UMETNOST SHONA
Frank McEwen, ki je bil priznan umetnostni kritik ter zaupnik slikarjev kot so bili: Picasso, Matisse in Miro, je bil prva in edina izbira za upravitelja novo nastale galerije. McEwen je bil, še preden so ga povabili na upravniško mesto galerije v Salisburyju, prežet z idejo, da bi "primitivnim kiparjem" v tem delu Afrike prikazal sodobne oblike umetnosti.
Ko je postal stalni direktor galerije, je pričel z učnimi delavnicami, kjer je domače umetnike učil sodobnega kiparstva in slikarstva, med njimi so bili tudi člani največjega plemena – Shona. Poučeval jih je osnove kiparjenja, vendar ni hotel vplivati na njihovo vsebino in obliko skulptur. Prav nasprotno, vzpodbujal jih je, naj svoj navdih za kiparjenje iščejo v afriških tradicionalnih običajih in mitih.
Rezultat takega poučevanja je bila neverjetna množica stilov in oblik posameznih kiparjev in njihovih imaginacij. Danes je moč najti tudi kiparje, ki so specializirani za bolj realistične oblike skulptur, kot so moške in ženske podobe ter živali.
Shona kiparji uporabljajo široko paleto kamnin. V zahodnem svetu obstaja morda zmotno prepričanje, da afriški kiparji uporabljajo le mehkejši kamen - sopastone, ki je lažji za kiparjenje. Dejansko pa mnogi kiparji uporabljajo prav najtrši kamen kot je opal, črni serpentin, spring stone, kobalt in poldragi kamen – verdit.
Ko je postal stalni direktor galerije, je pričel z učnimi delavnicami, kjer je domače umetnike učil sodobnega kiparstva in slikarstva, med njimi so bili tudi člani največjega plemena – Shona. Poučeval jih je osnove kiparjenja, vendar ni hotel vplivati na njihovo vsebino in obliko skulptur. Prav nasprotno, vzpodbujal jih je, naj svoj navdih za kiparjenje iščejo v afriških tradicionalnih običajih in mitih.
Rezultat takega poučevanja je bila neverjetna množica stilov in oblik posameznih kiparjev in njihovih imaginacij. Danes je moč najti tudi kiparje, ki so specializirani za bolj realistične oblike skulptur, kot so moške in ženske podobe ter živali.
Shona kiparji uporabljajo široko paleto kamnin. V zahodnem svetu obstaja morda zmotno prepričanje, da afriški kiparji uporabljajo le mehkejši kamen - sopastone, ki je lažji za kiparjenje. Dejansko pa mnogi kiparji uporabljajo prav najtrši kamen kot je opal, črni serpentin, spring stone, kobalt in poldragi kamen – verdit.
kiparstvo shona
shona art |
stone sculptures |
Stone sculpture is an art for which the African nation of Zimbabwe is well known around the world.
Modern African stone sculpture is not "traditional", although much of its subject matter has traditional roots. There were few, if any, individual sculptors working in stone in the first half of the 20th century but following the opening in 1957 of the Rhodes National Gallery in Salisbury, its first Director, Frank McEwen, encouraged local artists to explore that medium. Within a few years, a group of local artists including Thomas Mukarobgwa, Joram Mariga and his nephew John Takawira were learning the necessary skills, mainly carving in soapstone.
This budding art movement was relatively slow to develop but was given massive impetus in 1966 by Tom Blomefield, a white South-African-born farmer of tobacco whose farm at Tengenenge near Guruve had extensive deposits of serpentine stone suitable for carving. A sculptor in stone himself, he wanted to diversify the use of his land and welcomed new sculptors onto it to form a community of working artists. This was in part because at that time there were international sanctions against Rhodesia’s white government led by Ian Smith, who had declared Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, and tobacco was no longer able to generate sufficient income. Appropriately, Tengenenge means “The Beginning of the Beginning” – in this case of a significant new enterprise that has lasted through to the present day.Further details of the establishment of the "first generation" of new Shona sculptors are given in the individual biographies of its leading members: Bernard Matemera, Sylvester Mubayi, Henry Mukarobgwa, Thomas Mukarobgwa, Henry Munyaradzi, Joram Mariga, Joseph Ndandarika, Bernard Takawira and his brother John. This group also includes the famed Mukomberanwa family (Nicholas Mukomberanwa and his protegees Anderson Mukomberanwa, Lawrence Mukomberanwa, Taguma Mukomberanwa, Netsai Mukomberanwa, Ennica Mukomberanwa, and Nesbert Mukomberanwa) whose works have been featured worldwide. Works by several of these first generation artists are included in the McEwen bequest to the British Museum.
During its early years of growth, the nascent "Shona sculpture movement" was described as an art renaissance, an art phenomenon and a miracle. Critics and collectors could not understand how an art genre had developed with such vigour, spontaneity and originality in an area of Africa which had none of the great sculptural heritage of West Africa and had previously been described in terms of the visual arts as artistically barren.
