Melissa: Why I Didn't Look at the Scenery

At the top of Signal Hill, a lone painter sat behind his easel, surrounded by canvases depicting Table Mountain, winding roads and falling leaves. As a small group of students gathered to look at his artwork, he shared with us that he did not consider himself an artist. His name was Ishmail Achmat and he was a concerned denizen of South Africa.

And so he began his story. During P.W. Botha’s apartheid rule, Achmat (a colored man) grew increasingly frustrated with imposed segregation until he finally wrote a letter to Botha, detailing his personal vision of a South Africa undivided by race. When Botha responded, Achmat asked for a color photo of the NP leader. He then embarked on his first painting, a portrait of Botha in white, brown, and black; the painting was sent to Botha with another letter pointing out that the policy of color segregation was flawed because the painting needed all three colors. Over the next eight years, Achmat and Botha continued corresponding through letters. Ultimately, Botha became the first South African government leader to authorize contacts with imprisoned ANC leader Nelson Mandela.

Obviously proud of his part in history, Ishmail pulled out laminated copies of newspaper articles describing his story, as well as a booklet of photos of his work. Included was a photo of a portrait of Mandela, as well as a picture of him and Mandiba in front of the painting. Despite his interaction with government leaders, Achmat was also very humble, under no illusions that he alone had convinced Botha to talk to Mandela. After all, he wasn’t even a painter!

Today, Achmat is again trying to influence political leaders through letters. He lately began a series of letters to Mbeki, advocating funding for the arts. As is the case in the States, arts funding in South Africa is declining. From his stack of papers, Ishmail pulled out a photocopy of one of his recent letters and asked me to read a section aloud.

“Art, President Mbeki, … is the flower of civilization. Fame, Power, Reputation, Wealth are meaningless in a world devoid of joy and hope…. The origin of art is an unanswerable question. I believe it comes from the Divine, Muvumbi, Mulungu, God, Allah, or whatever.”

I attempted to commit the passage to memory, but it was extensive, a whole page of eloquent exposition on the importance of art in a community. It was the kind of language that flowed off the tongue, inspiring silence from everyone who stopped to listen. If it was in a film, there would be underscoring of strings, but we made do with the wind and birds.

Soon after I finished reading, most of the students drifted off. However, another international student, Caleb, and I stayed to talk to Achmat further. He elaborated on the need of society to have art, and was excited that I, as an artist, could readily identify with his position. He gave us his contact information, as well as recommendations of films and books. And he promised if I wrote to him, he would send me a copy of the passage I read. How interesting to initiate a correspondence with someone who writes to Botha and Mandela…