South African Trippin'

2007-07-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

I was awarded an undergraduate research grant at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse to study printmaking in South Africa. Not only did I hope to visit printmaking facilities there, but also to observe and acquire new techniques that I could add to my own vocabulary of printmaking. What made the largest impression was the focus on developing low cost materials and techniques accessible to the overwhelmingly poor blacks that were attempting to learn skills with which to earn a living. The collagraph is a collage of materials, some even found, that are formed into a matrix from which prints can be pulled. This is the technique I have decided to insert in my own personal vocabulary. I hope you enjoy the pictures and brief text. There are many on the printmaking studios, and even more on the incredibly beautiful and vibrant country of South Africa.

You can click on any picture to see an enlarged version of it.

2007-07-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

I flew into Johannesburg, and one of the tours I took was to Soweto, the famous grouping of townships where blacks were forced to live under apartheid, and which many have not yet managed to escape. It is difficult to deal with the visions of what people have to live like, but they have very much pulled together and work hard to make life better for each and every person. Their concept of social unity and concern should be a lesson for the rest of the world.

2007-07-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

One of the attempts to reach out to blacks after apartheid, and bring them into the the art community to teach them skills with which to earn a living was through establishing community art projects. The one in Johannesburg, called Artists Proof Studios, is easily the most sophisticated one I visited. It is on a par with some of the formal education facilities found in this country. I found the voice expressed in the prints made in community art projects was reflected by the sophistication of their surroundings and the studio. The original studio was destroyed in a fire, and as a remembrance of those that perished and the studio itself, pieces found in the old studio were assembled into a collage and permanently installed in their new studio.

2007-07-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

Another type of printmaking studio is exemplified by the highly professional Artist's Press in White River, and run by Mark Attwood, a lithographer trained at Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mark holds the titled of Master Printer in lithography, and does collaborative work with artists who may not be skilled in printmaking, but would like to express some ideas using the medium. Mark's assistants are also trained at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque. The expertise of the printers, the quality of the studio, and the quality of the prints is of world class standards.

2007-07-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

I finally had to flee Johannesburg's five million people, and its associated hustle and bustle. I'm not a big city person! I headed due east with plans to tour the country in a clockwise direction until I ended up in Cape Town, and my flight back home. The plains to the east of Johannesburg were amazingly reminiscent of Wisconsin, with rolling fields of corn being picked by large John Deere combines alternating with fields of cows. The illusion was broken only by the occasional nuclear power plant and herd of ostrich. I ended the day's travel in the cool high elevation town of Graskop, overlooking the Blyde River Canyon. The small quaint towns in the area were offering stunning views, and I couldn't help but think this might be a nice get away in the future to concentrate on art. The Blyde River Canyon is huge, and offers endless viewpoints down into the canyon bottom, and then roads down to explore those mysterious areas seen from above.

2007-07-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Kruger National Park, the largest and most famous game viewing park, most definitely had to be one of the highlights of the trip. It contains everything, and more, that one envisions Africa being inhabited by. It has the "Big Five" (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and the buffalo) which requires everyone to remain in their car. That isn't so bad though as the animals don't see the cars as posing any danger to them, and so one can get much closer than if on foot. One drives around slowly never knowing what or where the next sighting will be. It's all very exciting, and a spotting requires an immediate search of the guide book to determine what one is looking at. Not only are the mammals very exciting, but the birds are also spectacular in size, shape, and color. There are walled camps within the park that one can stay overnight at for a very unique experience. The camp gates open at sunrise, and close at sunset, and you had best be inside when they close, otherwise it is an immediate fine! The camps offer "bush drives" in specially designed open vehicles with guides knowing where the best viewing spots are at any given time. There are also night time drives with spotlights, and even bush walks with armed rangers. With all this excitement Kruger National Park is not to be missed!

2007-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

The plant life at Kruger was as interesting and unique as the animals. From the "upside down" tree which can live to be thousands of years old, to spectacular blossom that could pass for fourth of July fireworks, Kruger kept ones eyes always looking for the next visual experience.

2007-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Swaziland, one of the two independent countries embedded within South Africa, is very laid back, and a nice treat after the intense experience at Kruger National Park. I visited the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, and stayed inside the sanctuary at Sondzela Backpackers Lodge. There are none of the "Big Five" at Mlilwane, and so one can walk the trails in complete safety observing the abundant wildlife. The highest point in Swaziland is a nice four hour round trip hike. The entire experience was so pleasureable that many of the guests, myself included, found themselves extending their stay.

2007-07-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Rourke's Drift is an inspirational and saddening story both at the same time. During apartheid, Rourke's Drift was one of the very few places that dared to teach blacks art skills in order to make a living. Missionaries from Sweden began teaching printmaking, and probably because they were an international missionary group were left alone by the authorities. The artists trained there went out and trained other artists as printmakers, who trained other artists. South Africa's rich tradition in printmaking owes a large debt to Rourke's Drift. However, today Rourke's Drift is a shadow of its former glory. After apartheid the new government tried to convert Rourke's Drift to a commercial mass production facility. After protests that it was ignoring the historical past, the government abandoned its plans, but competent administration along with funding was not reinstated. The original etching press is still there, and occasionally an artist will come in and put it back to use. The main artistic output these days is silkscreening on fabric, and ceramics. The church has hired an art based administrator to try and return Rourke's Drift back to its former glory, but she feels it will be a very difficult uphill struggle.

