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Around Compus African Art And That's Shown Here u^m m ■ new African art: the central afr All Question: As • member of the Mercer community, whet does Macon have to offer you? Mn. Peggy Gough, Adminls- itritor — I * ‘Macon b en tirely culturally deprived. Mer cer students should fall 1 down on their knees and give ' praise to Jerry Stone and the Macon Theatre for their efforts.” Don Harrison, Student - “The city of Macon has abeo- | lutely zero to offer me. In fact it seems they want Mercer to get out. There |seems to be community hostility and lack of interest in Mercer’s well-being. I think that somebody should take steps toward better relations — on both parts.” Glen Hodges, Maintenance — “Generally . . nothing.- Macon should offer Mercer and its people more. Mercer should be al- lowed to pand. Mercer contributes a good deal to Macon and gets nothing but hostility in return.” >, Maintenan B Dr. Bond. Faculty — “No thing! I believe that traditional ly Macon’s pro blem is that it has been too provincial. I would expect that with the influx of major highways and a change in the face of the population that Macon will, eventually, redeem itself." Karen Chester, Student — “Nothing. There are no facilities for college stu dents and as a result, Mercer students are re strie ted to the Mercer campus. Macon should be willing to allow Mercer to expand and progress. A college town should have some rele vance to its college.” Columbus H . Posey, Registrar — “Excellent postal ser vice." Dori Ripley, “Actually no thing. Mercer students have been forced by the conditions I In Macon to I become t closed in their own world here on campus. So little in Macon attempts to relate to Mercer.” Sorority Commended On Rush Retreat This summer the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority held their Rush Retreat at Epworth-By-The-Sea, on St. Simons Island, Georgia. A few days ago Dr. Harris received the following letter from Mr. Bernard L. Brown, Superintendent of Epworth. Mr. Brown com mended the group for their cooperation through the entire stay. Dr. Harria stated, in a letter NEW AFRICAN ART: THE CENTRAL-AFRICAN WORK SHOP-SCHOOL, 46 sculptures in stone by 28 African artists, has been on view at the Art Gallery of Connell Student Center, Mercer University until Oct. 13, according to Marshall Dougherty, chairman of the Art Department. Frank McEwen, Director of The National Gallery of Rhodesia organized the exhibition for The Museum of Modem Art, New York. The Central African Work shop-School, founded by Mr. McEwen in 1957, is a self-sup porting, non-profit institution, consisting of 75 full-time art ists. Of the more than 1,000 original applicants to the chool, many coming on foot from hundreds of miles around Salisbury, the 75 remaining have left former occupations as farmers, builders, musicians, etc. and are now supported solely by sales of their works. The artists work mainly in stone, which they themselves quarry from a great local variety, in three centers, one in Salisbury, and two far out of the bush. The uniqueness of their work results from the complete geopaphk-al and philosophical isolation of the artists, and the rustic simplicity of their lives. Still deeply im mersed in belief in their anci ent folklore, religious ritual and magic, the artists' inspira tion comes solely from within. Before the founding of the Na tional Callery no art had been on view in Rhodesia, and since the existence of the Workshop- School that artists have created their own local tradition, there being no traces of any previous regional art extant except the stone pieces found among the ruins of the ancient temple Zimbabwe, dating from the middle ages. These are now housed in the British Museum and in Cape Town. In the body of work pro duced at the Workshop-School, certain characteristics common to art of Western Africa are present (prominence of the head, emphasis on verticality, a straight frontal pose, the mouth puckered in trance, human features on animal shapes), as well as many purely local characteristics: naturalis tic rendering of men and animals, a relaxed peacefulness to Mr. Brown, “Yours is such a fine and untuual letter that 1 am taking the liberty of send ing copies to the president of the sorority and a few of the leaders on the Mercer Campus who I feel sure will greatly ap preciate its contents It will serve as a source of encourage ment to many here as we strive constantly to attain the highest goals in educational, spiritual, and cultural endeavor.” Below is the letter received from Mr. Brown. Dear Dr. Harris: Very recently we have had the pleasure of having thirty- five young ladies of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority of Mer cer University with us here for several days. This is one of the finest groups we have had to meet with us here this wmmer. All of them certainly upheld the ideals of a Christian university like Mercer. I want to com mend them to you as a won derful group of lovely young ladies. No group could have been more cooperative with us. I was moat favorably Impressed with the entire group. It is a real priviledge to have ■ group like this come and share our facilities at Epworth By The-Saa. If we can be of service to you or any of your campus groups at any time, I hope you will call upon ua Sincerely yours, Bernard L. Brown Brother Wade Golden Platter Here. 1 wuz man. sitting at my local chapter of the Stu dents for a Digestive Supper when in came our first witness - the great Director, the magi cian of Shepherds’ pie, and mystery meat. He flowed through the air on saintly saves of aroma emanating on the re frains of that hymn by Brother Harlow Guthrie, “Krakow’s Co-Op.” He told us of the necessity of meeting a budget - money counts, not students - at heart he’s just a dirty capitalist not a dietician. He’s