The idea for the screen print Mamba (Swahili for crocodile) was
developed after a long process of observing wild animals in East Africa together with the
study of ancient Egyptian artistic conventions. My knowledge of these ancient masters'
works married to my modern European artistic education, forms the basis of my
compositional techniques. Therefore, to put Mamba in its context I must first say
something about Egyptian art.
The most striking thing about Egyptian art is its extraordinary visual
rhythm. Representation was not based on any scientific laws, such as perspective, but on
simple ease of recognition. Unlike western art, the empty canvas (or wall), was not a
space in which to create illusions, but rather a surface on which to present magical
diagrams, the aim being to convey accurately the information needed for a successful
transition into the next life. Thus, objects are depicted by their most characteristic
aspects. Crocodiles, for instance, are always drawn in profile, while lizards are shown
from above. This is due to the obvious difference in the animal's size and the angle from
which they would be normally viewed.
A few years after my journey up the Nile I went on safari in Kenya. This
spectacular land is inhabited by an infinite variety of animals all going about the
serious business of living and dying and filled me with wide-eyed wonder. There was Mount
Kilimanjaro, with its snow-capped summit reaching above the clouds, the Great Rift Valley
so vast, they tell me, it can be seen from outer space. Lake Naivasha, teeming with
millions of flamingos. And of course the Serengeti, where grazing beasts and predators
alike, flourish in bewildering multitudes. The never-ending drama of life and death was so
concentrated, that, by comparison, England seemed like an unreal toy town. It occurred to
me, in this place that the world on every level is equally brutal and beautiful.
Mamba is one of my first attempts to realise a picture that combines the
elements of clinical brutality and beauty. I began by making observational sketches and
photographs. Then, in a series of drawings and paintings, I explored, refined and removing
the unnecessary. Etching is my usual printing medium. However, for Mamba, screen-printing,
with the jewel-like qualities of transparent glazes, seemed more appropriate. By laying
many different coloured tints over solid opaque colour, I was able to render the forms
with rich textures. Crocodiles are an obvious candidate for the brutal element, but, as I
studied them, they seemed to me to be beautiful and happy creatures. The bird is a jucana
which live in the marshes at Amboseli. They are attractive, cheeky little birds that spend
their lives walking across the lilies fishing for food. Mamba shows the moment before two
meals converge! The bird in its hungry obsession is completely oblivious of its dangerous
course and the whole composition is also an analogy about human behaviour.
Mark Millmore can be contacted by e-mail. m.millmore@ukonline.co.uk
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