2007-06-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Absolutely, a trip up the Sani Pass in the Drakensberg Mountains to the high altitude kingdom of Lesotho was one of the big highlights of the trip. A bumpy, and sometimes scary trip up the very basic road switchbacking repeatedly as it threaded its way endlessly up finally topped us out at 10,000 ft where we reached the border post into Lesotho. One of the most desolate, and poorest (that's saying a lot) countries in southern Africa, Lesotho is very atmospheric to say the least. The people are very friendly and hospitable. They seem to spend most of the day wrapped in blankets and sitting in the sun in order to stay warm. We were invited into one of the homes to experience what a Lesotho home is like. We were baked delicious fresh bread, and given homemade beer (which was not so delicious). The houses were stone built with mud chinking to keep out the wind. The roof was thatched, and all the materials for the roof had to be imported from far below because none of those materials grew at high altitude. There were no windows because they would only let out any heat, and the door always faced north in order to let in the sunlight. Although we had to turn around and go back down, the road continued across the intriguing countryside. I thought a motorcycle would be the perfect vehicle for exploration here.

2007-06-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Dropping down from the highlands of the Drakensbergs to the lowlands of the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean I entered one of my favorite areas of the country, the Karoo which I would re-enter again. The arid conditions were very comfortable, although I am sure during the hot summer I would think otherwise. Still, the sparseness of the area appealed to me.

2007-06-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Grahamstown has much to offer to the traveler as well as the largest arts festival in South Africa. One of the most interesting items is the Observatory Museum. It was built by a Victorian gentleman that had an insatiable curiosity. He incorporated into the building housing his home and jewelery business a turret looking affair that was in reality a camera obscura. It was adjustable in rotation and elevation, and projected onto a white concave disc below a perfect image of what was happening on the streets of Grahamstown. It was used by those searching for another. For a small fee they could use the camera obscura to view the streets looking for those they were in need of. Once they found them a messenger was dispensed.

2007-06-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

When I reached Grahamstown I gave Dominic Thorburn, Professor of the Printmaking department at Rhodes University a call. I explained I was a student of printmaking with a research grant from UWL to study printmaking in South Africa, and would appreciate it if I could have a tour of his facilities. We set up an appointment for the next morning, and graciously was received at the appointed time. Unfortunately the students were studying for mid-term exams, and so I was unable to talk with them and discuss their work. However, Dominic was very generous with his time, and gave me a lengthy tour of his facilities, and also pulled many prints out of the files to show me what his students were doing. I was very impressed with the extensive facilities offered, and couldn't help but hope the students were aware of how fortunate they were.

2007-06-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Certainly not as plush or as well funded as the university studios, but still vibrant places teaching art skills to blacks off the street are the Community Art Centers. After the fall of Apartheid, South Africa began building community art centers in order to teach the previously repressed blacks art skills in order to help them make a living. Egazini Art Center in Grahamstown is of this tradition. Outside the building is a stuccoed mural wall welcoming the practicing artist and visitor. Inside the various mediums from printmaking and textiles to dance art taught. All of the artists were very friendly and most anxious to share their work.

2007-06-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Karoo was one of my favorite areas. It reminded me strongly of our own southwestern states. It was a dry, arid place where rain often fell, but evaporated before it reached the ground. There was a lot of dust in the air, producing a haze that turned ranges of mountains into continually lighter hues of blue as they receded away. There were national parks such as Cambeboo, Mountain Zebra, and the Great Karoo which had great wildlife viewing, and atmospheric places where one could perch and listen to the primordial silence. At night the universe came out in all its glory. This was "Afrikans" country, the Dutch settlers that came to settle this new country and make it their own. Their beautiful small towns, such as Oudtshoorn, that dot this arid country showed strong influences of the past and their connection to the Dutch Reformed Church.

2007-06-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Cape Agulhas, sometimes known as South Cape, is the most southern point on the African continent. It is where the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. There isn't much there to see, other than the lighthouse and the marker showing the exact spot. None the less it is neat to stand there and see the land on both sides of you recede behind you, with the waves crashing in front of you onto the point. The drive to Cape Agulhas, as always in South Africa, gave many wonderful opportunities to capture an image.

2007-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hermanus, a coastal village part way between Cape Agulhus and Cape Town is world renown for its whale watching. It claims to have "the best land based whale watching in the world!"
The Southern Right Whale heads to the bay at Hermanus to calve and raise its young before heading back to the Antarctic waters to feed for the summer. There is a cliff walk along the edge of the bay for whale watching. I was a little early in the season, and so didn't manage to spot any whales blowing, sailing, leaping, tail splashing, or any of the other cool things whales do. However, there was still plenty of beauty to enjoy during the hike.

2007-06-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Cape town with its fabled Table Mountain was my final destination. Not that I ever got to see Table Mountain mind you. I had the only "bad" weather here of the entire trip. As is typical for Cape Town due to its position near the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the weather was cool and rainy. Table mountain wore a veiling cloud, known locally as the "table cloth" the entire time I was there. Not being a person that is overly fond of large cities, I decided to jump into my car and head for Cape Point National Park which is on a peninsula heading south from Cape Town. The drive along the coast down and back gave breath taking views, and Cape Point with its lighthouse and dramatic shoreline provided additional spectacular scenery. Along the way I stopped to check out a colony of African Penguins which are one of the few species of penguins that live on continental shores outside of Antartica.

2007-06-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last, but certainly not least, is my little red friend that carried me so faithfully to wherever my whim so dictated. It added immensely to the experience by affording me endless access. I grew rather fond of it!