Maureen Quin spent hours preparing her address to the Rhodes University Council and audience, but after hearing Prof Magadla’s inroduction she was so overwhelmed, she spoke off the cuff. Below is what the audience would have heard, had Maureen stuck to the program.
Chancellor; Vice Chancellor; Chairperson and Members of Rhodes University Council; Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research; Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs; Acting Registrar; Public Orator; Deans, Academics, Support Staff and Students; Ladies and Gentlemen; Especially New Graduates; Families and Guardians of Graduates
Good Morning
I would like to start by thanking the Senate and Council of Rhodes for considering my life’s work worthy of the honour you are conferring on me. This is the ultimate validation of my life’s sculpture journey – Thank YOU.
When I wrote matric in 1951 I didn’t dream that one day I would be standing here receiving an honorary doctorate at the age of 92.
I studied on bursaries in Durban and London. Both institutions with excellent sculpture departments.
I enjoyed my student years. I partied, did mad student things and fell in and out of love. But through all this my focus was always on my sculpture. It was also my therapist – absorbing my joys and tears, hopes and fears. It was also exciting me – each sculpture was, and still, is an exciting journey.
I married a marvellous man who put up with my single mindedness – and a lot more. We had 2 children who survived a childhood of being second to sculpture. They are both here today to tell the story, along with my youngest grandson, who graduates from UCT this Saturday!
My eldest grandson graduated from Rhodes, in 2014, with a masters in Philosophy.
My connection with Rhodes University stretches back to 1975 when Professor Margaret Smith commissioned me to the carve swivel door at the entrance to The Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity in Somerset Str. Each of those fish was thoroughly researched and are endemic to our coast. I carved every inch of that door with a chisel and mallet.
28 years later I was commissioned to do the portrait bust of Nelson Mandela for Mandela Hall. Yes, I did meet Madiba. No, he did not sit for me. I worked from photographs.
Both of these are fairly straight forward commissions. But I prefer to do my more abstract expressive work. When people look at my more abstract work, they often asked what inspires me. This difficult to define. I watch TV news and read newspapers. I travel around this beautiful country of ours and things that I see and hear make an impression on me. I operate mainly from gut feel and stored up emotion.
When I started The Hunt Series for instance I had no idea of the emotional journey of 8 years that lay ahead. I merely wanted to make a sculpture using the beautiful elongated shapes of a cheetah after having studied a cheetah for a realistic commission.
I think feelings get buried deep down and if I allow my instincts to guide me, when I work, these feeling start to surface and I begin to have a conversation with my work,
The exciting journey of creativity begins.
When I had finished the series of 12 sculptures and the full meaning was there in sculptural form, I could hardly believe what I had achieved. The story of man’s greed and desire for power – the source of evil.
It triggered a series of sculptures in which I express my feelings more directly for social ills.
The interaction between people has always been a theme that has occupied my mind, but recently I have become more conscious of the message that my sculptures carry.
I never like to be too obvious and illustrative; I don’t mind if people read my sculptures differently as long as the viewer has some emotional response.
To end – a word of advice for the visual arts graduates – choose your direction where your talent lies.
Be a master of your medium
And don’t give up.