Large
format printers donated by Epson are playing a key role in a world heritage
project in Tanzania concerned with preserving hundreds of unique rock
paintings. Printed reproductions of the paintings are helping to raise
awareness locally and internationally, create jobs and foster a sense of
ownership and pride among the local community.
First
documented by anthropologist Mary Leakey in her 1983 book Africa’s Vanishing
Art, the paintings are found in their hundreds around the Kondoa province of
central Tanzania, part of the Kondoa UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The
paintings are some of the world’s earliest examples of rock art, and are
estimated to date back as far as 29,000 years. They feature humanoids, animal
insect hybrid creatures, semi-realistic animals and geometric motifs, thought
to be illustrations of a parallel supernatural universe experienced by Sandawe
Bushman shamans in trance states.
Unfortunately,
the paintings are deteriorating through the effects of natural weathering, and
from acts of vandalism that range from casual graffiti to uncontrolled
dynamiting in search of fabled treasure.
The
Rock Art Conservation Centre (RACC) in Arusha came about in 2009 through the
efforts of Finnish paper-maker Seppo Hallavainio, who has lived in Tanzania for
more than a decade.
“The
project started from a discussion with photographer and digital printing
professional Gary Wornell, who had worked closely with Epson on several
occasions,” said Seppo. “The plan was to make these little-known supernatural paintings
known to the public.
We
started activities within the community, to educate them about what they have
around them and how they might benefit from it, as it is they who should be the
guardians of the rock art.”
The
central idea was to establish a sustainable and self-supporting large-format
printing facility for the reproduction of cave and rock paintings. Epson came
on board and installed two printers: an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 and an Epson
Stylus Pro 3800, which print at up to 44 and 17-inch widths respectively,
enabling prints to be made. This has played a big role in generating revenue
through sales of prints to tourists and other visitors to RACC in order to fund
the protection and further study of the art.
Mukesh
Bector, Regional Sales Manager for Epson East Africa says the rock art
preservation initiative has given the company the opportunity to help preserve
the planet’s heritage while, at the same time, establish potential future
tourist attractions and revenue-earners for the local population.
“Epson’s
products are engineered to reduce impact on the environment at all stages of
the product lifecycle. But as well as helping to protect our planet’s future,
these printers are preserving its past,” said Michael Hunt. “At Epson, we
believe in giving back to the communities that support us,” he noted.
The
sustainability aspect of the programme revolves around the use of hand-made
papers manufactured from readily-available local vegetation, such as mulberry,
cotton and fig. Seppo, who is highly respected as a paper-maker in his native
Finland, is teaching his skills to local women’s groups.
Gary
Wornell has put his years of expertise in coating and printing on a wide
variety of media using Epson printers to use by ensuring the papers and printer
work together reliably. Gary visited Tanzania to run a series of photography
and print workshops in February 2012 for local schoolchildren, paper-makers
associated with the centre, and both professional and amateur artists and
photographers.
“With
the support of Epson and its versatile large format printers, we have made it
possible to print reproductions of these remarkable images on locally-made
paper - an innovative and exceptional use of technology in a developing
region,” Gary said.
Ends…
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