EDITO

 

Solitude and Fame

In relation to the rest of the african continent, Gabon is viewed as rich, and the Gabonese, as more concerned with money than with culture. Thus our desire to get a closer look, and our fear of not finding much. We were pleasantly surprised to discover real talent and to find Libreville closer than we’d thought to the forest, the flowing rivers and the ancestral gods. This capital shows a real desire to wed the present with a heart profoundly inhabited by the ritual power of nature.

 

Ouattara, native of the Ivory Coast, is the star of this issue’s monograph : he is an african artist whose international reknown is not insistent on his african-ness, though it’s there in every sketch.

 

Every issue unveils a few new african photographers, so there’s no such thing as fate. But these photographers were not discovered by Revue Noire, ‘Photography Month in Dakar’ or ‘New African Photography’, they were simply alone and unknown ; and now they will be less so, especially since exhibitions are being planned all over the world and Revue Noirebe there.

 

Revue Noire Literature continues to bring together young authors with known talents. To discovered in this issue : the sulfurous young Togolese, Alemdjrodo, the first french translation of Marechera, a previously unpublished piece by the great Tchicaya U Tam’si and the poems of two american compatriots, Ted Joans and Hart Leroy Bibbs. And from Libreville, unpublished work by Paul Moukéta and the young Ndong Mbeng which gives new zest to gabonese literature.

 

At present, Revue Noireis one year old. Still happy, healthy and rearing to go. Thanks to everyone who believed, and who still believes in Revue Noire’s bet on modernism. Please continue to keep us informed and keep up your subscriptions. Revue Noirewould not exist today without the Ministère Français de la Coopération and its missions in Africa, but even with this network of loyal friends, we need many more partners for this crazy excursion into the imagination of african art.

 

by Jean Loup Pivin

 

CONTENTS of RN 05 :

 

ART / MONOGRAPHY /Watts Ouattara, painting, USA-Ivory Coast

 

CITY PERSPECTIVES / LIBREVILLE / GABON /Pépin Antonio, Ernest Walker Onewin, Christian Ndong Menzamet, David Nal Vad, Ciciba, Basile Allainmat, Enam, Joseph Aubin, Alougbine Dine, Prosper Ekoré, Gratien Koumba, Zéphyrin lendogno, Marcellin Minkoe Minzé, Jean Auguste Nzigou Boussougou, Martine Nzé

 

PHOTO FOCUS / Trolez, Dorris Haron Kasco, Brigitte Ollier, Malick Sidibé, Django Cissé, Harouna Racine Keita, Alioune Bah

 

LITERATURE / Kangni Alemdjrodo, Dambudzo Marechera, Tchicaya U Tam’si, Pol Mouketa, Hart Leroy Bibbs, Ted Joans, Hubert Freddy Ndong Mbeng, Owondo, Yves de la Croix

 

DESIGN / Pépin  Antonio, Christian Menzamet N’dong

RITUAL ART / Ngommbi Mistogho

TALKS MEMORY / Mve Ondo, Nicolas Mba Zue

 

Few pages from THE RN 05 :

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