The Iconic Route 67

Donkin Reserve, Port Elizabeth.

I am currently staying with my parents in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This afternoon we took a tour of parts of the city that I have not visited for many years. Iconic to Port Elizabeth is the Donkin Reserve with its pyramid and lighthouse. What I did not know was that this is now the starting point of Route 67. In commemoration of Nelson Mandela, for his 67 years of service in South African Politics, Port Elizabeth has an Arts and Culture Heritage Route which encompasses 67 different artworks created in his honour. As part of this exhibition, I got to view the Voting Line, Lighthouse Mosaic Moments and Beaded Quotes, along with some other public art works.  



Donkin Reserve sculpture, Voting Line detail.

Shadow cast by Silhouette
of a steel cutout
from Voting Line.





A section of the  Voting Line by Anthony Harris and Konrad Geel.



The silhouette of Nelson Mandela stands triumphantly at the head of the Voting Line.

The artwork which appealed to me was Voting Line by Anthony Harris and Konrad Geel. The “life-size laser-cut steel figures form a symbolic voting line that evokes a memory of voters as they were seen in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.” (Arts and Culture Heritage Route, 2014) As a student at college, I clearly remember creating black and white shadow versus highlight portraits, and I have subsequently lead many classes through this same exercise. Today, however, this technique of portrayal took on whole different dynamic when seeing Voting Line. The carefully observed and simplified portrayal of a vast variety of figures - representing the different ages and people groups who took part in the democratic elections - line the curved surface of the semi-circular wall surrounding the gigantic flag post on the hill in the old city center of Port Elizabeth. As the sun sets, the shadows cast by the black steel cutouts create clear shadows across the surface of the irregular stone wall. The shadows are clearest when the cutouts are at ninety degrees to the direction of the sun’s rays. The movement of the sun enlivens the whole sculpture as it travels across the sky. I also loved the way the silhouettes of the figures appeared against the blue of the sky and sea, as well as the green of the surrounding grass.

The figure of Nelson Mandela stands slightly in front of the line in his iconic freedom stance. His cutout is treated differently in that there are words describing his character and involvement in South Africa engraved across the surface of his silhouette. The steel is also a more reflective surface causing the light to play off of the engraved letters. This sculpture is a fitting tribute to a remarkable man and his role in enabling voting to become open to all of the people of South Africa. The figure of Mandela is actually the new logo for the Nelson Mandela Foundation's Madiba Trust, who gave permission to the MBDA for the Voting Line artists” to incorporate into their artwork. (South African Tourism , 2015)

Unfortunately, the sculpture is not likely to remain in its current condition for long, as children climb onto the stone bench seat on the opposite side of the wall enabling them to cavort around the sculpture, clambering over the figures and scratching the painted surfaces. This is infuriating as the sculpture is truly well-executed!

Steel-cut figures depict varying ages and ethnicities of people within the Voting Line.

 



Strip from Lighthouse Mosaic Moments, Donkin Reserve, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Details of hands from Strip from Lighthouse Mosaic Moments.

Another artwork from The Iconic Route 67 is Lighthouse Mosaic Moments. This mosaic is a colourful double-layered strip which frames the base of the famous Port Elizabeth lighthouse. It incorporates “a celebration of symbols and icons within Port Elizabeth...” (Arts and Culture Heritage Route, 2014) What I particularly enjoyed about this set of tiled artworks was the fact that they had interpreted numerous hands in varying gestures, styles, and poses. The artists of this mosaic are Nombuso Jacobs, Sinethemba Joy Mabope, Zandle Snam, NkosoxoloVegani, Ntombizanele Nojo Ko, Andiswa Manyota, Tuso Mosia, Patrick Loli, Malcom Medela, Siyolo Ketababilte and Jan Du Rand. (Arts and Culture Heritage Route, 2014)

Beaded Quotes, 2014.

Close-up detail of Beaded Quotes, 2014.

The last piece that I found interesting was Beaded Quotes by 30 beaders from this region, creating 67 abstracted motifs of narratives from South Africa’s heritage. (Arts and Culture Heritage Route, 2014) Xhosa women, known for their intricate beadwork, create beaded designs as narratives of their personal and cultural history. Each design carries a symbolic message through its choice of motifs and the placement, sequence, and choice of colours. Although I do not know enough about the symbolic nature of the colours and designs, they create an interesting band across the urban landscape.

Works Cited

Arts and Culture Heritage Route, 2014. The Iconic Route 67. Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Mandela Bay Development Agency.

South African Tourism , 2015. Nelson Mandela Voting Line sculpture, Port Elizabeth. [Online]
Available at: http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/articles/entry/article-southafrica.net-nelson-mandela-voting-line
[Accessed 15 July 2015].