held at the Palazzo Venezia, Rome, September 25-October 8, 1986 / curated by Egidio Cossa. Roma: Palazzo Venezia, 1986. 86pp., 9pp. of plates. illus. (pt. color), bibliogs. N7397.6.M6M93 1986 AFA. OCLC 17056614. In a major exposition of art from Mozambique, these photographs and essays feature both old and new Makonde masks and figures; a separate section of color reproductions of works by modern Mozambican painters (Malangatana, Chissano and others). Artnetafrica 9 [nove] artistas de Moçambique ; [exhibition, Expo `92, Universal Exposition, Seville, 1992] / text by Rhandzarte. Maputo: Museu Nacional de Arte de Moçambique, 1992. 1 volume [unpaged]. illus. (color). Text in Portuguese and English. ND1097.6.M6N93 1992 AFA. OCLC 3057928. Mozambique was a hotbed of artistic activity in the years following independence in 1975, particularly at the Centro de Estudos Culturais in Maputo. The center attracted many aspiring artists, not all of whom survived the artistic test of time, nor succeeded in moving beyond imitating the two luminaries: Malangatana in painting and Alberto Chissano in sculpture. But a number were able to succeed to the extent of making a living from their art. Because Mozambican artists did not depend on foreign patronage, and because they shared the experiences of war and political struggle, one might argue that a national identity, even a national style, evolved. According to Rhandzarte, there is a certain "Mozambicanicity" -- not isolating and provincial, but affirmative and distinctive. The nine selected to represent Mozambique at Expo `92 were: Bertina Lopes, Roberto Chichorro, Alberto Chissano, Estevão Mucavele, Malangatana, Naguib, Rafael Nkatunga, Samata Mulungo, and Victor Sousa -- two sculptors and seven painters. Several works of each are illustrated.
Salström, Berit and António Sopa. Catálogo, cartazes: catalogue, posters. [Maputo]: Arquivo Historico de Mocambique, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, [1988]. 112pp. illus. (pt. color). Text in Portuguese and English. qNC1807.M85S17 1988 AFA. OCLC 23120042. The art of the poster has a lively and active history in the Mozambican revolution both before and after independence. As in other socialist countries, posters are used as vehicles for rallying and mobilizing the masses. But the posters in the collection of the Arquivo Historico in Maputo go beyond the usual didactic and political themes of struggle and solidarity; they include posters with cultural and educational themes. Some of Mozambique's artists have turned their hands to creating posters. See also the Tanzania section below for references on Makonde sculpture. --------------------------- National Art Gallery of Namibia. Art in Namibia: National Art Gallery of Namibia / Adelheid Lilienthal; with contributions by Annaleen Eins and Jo Rogge. [Windhoek]: The Gallery, c1997. xiv, 242pp. illus. (pt. color), map, bibliog. (pp. 223-224). N3885.W54A54 1997X AFA. OCLC 38731937. The National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) is a private initiative begun in 1965 with the establishment of a permanent collection. It grew out of the Namibian Arts Association (formed in 1947), which is devoted to promoting all the arts. Since independence in 1990, the activities and programs of the NAGN have broadened considerably to reflect the breadth and possibilities of art in Namibia, which previously had been in all-white affair. The organization of the catalog Art in Namibia mirrors this transition from colonial state to independent nation. One whole section is devoted to landscape and wildlife art, a genre which predominated in earlier decades of this century and still forms a sub-stratum of Namibian art. "Traditional Transitions" brings in indigenous craft art of the ethnographie variety -- basketry, pottery, woodwork, personal ornaments and the like. But the major section showcases "Contemporary Artists," where white artists still predominate, but younger black artists are well represented. Three significant new initiatives which are injecting vigor and dynamism into the Namibian art scene are the Standard Bank Namibia Biennale, the Tulipamwe International Artists' Workshop, and the John Muafangejo Art Centre. Appendices to Art in Namibia include a chronology of the history of the Namibian Arts Association and the NAGN; listings of art education centers, funders and sponsors, teachers and mentors; artists represented in the permanent collection of NAGN; and museums in Namibia. A short chapter on rock art in Namibia is also included. Annaleen Eins, Curator of NAGN, introduces the volume. -------------------------
