SAN SOCCER

AFRICAN ROCK ART

The "San Soccer" Rock Art painting was done to celebrate Soccer / Football in Africa, the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM, as well as, the oldest form of Art in Africa "San Rock Art". The painting captures the images of a modern day soccer match in the Kalahari Desert as it would have been observed by a San Shaman or Artist hundreds of years ago. Using my knowledge of San Rock Art I captured the Soccer match using examples of the many unfamiliar San Art images to record most of the many facets of the game of soccer / football as we know it today - penalty, corner kick, goal kick, dribble, tackles, referee, linesman, supporters, cheer leaders, etc.

San Art seems esoteric and inaccessible, the images are unfamiliar and the visual conversions are not those of the Western art to which most of us are accustomed. Using knowledge of recorded San beliefs, research has shown that rock art played a fundamental and important role in the religious lives of the San painters/artists. The art captured visions of events and dreams from the San's world on and behind the canvas or rock-face. This other world is inhabited by spirit creatures, to which dancers could travel in animal form, and where people in ecstasy could draw power and bring it back with them, to use for healing, rain-making and capturing game.

The "San Soccer" Rock Art painting depicts some of the spirit, passion and ecstasy that soccer fans and enthusiasts, all over the world, have for the game. The same spirit, passion, ecstasy and pride depicted on all the San Rock Art paintings in Africa, done hundreds of years ago.