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Colbert Mashile has been creating editions at David Krut Print Workshop since 2002. During his visit to Johannesburg in November 2007, Colbert Mashile produced four new etchings after a weekend of non-stop work at DKW. These new works are printed in black, all of them containing text, which Mashile then uses as his titles. These monochrome prints allow the viewer to focus on the quality of the lines and are a contrast from the rich colours usually employed in his paintings, drawings and earlier prints.

The figures he has created are derived from his environment and adapted into new forms. The results are creatures born from Mashile’s mind whose familiar characteristics allow us a way into the work. For this body of work, Mashile used the image of a crocodile, a cat and a snake, to address the subject of religion.

Mashile’s image Moruti-wa-lesela, which translates literally as “pastor-of-crook”, has a darkly clad mysterious figure as its central motif, staring at the bird atop its perch. It is unclear which character is the crook and which is the pastor, although the bird’s elevated position gives it a look of authority. This power struggle between the two leaves one wondering what the pastor would be preaching ¬– good or evil?

Tumelo Ke Sera (“faith is enemy”) references more biblical imagery, not only through the text but also in the drawing. There are three levels within this image; the sky, the ground, which contains the text and the snake, and a mass of land with a shallow valley in the middle within which stand two subjects, both with their arms extended in the shape of the cross. A clear relation to the crucifixion of Christ is apparent in this work.

The creature on the left of the third print is fascinating. It appears to rise out of nowhere; its features similar to those of a bird and a snake and it confronts a crocodile-anteater creature. The text suggests a conflict between the two figures, “satani – tshaba – tseleng” meaning “Satan, out of the way”. There is a sense of heroism and overcoming adversity in this image.

The final print involves two figures – one astride the other – and reads, “Moruti – le – mkhokhedi”, which translates roughly as “pastor with curate” (a curate being a priest’s assistant, however in this case, Mashile’s term is specifically female). The figure crawling is clearly dominated by the one astride her. While the sky in this print is clear, the subject’s head is surrounded by a large dark cloud. Is he carrying this with him wherever he goes? The print is divided by a line down the right hand side, which suggests that the two figures are moving from one place to another.

These new works are an exciting step for Mashile, who developed his idiosyncratic style as he began to deal with the trauma of the initiation ritual he underwent at the age of ten. His latest series of etchings created at David Krut Print Workshop show his growth as an artist as he tackles new subject matter and becomes more confident in employing different printing techniques.

Keywords: colbert-mashile, DKW Printworkshop, drypoint, etching, monotype, spitbite