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South
Africa
Alexander, Lucy and Evelyn Cohen. 150 South African paintings: past and present. Cape Town: Struikhof, 1990. 180pp. illus. (color), bibliog. glossary. ND1092.A376 1990 AFA. OCLC 22721516. "What is a South African artist?" is the opening question posed by the authors. This is neither the first nor the last time that that question arises in South Africa, but Alexander and Cohen offer their own definition. Elements of European painting traditions, such as the sublime or the picturesque, are found in early South African painting. The uniquely South African landscape -- Table Mountain, the Karoo, the highveld -- features prominently. The quest to portray black people in traditional clothing and settings is another recurring theme defining South African painting. The nationalistic art movement in the interwar years was replaced by self-conscious moves away from what came to be seen as provincialism. For many white artists, European art training and travels shaped their interpretation of the South African experience. In recent times, the painters' quest for a South African identity has intensified. And indeed the nature of South African painting has shifted and broadened, as more and more black artists entered the arena. Opening this panorama of painting with a tribute to the original South African painters, the San rock artists, the viewer is quickly brought forward several millenia to Francois Le Vaillant in the eighteenth century. The selection of 150 paintings by Alexander and Cohen, though inevitably subjective, does try to present a healthy cross section of South African canvasses right up to the present. For each color plate, they give some background on the artist and some commentary on the work itself. Most of the paintings illustrated are from public South African collections. Glossary. Reviewed by Amanda Jephson, "Paint and popular texture: making South African art accessible," ADA: art, design, architecture (Cape Town) no. 9: 58, 1990/1991. Artnetafrica Ardmore: an African discovery / by Gillian Scott; photographs by Anthony Bannister and Kathleen Comfort. Vlaeberg, South Africa: Fernwood Press, 1998. 79pp. Illus. (color). NK4210.A684S38 1998X AFA. OCLC 41618272. Ardmore Ceramic Art Studio in rural KwaZulu-Natal was established by ceramicist Fée Halsted-Berning in 1985. Her studio assistant Bonnie Ntshalintshali, born in 1967, soon became her artistic partner, and in 1990 the two shared the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. Ntshalintshali became the star of Ardmore with her fanciful, colorful glazed ceramic sculptures, which are showcased in this book. In 1993, she exhibited work in the Venice Biennale. Success led to the expansion of Ardmore, which now engages several dozen ceramicists both men and women, who make highly decorated functional ceramic ware as well as sculptures. The history and growth of Ardmore are documented in this well-illustrated book. Ntshalintshali died of AIDS in 1999 after this book was published. Artnetafrica Arnold, Marion I. Women and art in South Africa. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996; Cape Town: David Philip, 1996. x, 186pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. (pp. 178183). N7392.A77 1996X AFA. OCLC 35318603. Feminist perspectives are long overdue in South African art history. The histories of women artists need to be retrieved, and the meanings behind images of women need to be revealed. In a series of essays, Arnold tackles these gender-based topics, first examining pre-twentieth century women artists and the depictions of women in South Africa by artists of both genders. Landscape painting and botanical art, areas that attracted women artists, are discussed in separate essays. "Portrait of servitude" examines depictions of women as servants. The painter Irma Stern (1894-1966) is the focus of another esay, and women's self-portraits, yet another -- with reference to Maggie Laubser (1884-1973), Maud Sumner (1902-1985), and Dorothy Kay (1886-1964). Moving to the more recent period, Arnold critiques the work of sculptors and their depictions of the body, with particular reference to Wilma Cruise (1945- ) and Jane Alexander (1959- ). Feminist perspectives overflow in a final essay on modern women artists active in South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s: Penny Siopis (1953- ), Pippa Skotnes (1957- ), Sue Williamson (1941- ), Reshada Crouse (1953- ), Sandra Kriel (1952- ), Helen Sebidi (1943- ), Allina Ndebele (1939- ), Noria Mabasa (1938- ), Margaret Vorster (1953- ), and Philippa Hobbs (1955- ).