Fifteen years of sanctions against Rhodesia limited the international exposure of the sculpture. Nevertheless, owing mainly to the efforts of Frank McEwen, the work was shown in several international exhibitions, some of which are listed below. This period pre-independence witnessed the honing of technical skills, the deepening of expressive power, use of harder and different stones and the creation of many outstanding works. The "Shona sculpture movement" was well underway and had many patrons and advocates.Since independence in 1980, the sculpture has continued to be exhibited in the art capitals of the world and great acclaim has accrued to contemporary artists such as Dominic Benhura and Tapfuma Gutsa and the art form itself.
In spite of increasing worldwide demand for the sculptures, as yet little of what McEwen feared might just be an "airport art" style of commercialisation has occurred. The most dedicated of artists display a high degree of integrity, never copying and still working entirely by hand, with spontaneity and a confidence in their skills, unrestricted by externally imposed ideas of what their "art" should be.
Now, over fifty years on from the first tentative steps towards a new sculptural tradition, many Zimbabwean artists make their living from full-time sculpting and the very best can stand comparison with contemporary sculptors anywhere else. The sculpture they produce speaks of fundamental human experiences - experiences such as grief, elation, humour, anxiety and spiritual search - and has always managed to communicate these in a profoundly simple and direct way that is both rare and extremely refreshing. The artist 'works' together with his stone and it is believed that 'nothing which exists naturally is inanimate'- it has a spirit and life of its own. One is always aware of the stone's contribution in the finished sculpture and it is indeed fortunate that in Zimbabwe a magnificent range of stones are available from which to choose: hard black springstone, richly coloured serpentine and soapstones, firm grey limestone and semi-precious Verdite and Lepidolite.
Modern African stone sculpture is not "traditional", although much of its subject matter has traditional roots. There were few, if any, individual sculptors working in stone in the first half of the 20th century but following the opening in 1957 of the Rhodes National Gallery in Salisbury, its first Director, Frank McEwen, encouraged local artists to explore that medium. Within a few years, a group of local artists including Thomas Mukarobgwa, Joram Mariga and his nephew John Takawira were learning the necessary skills, mainly carving in soapstone.
This budding art movement was relatively slow to develop but was given massive impetus in 1966 by Tom Blomefield, a white South-African-born farmer of tobacco whose farm at Tengenenge near Guruve had extensive deposits of serpentine stone suitable for carving. A sculptor in stone himself, he wanted to diversify the use of his land and welcomed new sculptors onto it to form a community of working artists. This was in part because at that time there were international sanctions against Rhodesia’s white government led by Ian Smith, who had declared Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, and tobacco was no longer able to generate sufficient income. Appropriately, Tengenenge means “The Beginning of the Beginning” – in this case of a significant new enterprise that has lasted through to the present day.Further details of the establishment of the "first generation" of new Shona sculptors are given in the individual biographies of its leading members: Bernard Matemera, Sylvester Mubayi, Henry Mukarobgwa, Thomas Mukarobgwa, Henry Munyaradzi, Joram Mariga, Joseph Ndandarika, Bernard Takawira and his brother John. This group also includes the famed Mukomberanwa family (Nicholas Mukomberanwa and his protegees Anderson Mukomberanwa, Lawrence Mukomberanwa, Taguma Mukomberanwa, Netsai Mukomberanwa, Ennica Mukomberanwa, and Nesbert Mukomberanwa) whose works have been featured worldwide. Works by several of these first generation artists are included in the McEwen bequest to the British Museum.
During its early years of growth, the nascent "Shona sculpture movement" was described as an art renaissance, an art phenomenon and a miracle. Critics and collectors could not understand how an art genre had developed with such vigour, spontaneity and originality in an area of Africa which had none of the great sculptural heritage of West Africa and had previously been described in terms of the visual arts as artistically barren.
Fifteen years of sanctions against Rhodesia limited the international exposure of the sculpture. Nevertheless, owing mainly to the efforts of Frank McEwen, the work was shown in several international exhibitions, some of which are listed below. This period pre-independence witnessed the honing of technical skills, the deepening of expressive power, use of harder and different stones and the creation of many outstanding works. The "Shona sculpture movement" was well underway and had many patrons and advocates.Since independence in 1980, the sculpture has continued to be exhibited in the art capitals of the world and great acclaim has accrued to contemporary artists such as Dominic Benhura and Tapfuma Gutsa and the art form itself.
In spite of increasing worldwide demand for the sculptures, as yet little of what McEwen feared might just be an "airport art" style of commercialisation has occurred. The most dedicated of artists display a high degree of integrity, never copying and still working entirely by hand, with spontaneity and a confidence in their skills, unrestricted by externally imposed ideas of what their "art" should be.
Now, over fifty years on from the first tentative steps towards a new sculptural tradition, many Zimbabwean artists make their living from full-time sculpting and the very best can stand comparison with contemporary sculptors anywhere else. The sculpture they produce speaks of fundamental human experiences - experiences such as grief, elation, humour, anxiety and spiritual search - and has always managed to communicate these in a profoundly simple and direct way that is both rare and extremely refreshing. The artist 'works' together with his stone and it is believed that 'nothing which exists naturally is inanimate'- it has a spirit and life of its own. One is always aware of the stone's contribution in the finished sculpture and it is indeed fortunate that in Zimbabwe a magnificent range of stones are available from which to choose: hard black springstone, richly coloured serpentine and soapstones, firm grey limestone and semi-precious Verdite and Lepidolite.
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