Jonas Gwangwa and Shakawe at the Oasis Motel

This poster combines several printing processes. Medu created the initial design with empty white space at the top and bottom before commercially printing it in multiples. Red pigment was applied to the edition as a last step, to announce the venue and date of a performance. This multistep process allowed a single poster design to promote different performances. Affordable and quick, such an approach also meant that inks weren’t always securely fixed to their surfaces. This poster is laid flat, unlike the others in this exhibition, to prevent further peeling and flaking of pigment. The cracks and losses in the red ink remind us that Medu posters were often hastily executed for immediate use rather than intended to endure as precious art objects.