CENTENARY PUBLIC ARTWORKS

A three-piece Centenary artwork will be officially opened on campus at 9:00 on 11 September as part of the Founders' Weekend celebrations.

The University commissioned the three-piece artwork by Professor Gavin Younge, a well-known and respected South African artist. Professor Younge's overall concept is entitled 'Century's Prytaneum' and the three individual pieces are
entitled 'Life Cycle', 'Bee walk' and 'Grounded'.

Professor Younge notes that 'Century's Prytaneum', "takes its name from the prytaneum which was the public part of Greek cities - a place where the sacred fire was kept burning and where visiting dignitaries were entertained."

By using this term, he wishes to refer "to the importance of the community in the life of Rhodes University, and intend also to give a new meaning to the genre of public sculpture".

The artworks explore what Younge identifies in his proposal as "life long learning", "indigenous knowledge systems" and "cultural hybridity as a counter measure to South Africa's former emphasis on cultural difference."

The original inspiration for 'Grounded', a large mosaic surface on the Drostdy Lawns, was Roman mosaic floors. But the work is appropriate to its context in South Africa and Grahamstown in particular.

The organic design resulted from collaboration with artists in the Egazini Outreach Project in Grahamstown. Professor Younge ran workshops last year with individuals in Egazini and then synthesised a few individual designs to form one large artwork.

The second artwork, entitled 'Life Cycle', is constructed from bicycle motifs in stainless steel. "It suggests the ideas of progress and mobility as well as a helix. While the bicycle is on one level deliciously whimsical and playful the imagery used in this sculpture is also likely to encourage more serious thoughts about human aspirations and the drive for knowledge," said Professor Brenda Schmahmann, head of
the Fine Art Department.

Seeming to defy the forces of gravity, the composite of bicycles become, as Younge notes, "ciphers for mathematical theorems, the allure of cloning, and the alchemy of perpetual motion".

The third piece, 'Bee walk', is a four-part sculpture which contains text and imagery that has been etched into glass via an innovative sand-blasted process. The glass panels refer to plants that have been key to honey production in the Eastern Cape, and the history of iQhilika (honey mead) in Xhosa culture. They also refer to San rock paintings from the Eastern Cape which include bees.

In devising the work, Younge consulted with the Biotechnology Department at the University, most especially Garth Cambray and Vuyani Ntantiso who have been working under Dr Winston Leukes.

Staff and students are welcome to attend the opening.