Art from South Africa . Oxford: Museum of Modern Art: London: distributed by Thames and Hudson, 1990. 95pp. illus. (pt. color). N7392.A784 1990 AFA. OCLC 23088898. "Art from South Africa," the exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, kicked up a dust storm of controversy even before it opened in June 1990. This was not unexpected, as shown by some of the essays in the catalog. It brought onto a new stage some of the debates that had been raging already in South Africa. Controversies about the role of art in the political struggle, cultural appropriation, pluralism and domination, "transitional" art, all dealt with in essays in this catalog, remain unresolved. The exhibition attempted to be non-racial, showing works by artists from South Africa's different communities. Sixty-four artists are represented. The show later traveled "home" to South Africa. Exhibition reviewed by John Picton in African arts (Los Angeles) 24 (3): 83-86, July 1991; by Pat Williams, "A hard-won place in the sun," Independent (South Africa) February 24, 1991, page 16; by Neville Dubow, "A picture of SA's polyglot art," Weekly mail (Johannesburg) July 3-6, 1992, page 22. Artnetafrica Berman, Esmé. Art & artists of South Africa: an illustrated biographical dictionary and historical survey of painters, sculptors and graphic artists since 1875. New enlarged edition. Cape Town: A. A. Balkema, 1983. xviii, 545pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. N7392.B47 1983X AFA. OCLC 11031114. Berman's dictionary of South African art, first published in 1970, has become the standard reference book on the subject, though like any reference book, it will become dated and stand as an historical marker. The vast majority of artists, art movements, organizations, training centers treated by Berman refer to the white art establishment, although not exclusively so by any means. Entries for individual artists who merit consideration include basic biographical data, list of major exhibitions and public collections, and a summary of the artist's life and work, with illustrations. Appendices cover chronology of major exhibitions with participating artists and a list of South African artists exhibiting professionally since 1900. Artnetafrica Berman, Esmé. Painting in South Africa. Johannesburg: Southern Book Publishers, 1993. xxiv, 395pp., 99pp. of color plates. illus. (pt. color). ND1092.B49 1993 AFA. OCLC 31200286. Painting in South Africa is a radically revised and repackaged version of Berman's 1975 The story of South African painting. It remains, as Berman states, a survey and "an outline of the sources, sequences and developments that have been significant [in South African painting], and a glimpse of the most prominent and influential careers and styles" (author's preface). The story begins in the nineteenth century and is carried forward chronologically to the present, told within the local South African context but related also to international movements and trends. White painters predominate, as painting was their preserve until recent decades. South African reality is accurately mirrored here, but a fair balance is struck in portraying latter-day developments. Certain painters are singled out along the way for their particular contributions, a roll call of major players. Among them: Hugo Naudé, J. H. Pierneef, Maggie Laubser, Irma Stern, Gregoire Boonzaier, Gerard Sekoto, Jean Welz, Walter Battiss, Alexis Preller, Larry Scully, Cecil Skotnes, Cecily Sash, Louis Khehla Maqhubela, William Kentridge, Malcolm Payne, Penelope Siopis, Karel Nel, Helen Sebidi, and Norman Catherine.
Botschaften aus Südafrika: Kunst und künstlerische Produktion schwarzer Künstler / text by Minika Stötzel; foreword by Josef Franz Thiel. Frankfurt am Main: Museum für Völkerkunde, 1987. 156pp. illus. (Roter Faden zur Ausstellung, 11). N7392.B74 1987 AFA. OCLC 22436326. The Museum für Völkerkunde in Frankfurt has in recent years shown a commitment to collecting and exhibiting modern art from outside Europe. This 1987 show which focused on art from South Africa, mainly from the 1970s and 1980s, included works by Hamilton Budaza, Peter Clarke, Smart Gumede, Austin Hleza, David Koloane, Billy Mandindi, Kagiso Mauthoa, Azaria Mbatha, Derrick Mdanda, P. David Mogano, George Msimango, Sam Nhlengethwa, Dan Rakgoathe, Sydney Selepe, Cyprian Shilakoe, Lucky Sibiya, Durant Sihlali, Tanki and Ephraim Ziqubu. Two other artists are showcased separately: Namibian John Muafangejo and South African Vuminkosi Zulu. In her text, Stötzel tries to place these artists and their work within the context of contemporary South Africa.
Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Public Library. Black South African contemporary graphics; [exhibition held March 25-May 16, 1976] / introduction by Sylvia Williams. New York: Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Public Library, 1976. 64pp. illus., bibliog. NE788.6.S6B87 AFA. OCLC 3479561. Featured artists in this 1976 Brooklyn exhibition included Azaria Mbatha, Eric Mbatha, John Muafangejo, Dan Rakgoathe, Cyprian Shilakoe, Vuminkosi Zulu, Judes Mahlangu, Linda Nolutshungu and Caiphas Nxumalo. All were trained or worked at Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Center, well known for graphic arts instruction. The fifty-eight works illustrated are linocuts and etchings. Williams categorizes five themes in this group of graphics: love, birth, maturation and sexual consciousness; social protest of the human condition; psychological states -- the power of fear, silence, lonliness and despair; death; and hope for regeneration.
Cape Town Triennial (1982). Cape Town Triennial 1982 = Kaapstadse Trienniale 1982. [Cape Town]: Rembrandy van Rijn Art Foundation, [1982]. [24]pp. illus. (pt. color). Text in English and Afrikaans. N7392.C23 1982 AFA. OCLC 31418432. The Cape Town Triennial is intended "to bring together the best contemporary art being produced" in South Africa. Sixty-nine artists were represented at this first Cape Town Triennial; they are selected by local panels of judges from five regional centers: Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Kimberley. The gold medal went to Karel Nel; the silver, to Annette Pretorius; and the bronze, to John Clarke. The exhibition was held at the South African National Gallery and other venues in South Africa between September 15, 1982 and November 6, 1983.
Cape Town Triennial (1988). Cape Town Triennial 1988. Cape Town: Rembrandt van Rijn Art Foundation for the Cape Town Triennial, 1988. 75pp. illus. (pt. color). N7392.C23 1988 AFA. OCLC 19256767. The Cape Town Triennial is a nationwide art competition in South Africa whose works go on tour in several exhibitions around the country. This third triennial selected eighty-five works with four winners who were exhibited at the South African National Gallery and other venues in South Africa between September 28, 1988 and January 7, 1990. Although this event is organized and funded by the white art establishment, there were ten black artists represented in 1988: Jackson Hlungwane, Noria Mabasa, Sfiso Mkame, Saint Mokoena, Tommy Motswai, Bonie Ntshalinshali, Derrick Nxumalo, Helen Sebidi, Mashego Segogela, and Tito Zungu.
Cape Town Triennial (1991). Kaapstadse Triënnial 1991 = Cape Town Triennial 1991 / introduction by Elza Miles; foreword by Christopher Till. Cape Town: Kunsstigting Rembrandt van Rijn, [1991]. 115pp. illus. (pt. color). Text in Afrikaans and English. N7392.C23 1991 AFA. OCLC 25328621. The grand winner of the 1991 Cape Town Triennial was William Kentridge, and the three merit awards went to Willie Bester, Sandra Kriel and Russell Scott. They were chosen from a field of 137 artists, whose work made the final cut of six regional panels of jurors. As South Africa's most prestigious national exhibition, the Triennial carries in its wake great interest and controversy alike. Efforts to democratize and broaden the selection and evaluation of artists resulted in a greater diversity than evident in previous Triennials, but one might say that the Triennial itself in is a process of evolution. The selection of regional jurors has also been opened up and given freer reign, as we see by their published comments on the Triennial process. Elza Miles in her introduction highlights some of the outstanding and original art works in the 1991 Triennial. All 147 works in the exhibition are illustrated. Exhibition reviewed by Christopher Till, "Melting pot's diffused focus," New nation (Johannesburg) May 8-14, 1992, page 23; by Judy Kukard, "Works of violence, decay...and hope," Southside (Cape Town) October 10-16, 1991, page 10; by Muffin Stevens, "Divergent art to expand definitions," South African arts calendar = Suid-Afrikaanse kunskalender (Pretoria) 17 (2): 22-23, 1992. See also Marilyn Martin, "Herhalings asook veranderings: Kaapstadse Tríënnale 1991," [Cape Town Triennial, 1991]. South African arts calender = Suid-Afrikaanse kunskalender (Pretoria: South African Association of Arts) 16 (3): 4-5, 1991. For a critique of the skewed historical "package" of national art exhibitions, such as the 1985 "Tributaries" (see below) or the Cape Town Triennials, see T. H. King, "Tributaries and the Triennial: two South African art exhibitions," Critical arts (Johannesburg) 5 (3): 39-57, 1991. King addresses issues of selection criteria for exhibitions, access or lack of access, self-serving publicity and media attention versus real art criticism, and goals of sponsorship.
