Limpopo 

Walter Battiss made this colorful print, titled "Limpopo," using silkscreen techniques. Silkscreening allows for bold, flat areas of color, which we see in the assortment of stylized creatures and geometric forms. The process involves pushing ink through a mesh onto the paper, a relatively straightforward method that lends itself to graphic, reproducible imagery. Battiss embraced this, creating a lively composition with clear outlines and vibrant hues. The arrangement of shapes and colors suggests a dreamlike landscape, perhaps referencing the Limpopo River region of South Africa. Battiss was deeply inspired by the indigenous art and culture of the area, and you can see this influence in the abstracted figures and the overall sense of playful energy. The dotted lines and simplified forms evoke a sense of primal mark-making, connecting the print to a longer history of human creativity. By using the silkscreen medium, Battiss democratized his art, making it accessible to a wider audience, rather than being confined to unique paintings. It invites us to consider the value of reproducibility and the potential for art to circulate beyond the elite.