:: Melkhoutfontein, Stilbaai, Western Cape, South Africa::
:: February & March 2016 - March & April 2017 - February & March 2018 ::
:: 2015 - 45cm x 35cm - Acrylics, Inks & Markers on Canvas Board ::
David Lewis-Williams, Ian Watts and several others have commented on the Blombos Cave red ochre artefacts that if they inscribed patterns on ochre, they must have been painting those patterns on their bodies too. Here is imagined a dance for the women at Blombos 80,000 years ago, with the patterns on the ochre seen on their bodies and as a cohesive social community symbol. Although popular with the community, this design was not realised into a mural during my stay in Melkhoutfontein. However I have set several artistically-inspired members of the community the (perhaps a bit daunting!) challenge of painting this image on Katrina Solomon's house. I hope with the arrival of new artists in the Autumn of 2016 that they will be able to be mentored to do this.
Below is an earlier version of this design...