bigoted and biased - he just likes fish- sticks: fishsticks au gratin, fish sticks scalloped, braised fish- sticks, and peppermint peanut butter fishsticks. He told us about his help — they all got arthritis — that’s why they don’t ever smile. They don’t make much money, either, but they don’t really need it, they’re only humans. At least, they get to go home and not eat school food all the time. He told us about the “open door policy” — open it when you want to and don’t worry about the students. Ain’t they already paid for their meal tic kets? They're captured, ha, ha, ha! He told us all right — and guest what? It’s easier to digest his speech rather than his meals. Selah. Bulawandi:BIRD LIKE SPIRIT. Green Steatite (68.1094). Lent by the artist in pose and expression, and many facets of local lore, such as mythological foetus crea tures, ancestor spirits, and ani mals and men possessed by spirits. Some artists work in a primitive style, the works assuming a monumentality re sulting from stark economy of form: Heads, by Lemon Moses (leader of one of the school groups), Kitela, Simoni, and Smart Garaza are all in this basic vein. A few of the artists begin work in a primitive mode, then unaccountably pass through what might be termed a pre-Columbian period before achieving personal realization. Shumba, by Mazhambe, is an example of this phenomenon. The lyrical works of 19- year-old Bernard Matemera re present creatures from local lore, the vulnerable foetus fig ure waiting to receive a living spirit, and the Wydoma, mythological tree-dwellers said to live in the dense forests of the lower Zambesi. A sense of the magical and supernatural also surrounds the works of Joseph Ndandarika, once Movie Review Grapes of Wrath by J. W. Right VISIT SQUIRE SHOP FOR THE MOST TRUSTED NAMES IN YOUNG MEN’S CLOTHES Gaat Shirts and Wootslen Arnold Pilm«i Sweaters GoM Cup Soclu Loodou Fog Outer Wear A Rain Wear 4U Cherry Strawt Phono SH 4-2101 A good number of students turned out to experience the flint “Grapes of Wrath.” Every other word oozed with symbolism The Bank, the government and the job-hold ing public, time and time again aimed for the roots of the transient workers and made a hit. Down and out they made a pitiable journey to California which resulted In nothing more for the 2-hour trek than the re solution that “we keep a cornin’ — we’re the people that live.” Henry Fonda and cast were for the most part convincing though the irksomeness of Rose Sharon during her pre gnancy worked to defeat the flawless noble condition of the poor. For a despicable woman she was believable while the others, though comic or heart warming at times, were too philosophical to be true to backward rural form. Their movements were convincing if the burning of old momentos is interpreted symbolically apart from their rural chatter inter spersed with educated philo sophy. The backdrop painters must have had a field day painting shanties, hills and fog. The illu sion of space normally found outdoors was lost in the clear- apprenticed to a famous wizard, whose Sleeping Man, a giant with an enormously long neck, he has seen in dreams. Botom Mpayi, himself prone to trance, carves portraits of him self in this semi-conscious state. Joram Mariga, leader of an other group, an educated and sophisticated artist in the Western sense, is yet deeply Immersed in local tradition, and benefits widely from both worlds. His works distinguish themselves by the rare beauty and high polish of the stone, one. Baboon Spirit Man, Seated, in a rarely used semi precious purple lapidolite. The exquisite six-legged unicorn. Universal Spirit, is a mytholo gical creature connected with rain-making ritual. The tree has a mythological sympolism, believed to be the cut outlines of the most distant hills and trees. The contrast of black, white and grey was well done, however. At no point were scenes obscured by exces sive or suggestive darkness or unbalanced by a disarray of na tural shadows. A shadow on the wall was meant to be looked at and interpreted as the shadow of this, that, or the other. Each scene was carefutly planned so as to work the angle for what it was worth. No de tails were left to the imagina tion. The poverty, and injustice done to the migrant workers of the thirties was brought home long before the Joads’ resolu tion to have faith and keep trying for a better life. Taken seriously as a whole, the film forced the audience at every turn to agree that a gross pro blem existed. It did not offer solutions or alternative themes. It underlined one very biased view of the Depression with severe emphasis. “The Grapes of Wrath” was education to those who did not read the novel and food for thought for the abstract. It was not pleasant light evening en tertainment. Addicts to imagery and theme should watch for its return. dwelling place of ancestor spirits. It was perhaps this le gend that inspired Henry in his geometric renderings of Cactus and Tree, the style and subject matter of these works being unique within the school Although the works have all been made in the last eleven years, they are not “modern” in a Western sense, and can best be thought of as a move ment in art executed by artists whose frame of reference has no basis in knowledge of other art produced today, but rather a rich heritage, coming from deep within the vast regions of ancient African civilization. Mr. Carl Aeschbacher, member of the famous archi tectural firm of Skidmore. Owings and Merrill, made a special trip from New York to see the exhibition before it is moved to California. Your Home Away from Home The College Snackbar "A haven of Southern hospitality" FOR A GOOD HOME-COOKED MEAL Try One of the Snack Bar Weekly Specials THEY ARE “GOOD!” Only 97£, plus tax Saturday 8:30- 100 5:00-11:00 Sunday 3:00-11:00 THELMA ROSS, Manager THE MERCER CLUSTER. October 14, 1969 - S