Abstract

In this article I compare the research methods of two visually trained artists: Elizabeth Goodall and Walter Battiss. Both were working at the beginning of the twentieth century in the emerging field of rock art studies in southern Africa. Independently of each other and for different reasons, Goodall and Battiss devoted considerable time and energy to studying and recording the rock art at sites they visited. In pursuit of their endeavours, neither researcher strayed far from the visual while examining and copying the images they saw. In this article, I trace the impact of their formative years working in collaboration with scientists and consider the routes they followed to pursue methods that prioritise the aesthetic elements of the rock art. Given that this exploration of copying methods unfolded at a time when rock art was somewhat peripheral to formal academic study, I argue that the focus on art history and aesthetics found in the semi-biographical narratives of these two artists might enrich engagements with rock art in the present.

摘要

在这篇文章中，我比较了两位视觉训练艺术家的研究方法：伊丽莎白古道尔和沃尔特巴蒂斯。两人都在二十世纪初在南部非洲新兴的岩石艺术研究领域工作。彼此独立并且出于不同的原因，古道尔和巴蒂斯投入了大量的时间和精力来研究和记录他们访问过的地点的岩石艺术。为了追求他们的努力，两位研究人员在检查和复制他们看到的图像时都没有远离视觉。在本文中，我追溯了他们与科学家合作的成长期影响，并考虑了他们遵循的路线，以追求优先考虑岩石艺术美学元素的方法。