The original POVO Booklet - Part 2

David Brazier - Photography
I want to investigate the rapidly expanding African informal sector both in the city and rural contexts. I am interested in the constant flow of people, goods, conversations and ideas in the market place. I watch evolving human ecosystems where people have to adapt to a precarious environment moulded by rapid political, social and economic change. Niches are established using recycled materials alongside traditional methods. Climatic extremities are dealt with in ingenious ways. The decay and disintegration of materials allows for a constant replacement and renewal. In this climate, the way the light filters through dust and smoke gives everything a warming golden glow and for me the quality of light makes the image. During the past four years it has become increasingly difficult to work as a photographer in the city both in the commercial world and as an artist. The atmosphere of fear and suspicion as well as the clampdown on freedom of expression has meant that I have had to find new ways to explore my urban themes. The idea of doing a sound installation came out of this. As a photographer I have always been more visually oriented but without my camera I became more aware of the sounds around me – the increasingly pervasive sound of human frustration, anger, suffering as well as the usual urban sounds of everyday life.

Young Chimaye - Relationship between Design and Printing in Zimbabwe
It’s always good to associate design and printing (Design 4 print). In my own opinion I feel the two are brothers, twin brothers to be precise. When the design comes to me for print, I have to put myself in the designer's shoes. I want to print what the designer wants to see. Printing is stressful sometime, especially when you have problems with register or even colour. The best way to get through this is to go away from the machine for ten to fifteen minutes. That’s why I feel present day designers especially those who design for print should work with printers, get to understand the printing process, while the printer gets the analysis of the original design. It’s always good to work with designers like Baynham  Goredema, Walter Murray, Chanetsa Mukahanana. As a printer, I would like to share a little secret with my fellows. Pray first before you go on the machine and trust me you will see what will happen. Printing is a very mobile and interesting trade as the saying goes ' printing makes the world colourful'. As much as printing is associated with our day to day lives, for one to identify what sort of groceries he wants in a supermarket he has to read the label, when one takes a bath the soap he/she is using is wrapped and the name of that soap is printed so that one can identify the type of soap they want, when they brush their teeth the tooth paste, in the kitchen, the coffee, the sugar, milk, thanks to the printer.Though in all this the printer in Zimbabwe has had his shortcomings. Setting up a print shop, the high cost of machinery and importing/duty costs, confidence, there are some people who run around town calling themselves printers or brokers, who do not even know anything about printing, because of that, genuine printers find it difficult because the clients then opt to go to those old established companies even though the price might be high, because of these so called brokers. The other factor is that, because Zimbabwe has a history of coloniasm, most of those company owners are well established in the concept that they know each other and can do anything that can pull back the emerging indigenous printer.

Valerie Murray - Visual art
An artist’s ability to tell a story in pictures is the key to communicating their thoughts. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ literally translates to how different viewers would interpret a pictorial composition. For thousands of years this communication has enabled artists from different, cultural, religious and educational backgrounds to visually capture the very essence of the world’s existence. My Angel series has been inspired by different women, their physical and characteristic attributes. Not “Angel” in its biblical sense but in the way each individual represents a unique mythical life form full of mystery, enchanting in their every gesture and facial expression. Young and old, rich or poor a woman never ceases to fascinate and entice, giving life to everything that surrounds her. My chosen media is a combination of photography and Photoshop manipulation, creating compositions based on what my mind’s eyes sees as I work. Each woman’s posture, facial expression and demeanor communicates a different mood and character. Vibrant colour creates for me a burst of life in each piece, whilst nature water, the sky and flora create an infinite surreal world of pure beauty and tranquility. Being a visual communicator allows me to use pictures as a poet would use words, though at the same time leaving the viewer with the option to “see” for themselves.

Martin Stewart - Communication
I believe that all physical, emotional, mental or spiritual interaction between beings is communication. Sound plays a very important role in communication, combined sounds such as words intellectually make sense and every tone evokes an emotion. Vision is also very powerful in the sense that it can be in such illuminating clarity that it shows a situation for what it is. Yet blinding distorted vision can make a deluded picture of the world. Vision also converts letters to sounds which is very useful in communication. Touch is less commonly used yet physical interaction is very important in our day to day lives. Yet in braille, the blind use touch to communicate, translating touch into sound.
Communication is so diverse from smoke signals to a drum beating and more recently satellite and internet.  Whales use ultrasonic sound to communicate over long distances under water. Bats use infrared radio wave to communicate and navigate with the outside world.
 All pictures still or moving communicate something to us conscious or subconscious.

Feeling perhaps is the most important factor in communication. Feelings such as trust, respect etc. play a very important role in all forms of communication.