A Love for Pula and Hammering—The Thapong International Workshop

ALove for Pula and Hammering-The Thapong International Workshop GODFRIED DONKOR At the end of 1994, I had the opportunity to visit Southern Africa for the first time as part of the Thapong International Workshop. This artistic initiative has been taking place for the past five years in Botswana. The location for the last workshop was in the Northern Botswana town of Mahalapye. For four weeks in November it is the occasion for artists from diverse backgrounds and countries across three continents to meet and work together, at the end ofwhich there is an exhibit of the work produced . The International Artists Workshop in Botswana founded and developed by the painter Bill Ainslie was inspired and encouraged by the success of earlier collaborative efforts in Zimbabwe such as the successful Pachipamwe workshop in 1988. Its main objective lay in the beliefthat the instinctive side of an artist constantly needs situations conducive to its enhancement. The fear of slipping into a mode of working whereby the artist no longer questions the way she sees or interprets the image prompted Ainslie to think of providing environments where the artist is again thrust into creating without preconceived ideas. The initial anxiety one experiences upon arrival at the workshop is immediately put to rest by the main "players" who run it and who set about preparing all participants for the forthcoming weeks. The routine that we expected to follow was one that adhered to a definite set of concepts and beliefs, namely; that a a certain amount of work was expected of us, along with experimentation and a maturing style. Thus, although sometimes at odds with each other, these beliefs were nevertheless defended and vigorously implemented. Materials and equipment were provided by the organizers and work began immediately. The working day was long: from dawn to dusk. Evenings provided the opportunity for dialogue, debate and discussion. The topics ranged from the arts to African politics to the place of EuroAmerican ideologies in African artistic practice. Many of the artists, and especially some of the younger Botswana artists who had never traveled, were keen to hear stories of events abroad first hand. There were from the onset an exchange of information and ideas about contemporary art, ranging from straightforward artistic process to general descriptions of the visual arts of neighboring countries to consideration of topics of mutual interest. However, it was principally considered an ideal opportunity for all participants to get to know one another and form lasting relationships. The last few weeks of the workshop are ones of intense production, experimentation and exchange. Some artists who spend the first days working in their habitual style now feel at liberty to experiment. Intense discussions and debates are channeled into the artists' work. The immediacy and nature of this interaction accelerates the definition of individual styles and spurs on productivity. In the November 1994 workshop evening slide shows were indispensable because they gave the group a chance to see earlier work and its relationship to that produced in the workshop . These were complemented by critical walkabouts that gave both participants and organizers an opportunity to reflect on the work and its direction. For the organizers it was an occasion to comment on and maintain the level of production as well as reinforce their concepts and beliefs. The artist could also reinforce their own personal visions and begin to appreciate their strengths and weaknesses . On my part I had started work on a series of paintings using Ashanti symbols and sportswear logos. Working consciously on nonfigurative subject matters, I was aware of the need to separate the way I worked in England from what I wanted to do in Thapong. Using large canvas I spent the first four to five days drawing the composition and experimenting with color applied thinly one atop another. One of the criticisms I received was that I appeared to be spending too much time on one painting, or that I had moved too far from the work I showed during my slide presentation. My objective, however, was to come up with a successful piece ofwork and then a series of them once I had worked out the problems of technique . By the...