Sixty years of art captured in text

07 Apr, 2019 - 00:04 0 Views
Sixty years of art captured in text

The Sunday Mail

Andrew Moyo

“THE collection of works of art, which will be on display when the Rhodes National Gallery is formally opened today by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, is probably the finest to ever cross the equator.”

This is the opening to a story published in the Rhodesia Herald in 1957 detailing the official opening of the National Gallery in the then Rhodesia.

Decades later, there is so much about that institution that has been reported in Zimpapers publications like The Herald, The Sunday Mail, The Chronicle, The Sunday News, Manica Post and H-Metro.

A compilation of some of these articles dating back to the birth of the gallery makes up “Diamond Years: 60 Years of Art in the Media”, a book which sums up the art hub’s journey.

From the colonial period when it was founded to the year it celebrated its 60th anniversary, this book tells the gallery’s story through the eyes of journalists.

A collaborative effort between Zimpapers and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the book is a goldmine, not just for academics but anyone who wants to get a deeper understanding of how the local visual art scene has evolved over the years.

This literary piece is fascinating in every respect, from the absorbing content to the eye-catching presentation. The glaring washed out print accompanied by black and white images in the sections covering the early years of the gallery will surely throw the reader into that era.

One gets to have a glimpse at the careers and achievements of some of the country’s legendary artists, with the reporters who were covering their stories giving the reader a front row seat on this epic art trip.

It was a discussion between Zimpapers chief executive officer Pikirayi Deketeke and National Gallery of Zimbabwe executive director Doreen Sibanda back in 2017, with the latter speaking about the institution’s 60th anniversary that year, which brought about the idea of putting together this text.

While it was supposed to be published that same year, the work that went into it proved daunting than what the duo had anticipated, which resulted in it being launched just last week. It might have been a long wait, but the final product is definitely worth the two-year delay.

In the foreword, Deketeke stated that it was a privilege for Zimpapers to be associated with this historical kaleidoscope of Zimbabwe’s paintings, stone and wood sculpture, installations and the artists and actors who have been at the forefront of the movement.

“My own engagement with the National Gallery spans over 30 years. It started when I was at The Sunday Mail where I was an avid arts critic.

‘‘The National Gallery among others, has over the years played a pivotal role in bringing art into the public domain showcasing works by local artists, many of whom have become international household names in their own right.

“It is my hope that this chronology of Zimbabwe’s rich artistic history as told through our pages over the past 60 years will add to the discourse on the future of our country’s visual arts,” said Deketeke.

In her foreword, Sibanda highlighted that Zimpapers holds a rich archive that lends substance to many areas of endeavour in the country.

“The archive in the holdings of Zimpapers is rich and accessible and offers valuable insight for scholars, researchers and archivists. The Diamond Team project has enabled us to fully mine the history of the establishment and growth of a single institution in all its facets, interactions and underlying mission.

“The idea to publish aspects of this history was a mutual desire and it serves to deepen public understanding on how history can be deciphered through the popular media and how this can augment more formal and oral accounts,” said Sibanda.

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