DUMISANI MABASO

STAGES OF THE DAY (2002)

Morning
seven colour lithograph
76 x 56.5 cm
Edition 40

Midday
three colour lithograph
76 x 56.5 cm
Edition 40

Afternoon
six colour lithograph
76 x 56.5 cm
Edition 40

Dumisani Mabaso is a painter and printmaker. He established The Sguzu Printmaker's Workshop in Johannesburg, and has been involved with printmaking for over two decades in South Africa.

In the recent series of three lithographs produced at The Artists' Press, Dumisani has worked in an abstract way which relates very closely to his painting and intaglio printmaking.

Strips of colour and texture overlap to create an effect that Dumisani says is partially inspired by driving through a forest of tall trees and seeing the sun light flash through the gaps between the trunks. He adds that it could just as easily be a cityscape, with skyscrapers leaning precariously, perhaps motivated by recent events in New York City, or his daily existence in the concrete jungle of Johannesburg. The textured strips also have a figurative quality, and Dumisani leaves it up to the viewer to decide which they are, although he says they certainly are landscapes.

Texture and pattern are an important part of the work. Inspired by traditional African pottery and craftwork Dumisani has woven the identity of Africa into his work. The tactile qualities of the lithographic drawing materials also play a role in determining the prints, with tusche, toner, crayon, rubbing, stencilling, gum stop-out and splattering all contributing to the energetic way in which the prints have been drawn. Dumisani had fun making these prints, and his energy shines through, just as the morning sun shines through the gaps in a forest as one rushes by.

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