The collector's guide to art and artists in South Africa: the visual journey into the thoughts, emotions, and minds of 558 artists / compiled by Tai Collard. Claremont, South Africa: Twenty Two Press, South African Institute of Artists and Designers, 1998. 205pp. illus. (color). N7392.C65 1998X AFA. OCLC 44750884. For each of the 558 artists listed in this directory, there is a condensed biography comprised of a brief statement by the artist, a reproduction of one work of art (occasionally more, sometimes none), a minuscule face portrait, birth date, preferred medium, education, group exhibition (very abbreviated), and most usefully, contact information. The majority of artists listed are painters. Only living artists are included. Artists living outside South African are excluded. Coverage is not comprehensive and there are some surprising omissions (e.g., Jane Alexander, David Koloane, Sue Williamson, Sophie Peters, Pippa Skotnes, to name a few). Artnetafrica Colours: Kunst aus Sudafrika / Katalogredaktion, Alfons Hug, Sabine Vogel. Berlin: Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Ars Nicolai, 1996. 190pp. illus. (chiefly color), bibl. refs. Text in German. qN7392.C65 1996 AFA. OCLC 36717722. This large South African art exhibition held at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, May-Aigist 1996, features works of thirty-six artists. The theme of "Colors" (as in "rainbow nation") was a celebration of the New South Africa emerging from apartheid and in the wake of the 1994 transition of power. The exhibition was a European venue for the South African component of the 1995 Johannesburg Biennale, "Africus." The artworks spread across the spectrum -- sculptures, installations, paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, and mixed media. All are illustrated. Biodata on the artists is included. Included in the catalog are eight essays and contributions that provide the background and context: Colours / by Alfons Hug -- Die falsche Farbe / by Sabine Vogel -- Kunst und Kunstlersein in Sudafrika--einst und jetzt: Bongi Dhlomo-Mautloa im Gesprach mit Sabine Vogel -- Bild und Text : Vergangenheit und Zukunft in der sudafriken Kunst / by Andries Walter Oliphant -- Vom Werden : die Kunste des Moglichen / by Jane Taylor -- Die Perversitat meiner Geburt--die Geburt meiner Perversitat -- Kendell Geers -- Koloniale Gedachtniskunst / by Ivor Powell -- Die Regenbogennation--Identitat und Wandel / by Marilyn Martin. Artnetafrica Common and uncommon ground: South African art to Atlanta, April 12-June 7, 1996 / essay by Steven Sack, curator. Atlanta: City Gallery East, 1996. 48pp. illus. (color). N7392.C66 1996 AFA. OCLC 47079471. South African Art to Atlanta was a bridge-building project conceived in 1993 by organizers Susan Woolf in South Africa and Eddie Granderson in Atlanta. Steven Sack, engaged as curator, assembled a multi-faceted exhibition comprised of professional artists, workshops artists, art projects and photo documentation of "People's Parks." The illustrated catalog Common and uncommon ground is the record of this collaborative art venture between the city of Atlanta and South Africa. It includes brief biographies of the artists and one or a few works each. All media are represented – painting, sculpture, mixed media, prints, installations, and photography. Artnetafrica Contemporary South African art: the Gencor collection / edited by Kendell Geers. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers, 1997. 168pp. illus. (color), bibliog. (pp. 165-166). N7392.2.C66 1997X AFA. OCLC 37843149. In 1994 the Gencor corporation engaged South African artist and art critic Kendell Geers to develop its corporate collection of modern South African art for its new corporate headquarters in Johannesburg. Rather than acquire a random selection of art works, a central theme was chosen: the transition from the old to the new South Africa. The works acquired and commissioned are decidedly modern and predominantly political in content; most date to the 1980s and 1990s. In this published catalog of the Gencor collection, there are eleven essays by experts on various aspects of modern South African art. Contributors are: Kendall Geers, Lesley Spiro, Mark Pencharz, Elizabeth Rankin, Okwui Enwezor, Colin Richards, Elza Miles, Julia Charlton, Olu Oguibe, Marilyn Martin, and Ashraf Jamal. Reviewed by Anthea Bristowe in Nka: journal of contemporary African art (Ithaca, NY) no. 8: 64, spring-summer 1998. Artnetafrica Cross, cross currents: contemporary art practice in South Africa, an exhibition in two parts; Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School, June to September 2000 / edited by John Picton and Jennifer Law. Street, Somerset, England: Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School, 2000. 