February 2005
News

Prehistoric Rock Art Prints Saved

A unique collection of prints depicting rock and cave art from up to 28,000 years ago has been unveiled at the University.

Some 29 silkscreen prints by the late British artist Douglas Mazonowicz were donated to the University by his brother, Denis Mason, in July last year.

Now, after a successful bid for funds from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), work to frame the prints is now complete.

Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Anthropology Dr Randolph Donahue, who was awarded the £5,000 grant from AHRB, said: "This work really is superb and is one of the finest collections of its type anywhere in the world."

Mr Mazonowicz visited almost inaccessible ancient sites in Europe and Africa in the 1950s and 1960s when he produced the work.

The prints depict famous scenes of extinct animals, prehistoric hunting, and tribal warfare from sites in Spain, France and the Central Sahara region of Africa.

Some experts have suggested that some works now show more detail than the original cave paintings, due to the passing of time and impact of visitors to these ancient sites.

When the collection was donated, the prints arrived unframed in cardboard tubes and there were no means to display the collection. Dr Donahue said he hoped that, as well as the collection being available to the public, students would be able to use the collection to help with their studies.

He added: "It is interesting to see how the prehistoric artists viewed their own culture and the environment around them.

"One of the beautiful things about the silkscreen printing technique used to produce the collection is that it gives one a much better feel for the texture of the natural stone surfaces and its impact on the original paintings, something that is not easily achieved through photographs."

Public viewings are available during weekdays from 9am until 5pm in the Phoenix Building South West. Maps are available from the main reception desk in the building.

14 February 2005

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