1999 - First shown at the Osborne Gallery, London & then Softserve, South African National Gallery.

Digital Video - 7/30 minutes

Field Workers, a dynamic journey, combines rock engravings, fine art and computer generated imagery to describe the  journey of Robert Slingsby's work. From the simple iconics of the basic geometric petroglyphs to their expression in his paintings, Field Workers draws the viewer into the story of this fascinating, ancient art form.

For more than thirty years these rock engravings and the seemingly inhospitable terrain in which they are found, have been a source of inspiration for Slingsby in both his life and his work. Through the use of computer techniques, we are able to join in on his journey as he explores the stories that are told  from ancient to contemorary fine art. With music by ethnomusicoligist, Gavin Coppenhall, Field Workers is an opportunity to explore the mystery of our cosmic address.

Actual petroglyphs have been used ot create the sequences in conjunction with elements from his paintings. One of the features is a process of animating the images.

The motivation for making the video was to explain in visual terms the art of Robert Slingsby. As he was having his first one -man exhibitions in the United Kingdom, we were not sure if he would physically be there to explain his ideas. What was initially regarded as a tool that could be compared to say a brochure, evolved into a work of art in itself. With a library of images to resource, various “scenes” were created. Ultimately all were discarded and a thread was identified. It turned out to b e the most obvious. A visual storyboard of the development of the ideas that influence Roberts art.

Method: As the video was produced in Director I had the ability to develop windows or screens made up of composite images. The images used were from our own archive of photographs of Roberts art and the rock engravings of the Richtersveld. Occasionally other images from our travels,  would feature such as sacred sights of Egypt. Other deviations are images of cropcircles, biological phenomena such as mitochondria and sperm.

I begin by scanning in the images. The Richtersveld rock engravings which are the main feature of the video, were digitally separated from the rock by a technique that I developed myself. Once left with the 100% accurate rock engraving on its own I was able to give it a colour of my choice, overlay it and even animate it. As far as the paintings go, they lend themselves to use as backdrops, cutouts and animation as well.

There are six sections to the animation.

Section one: This starts with a sequence where a doughnut shapedpe troglyph appears rapidly on the screen dot by dot. It is followed by a sequence of introducing twelve petroglyphs which are iconic in nature. That is, they are like letters of an ancient petroglyphic alphabet.

Section two: More advanced forms of these non-figurative petroglyphs are introduced. Visual comparisons and associations are offered by including images of cropcircles and biological phenomena. It ends in similarities with birdlike creatures.

Section three: Having introduced the living element it is developed into an obvious animal relationship with an assortment of animal petroglyphs parading on the screen like an ancient Noah’s Ark.

Section four: Human petroglyph footprints introduce this controversial section. Here Robert directs the story to convey what he believes are the origins of man on this planet. All the time there is an association and juxtapositioning of elements from his paintings and petroglyphs on the rocks. These include aliens, reptilian creatures, star maps, famous Temples such as Kom Ombo in Egypt .

Section Five: The petroglyphs now are the most recent. They depict scenes of battles that the indigenous people had to endure. It continues right to the present day where the current petroglyphs are crude poems and churches.

Section six: The video ends with a simple sequence of the paintings on the exhibition followed by the credits.  

Music: The music was specially composed by Cape Town ethnomusicologist Gavin Coppenhall. All instruments used he makes himself such as kudu horns.  

The entire video lasts seven and a half minutes, and is in full colour. It is designed to loop both visually and musically. Although this is a simplistic account of the video, it offers a challenging story of the development of the human consciosness.

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