Rock Art exhibition officially opened

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The Graaff-Reinet Museum celebrated the official opening of its extraordinary Rock Art exhibition on Thursday 18 November.

The Rock Art exhibition came into existence in 1982 when The Rupert Art Foundation agreed to borrow 30 images of their Townley Johnson Collection to the Graaff-Reinet Museum.

Richard Townley Johnson was a well-known artist, quite renowned for his work on the recording of Rock Art paintings, and during his lifetime he managed to record more than 500 sites in South Africa.

Initially, the only information regarding the symbolism, reproduction and recording of the art that was available was that the paintings were copied from original San Rock Art from all over South Africa and that Townley Johnson employed a rubbing technique to create the illusion of the rock surface, a process augmented by pastels.

The necessary upgrade of the Rock Art exhibition was put on hold due to contributing factors such as a lack of funding, the shortage of staff and the struggle to find funds to transform the museum after 1994, but the recent increase in demand for the recognition of Khoi and San groups motivated the museum to focus on the Rock Art exhibition and the re-interpretation of the Townley Johnson Collection.

In August 2021 funding was secured from the Directorate Museums and Heritage for the completion of the exhibition and with the assistance of various key role players such as The Rupert Art Foundation, graphic designer Nicola Woods, artist Liesl King, renowned archaeologists Dr. Graham Avery and Dr David Woods, and the museum staff, the exhibition with supporting text was completed.

The Graaff-Reinet Museum still has 26 images of the valuable Townley Johnson Collection on display which is the focal point of the Rock Art exhibition that was opened on Thursday.

Pastor Joy Williams, a member of the Board of Trustees, opened the event and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Peter Whitlock, and Traditional Leader Toetie Dow officially opened the exhibition.

During the opening, Paramount Chief Crawford Fraser (Gaokx'oab Kai Anib) of the Khorana house sang the national anthem in Khoi.

At the official opening of the extraordinary Rock Art exhibition at the Graaff-Reinet Museum were, from left: Chief Crawford Fraser, Peter Whitlock (Chairman), Anziske Kayster, Nicola Woods and Toetie Dow.