The Royal African Society

Remembering the Present: Painting and Popular History in Zaire by Johannes Fabian
Review by: L. B. de Aguilar
African Affairs, Vol. 96, No. 384 (Jul., 1997), pp. 466-467
Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal African Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/723206 .
Accessed: 18/06/2014 12:24

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Oxford University Press and The Royal African Society are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to African Affairs.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:24:35 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 466 AFRICAN AFFAIRS

A relatedfactorthat comes out in many of the papersis

the need for credible,
legitimate, local governmentto which central authoritylistens.
displacedpeoples are very aware that their views are seldom Refugees and
agenciesor governmentofficials. It is noticeablethat heard, whetherby
are still preparedto consider the displacementof governmentsin the region
peoples, if in the name of
development. The concepts may be different from the political
displacementsof the 1970s and 1980s but for those targetedit may be and military
differentiate. difficultto
Many of these papersexpressconfidencethat some of the new
the Horn of Africaare preparedto accept pluralismand governmentsin
from past 'commandistarrogance'. Others would be less flexibility,moving away
great deal of impressive expertise on the region, but certain. There is a
largely in the
anthropologyand development. There is a lackof historicalor political fields of
to some arguments,producingan optimismthat it is not dimension
alwayseasy to share.
Solutions remain problematic. In Searchof Cool Grounddoes
offer them. What it does is provide the sort of not pretend to
informationand analysisthat
governments,and agencies,oughtto have;and raisethe sort of questions
be answeredif the displacedpeoples of the regionare to be that must
helped specificallyand
accurately. The editor suggeststhat greatercentralizationof the
system,with limitationson naturalsovereignty,offersthe 'only global political
to the problemof refugeeflows'. In a brief concluding "durable solution"
note, ProfessorTerence
Rangersuggestshe is an optimistabout the Horn of Africa,but
'ifs' if cross mandates really work; if definitional and he adds a lot of
conceptual
abandoned;if democraticbalanceis achieved. . . Optimismremains rigidity is
most in the Horn of Africa, but this book can provide a lot a luxuryfor
of the information
necessaryto make those 'ifs' work. It should be requiredreading
relief,rehabilitationand developmentofficesof northeast in most of the
Africa.
BiggleszlJade PATRICK
GILKES

Remembering the Present: Painting and popular history in

JohannesFabian. University of California Press, 1996. Zaire, by
xv+348 pp.
hardhack, ?19.95 paperback. ISBN 0-520-20375-5 and 0-520-20376-3. ?48.00
Remembering the Presentis the provocativetitle of a book by Johannes
aboutanotherkind of historyapartfrom archivalresearch. Fabian
aproject initiated by and carried out by a Zairian The book is based on
painter and self-described
historian, to do a seriesof paintingsdepictingthe historyof his country.
tohistoriology, (speakingor writing about history) Referring
Fabian suggests there is a
popularhistorical process in the production of art works and
in
interpretations of those art works by the painter himself. Fabian the spoken
footnotes with documentationregardingeachverbalinterpretationof ahas included
history in the paintings. There are discrepanciesbetween depictionof
andhistorical documentation. There are even a few Tshibumba'saccounts
depictedin a painting 'The Kanioka Revolt' for whichincidents such as that
Fabian could find no
documentation at all. However,ratherthan findingthis disconcerting, I found it
all
the more interesting,openingthe door to furtherhistorical
.
.

nterpretatlon .
investigation and/or
The first half of the book is a transcriptionof interviewsby
painter Fabian with the
Tshibumba Kanda Mutulu, described by Fabian as
painter.In the best postmodernstyle, Fabian has transcribed a Shaba genre
the ethnographic

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:24:35 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
. .

BOOK REVIEWS 467

subject's voice, in a narrative which covers nearly 200 pages, with photographs of
more than 100 paintings which are described individually by Tshibumba.
The role of the ethnographer, the anthropologist as described by Fabian is to
'represent Tshibumba and his work in such a way that they add to or deepen our
knowledge of the culture in which they emerged.' The interview dialogue is
certainly insightful in this regard, but what is equally intriguing is that we see
Fabians' role-as anthropologist, as European, as patron of Tshibumba's project-
through the words and questions and responses in the interview.
For example, Tshibumba begins his historical series with paintings of traditional
Zaire: the Chief, the landscape, the village. The paintings appear common
enough, but the interpretations by Tshibumba are fascinating to read. 'Our
ancestors knew how to dress. They knew how to work ... they knew how to
govern themselves.' '. . . we talked to each other . . . we, too, had feelings. We
were human beings.' The fact that Tshibumba feels compelled to speak to Fabian
this way is perhaps more interesting than the historical data from this period, and
opens the question of 'audience' which is not fully addressed in the book.
Theoretically, Fabian assumes paintings, narrative and the exchange of dialogue
are all 'texts', without explaining the theoretical process of how this is so. The
concept of genre, of differentiation within established, recognizable and shared
understandings of style, form and content; is elegantly employed to understand
these 'textsn as the actual products of practice, and of thinking.
Fabian describes genre paintings as both s "reminders" of past experiences and
present predicaments', referring to the title, Remembering the Present. Memory
theory in the book returns the analysis to an historical framework, arld performance
theory heightens awareness of the interview, of the ethnographic process, as a
drama which becomes a memory and is actually a production of history.
Emerging from these theoretical tools is an attempt to understand Tshibumba's
position as historian as well as painter and performer. Fabian selects certain
themes from the recurrence of descriptions and depictions in the various texts to
discuss Tshibumba's point of view. The most prominent theme is that of loss, of
loss and deception as a result of the colonial period. This recurring sense of loss
is presented by Fabian as a key concept in understanding what Tshibumba takes to
be historical truth. Fabian concludes his book with a chapter addressing the
different discourses and the confrontation of historical truth; more than one reality
at the same time which is not easily dismissed by 'transhistorical standards of
verification.'
As a book of African art the sheer number of black and white and colour
photographs by Tshibumba and other genre painters in Zaire makes the book very
good value. This, coupled with the narratives and documentation, makes the
book invaluable for African art historians and all those who seek to understand and
interpret art. Anthropologists will find the book of great interest) especially in the
lucidity of theory presented. Historians may find the work problematic and
perhaps jarring in its confrontation of documentation, but would be, I think,
. . _ . .

enrlcazec Dy Hablan's argument and the presentation of Tshibumba's historical

thought in art form.
Sadly, Fabian does not fully acknowledge the contributions of Ilona Szombati,
(though she is mentioned). Without this acknowledgement, Rememberirlg the
Presentappears to be a book about the author) rather than the wider contribution to
zalrlan history, society and art it should be.

Universityof St. Andrew's L. B. DE AGUILAR

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.60 on Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:24:35 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions