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The FoundersThe most influential person that led to the ultimate success of the stone sculpture movement from Zimbabwe was Mr. Frank McEwen. Frank McEwen was born in Mexico and lived in London and Paris. He completed his studies in the history of art and became an accomplished sculptor in his own right at the same time. During his stay in Paris he became one of the curators at the Musee Rodin, where he met and associated with many world renowned and famous artists of the time such as Picasso, Brancussi, Braque and Matisse. In the early 1950´s he left for Africa. In 1954 he was approached by the Southern Rhodesian government to act as their art consultant and designer of the newly proposed National Gallery to be built in Salisbury. The government and the new National Gallery´s director´s intentions were to exhibit art from the developed world and not art from the local African cultures or indigenous people of Southern Rhodesia. Frank McEwens philosophy encompassed the following: ´´Art is a visual experience entering the spirit by the eye to touch the sub conscious and evolve, it must be free from the menace of those volumes of verbiage produced by critics who neglect the visual for the intellectual and make art part of a fashionable game. It is the direct visual identification with harmony that can inspire a whole lifetime.´´ His ideas were not the same as those of his employers. It was on this basis he was to work, gently guiding and defending the new sculpture movement and it´s sculptors, always striving to establish an environment in which natural work could be created and appreciated. Despite all the difficulty and opposition received from the government and other directors of the National Gallery he saw great potential in this new budding sculpture environment. He encouraged, helped and taught the budding artists how to carve stone. He did not impose on the artists, he believed that any form of teaching was an imposition, but was able to guide and assist the artists because of his sculptural background. Frank McEwen set no themes, made no suggestions and insisted that the artists develop their own techniques. He did however have a tremendous aura and influence on the artists. His amazing, enthusiasm and boundless energy was infectious and few mortals have this gift to inspire others with the confidence and courage that Frank McEwen had. It required tremendous courage and faith to believe in the artistic talents of young inexperienced sculptors, a new art form in a country that was considered internationally culturally bleak. His faith never faltered. Franks greatest influence was that of a critic. He set exceptionally high standards, reachable goals and made the artists destroy the sculptures that did not reach these high standards. He taught all to apply severe personal standards and to criticise their own work before presenting it to others. Different views may exist on the value and degree of Frank McEwen´s influence on the emerging artists, it surely will be accepted that he had the experience to make this judgement. Due to his unwavering faith this fledging art movement has blossomed into an internationally acclaimed sculpture movement, this has taken place in the short space of less than 50 years. Evidence that his judgement was made with immense skill, compassion and an innate understanding of the possibilities that existed. The National Gallery did not only encourage the carving of sculpture, Frank also became involved in painting, design and objects d´art. While all this was progressing school/workshops opened in and around Salisbury. There numbers grew and in a very short time had risen from 5 to 100. There was a flood of new art coming to the National Gallery leading to the first exhibition in 1958 hosted by the National Gallery. The exhibition was known as the ´First Federal Art Exhibition´. Art from all over Southern Rhodesia was submitted. The painting section was very strong with schools. However it soon became clear that the medium with which the African Artist worked best was stone. Over the next few years, stone sculpture assumed an ever increasing strong presence in the exhibitions. In 1971, Frank McEwen organised a critical exhibition in the Musee Rodin in Paris. This show was to become responsible for the serious assessment of the sculpture movement by the established art world. Virtually every piece of sculpture was bought by collectors or art lovers, some of which can still be found in important collections today. It seemed that for the first time the sculpture could stand by itself in the face of scrutiny with no defence or explanation other than that required to satisfy the interest of the uninitiated. The source of the work was respected and acclaimed and the sculpture itself was hailed as a potential influence on the world art scene. Frank McEwen´s role of spiritual ´´leader´´ and to some extent ´´protector´´ continued until the end of his directorship of the National Gallery in 1973. He then sought a venue for a new workshop school because he was fearful of the commercial pressures being placed on the fledging art movement and its sculptors. Frank enlisted Sylvester Mubayi´s help to seek a new venue away from commercialism that would be quiet, to enable the artist to concentrate on their sculpting and they finally settled on a site in the powerful spiritual environment of the Eastern Highlands in the Nyanga district. Back to Sculpture History >> |