120pp. illus. (color), bibliog. (page 60). N7392.C698 2000 AFA. OCLC 46928157. South African art of the last two decades of the twentieth century was spawned by and reflects the final throes of apartheid and the early years of the Rainbow Nation. This transition out of apartheid remains a rocky road despite the euphoria of the birth of the New South Africa in 1994. Nation-building in heterogeneous, democratic South Africa is the backdrop for this large two-part exhibition held in the summer of 2000 in England. Diversity is the operative impulse both for curatorial choices and artistic intent. The artists represented are Bill Ainslie, Beezie Bailey, Deborah Bell, Willie Bester, Willem Boshoff, Breyten Breytenbach, Lisa Brice, Marlene Dumas, Garth Erasmus, Leora Farber, Dumile Feni, Craig Hamilton, Kay Hassan, Jackson Hlungwani, Robert Hodgins, David Koloane, Dumisane Mbabso, Billy Mandindi, Chabane Manganyi, Louis Maqhubela, Johannes Maswanganyi, Kagiso Pat Mauthloa, Walter Meyer, Titus Moteyane, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Karel Nel, Albert Netshidzati, Sam Nhlengethwa, Johannes Phokela, Thabiso Phokompe, Phillip Rikhotso, Claudette Schreuders, Helen Sebidi, Phuthuma (Phatuma) Seoka, Durant Sihlali, Penny Siopis, Paul Tavhana, Dominic Tshabangu, and Sandile Zulu. Included in this catalog are introductory essays by co-curators John Picton and Jennifer Law, and several other short essays by artists, art historians and critics, which together the provide history and context for contemporary South African art. Reviewed (the catalog and the exhibition) by Mario Pissarra, "Cross currents: contemporary art practice in South Africa," Third text: critical perspectives on contemporary art and culture (London) 52: 95-102, autumn 2000. Artnetafrica De Jager, E. J. Art, artist and society: a social-historical perspective on contemporary South African black art. Mafikeng, Bophuthatswana: Institute of African Studies, University of Bophuthatswana, 1990. 31pp. (Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje memorial lecture, 18th October 1990. [not in AFA Library]. OCLC 27337237. Art may be viewed aesthetically through the language of art criticism and art appreciation. Or it may be viewed through the socio-historical perspective of the artists and their society. Both approaches are valid. De Jager elects the latter approach in considering black South African artists and what he calls their "expressive culture." How have the particular historical realities of South Africa -- apartheid, township life -- shaped and defined black artistic expression over the past sixty years? Three phases are apparent in the history of contemporary black art. The early pioneering artists and the few art centers available to blacks (Polly Street, Rorke's Drift) form the history of the period from the 1930s through the 1950s. By the 1960s a new Township Art movement had coalesced to define two more decades. By the 1980s yet a new stage was reached, one still in process of unfolding. The black art scene today in South Africa is witnessing many new, younger artists, including women, the emergence of an informal art sector, artists exploring non-figurative art styles, the growth of "transitional" art, the proliferation of urban mural art, the intensification of protest and resistance art, and the organization of black artists into associations and centers, such as FUBA (Federated Union of Black Artists) or CAP (Community Arts Project) in Cape Town. The chasm between black artists and white artists still exists, but it is being bridged. Artnetafrica De Jager, E. J. Contemporary African art in South Africa. Cape Town: C. Struik, 1973. 31pp., 128 plates. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. N7392.D4X AFA. OCLC 830033. This was the first attempt to publish a substantial book on black South African artists. Although De Jager makes no claims to authority or art scholarship, he clearly felt a calling to begin the process of visual documentation. And this he has accomplished: a first step. In his essay "Contemporary African art in South Africa" (pp. 17-31), he paints the peculiar South African backdrop against which these emerging artists must be seen, and he collectively attributes their artistic style to "humanisitic figurative expressionism." Within this encompassing stylistic category, he explores the content and themes of individual artists, highlighting several of the outstanding exemplars. The main part of the book is given over to illustrations. The majority of the works are from the University of Fort Hare collection. A portion of De Jager's text appeared earlier in the article" Contemporary African art in South Africa," Zeitschrift für Ethnologie (Braunschweig) 96 (heft 2): 137-144, 1971. Reviewed by John Povey in African arts (Los Angeles) 8 (2): 72-73, winter 1975. Artnetafrica De Jager, E. J. "Contemporary African sculpture in South Africa," Fort Hare papers (Fort Hare, South Africa) 6 (6): 421-458, September 1978. illus., bibliog. (p. 456). AS611.G6X AFA. Contemporary black South African artists are part of what de Jager calls "neo-African art," meaning that their art retains the "essence" of traditional art forms but also strikes out in new directions. Black South African sculptors do not have, after all, the great sculptural traditions to draw upon, as do those sculptors from Western and Central Africa. Their art is a humanistic, people-centered art; it also expresses an awareness of urban life. Sculptors work mainly in wood (it is cheap and available), and they draw upon three sources: folklore, Christianity and daily life. Stylistically, their work is characterized as "African Expressionism." De Jager introduces ten sculptors with biographical information and comments on the work of each. They are: Michael Zondi (1926- ), Sydney Kumalo (1935- ), Ezrom Legae (1938- ), Lucas Sithole (1931-1994), Eric Ngcobo (1933-1987), Solomon Sedibane (1933- ), Stanley Nkosi (1945- ), Dumile (1939-1991), Cyprian Shilakoe (1946-1972), and Solomon Maphiri (1945- ). Brief mention is made of the Polly Street Centre and Ndaleni Art School. Twenty works (by some of the above and others) are illustrated. Artnetafrica De Jager, E. J. Images of man: contemporary South African black art and artists. Alice, Republic of Ciskei: Fort Hare University Press in association with the Fort Hare Foundation, 1992. [14], 220pp. illus. (pt. color), bibliog. N7392.D32 1992 AFA. OCLC 26617819. The University of Fort Hare began collecting contemporary art of black South African artists in 1964, and consequently has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of its kind in South Africa or anywhere. Using works from that collection, De Jager surveys twentieth-century black South African artists, according to a mixed schema of chronology, schools and movements, and media. All of the major artists are represented along with some less well-known ones. There are chapters on the five pioneer painters, on the township art movement, on Rorke's Drift, and on the sculptors. The art works are reproduced in color. Artnetafrica A directory of South African contemporary art. volume 1: Painting 1997/1998 / introduction by Benita Munitz. Stanford, South Africa: Contemporary Arts Publishers in association with Africus Institute for Contemporary Art, 1997. 170, [42]pp. illus. (color). N55.S6D574 AFA. OCLC 39244637. This directory of South African painters includes those who could pay for space or get sponsors to do so. As such, it is limited primarily to white South Africans. The impetus behind the publication of this directory (the first of three planned volumes) is that artists should take the initiative to promote themselves and not rely on the vagaries of the art market and chance contacts. It is also propelled by a desire on the part of many of those represented to be liberated from the stranglehold of de rigeur political art. There are, after all, South African artists doing non-political art. Also included are gallery ads, a select listing of galleries, artists' studios and other art-related businesses, and an address list of South African painters. Artnetafrica Echoes of African art: a century of art in South Africa / compiled and introduced by Matsemela Manaka; foreword by Eskia Mphahlele. Braamfontein: Skotaville, 1987. 111pp. chiefly illus. (pt. color) (Skotaville graphic series, no. 2). qN7392.E18 1987 AFA. OCLC 17634113. Although Manaka covers traditional South African art, his main interest in this work is the documentation of contemporary sculptors, painters and graphic artists. Chiefly illustrated, it contains many new and lesser known artists (as well as some of the older ones, such as Sekoto, Sithole, Dumile and Bhengu) who are working in the 1980s and who are strongly shaped by Black Consciousness. South African artists in exile are the most overtly political in their work. The sculptors work more frequently in wood or clay than in metal because of availability and cost. Painters and graph |