BUSINESSART | MARCH 2010
MELVYN MINNAAR’S COLUMN
What if the World… 3 Feb-27 March, “Paradise Apparatus”, a new solo exhibition by Cape Town artist Julia Rosa Clark. First floor, 208 Albert Rd, Woodstock, T.021448 1438 www.whatiftheworld.com
52 Ryneveld Str., Stellenbosch. T. 021 808 3029
Franschhoek
Spier Arts Academy 27 Feb-31 March, “Transitions” by Paul Emmanuel. (At the Spier Old Wine Cellar Gallery, Spier Estate, Stellenbosch) Opening Saturday 27 Feb @ 3pm. Union House, 25 Commercial Street, Cape Town. T. 021 465 9029 info@spierartsacademy.co.za
Galerie L’ Art A permanent exhibition of old masters. Shop no 3, The Ivy, Kruger Str., Franschhoek T. 021 876 2497 www.galart.co.za The Gallery at Grande Provence 14 Feb-10 March, “Hartland/Heartland” an exhibition of paintings by Mila Posthumus Reyneke and Jane Eppel; and sculptures by Marieke Prinsloo. Main Road, Franschoek. T. 021 876 8600. gallery@grandeprovence.co.za www.grandeprovence.co.za
Piketberg Anthea Delmotte Gallery 26 Feb-26 April, Group show featuring Annelie Venter, AntheA Delmotte, Clare Menck, Glynnis Creamer, Jacolene de Haan, MURG informal academy, Neville Creamer, Sandra Hanekom, Susan Kemp, and Teresa Harling. Opening @ 7pm on 26 Feb. Feathers Inn, 1 Church Str, Piketberg 073 281 7273 anthea@lantic.net
Stellenbosch
Art on 5 Permanent exhibition of paintings and ceramics by Maryna de Witt, Peta Schillings, and Karen Kieviet. 7b Andringa Str., Stellenbosch T. 021 887 7234 Dorp Straat Galery During March, Works by Jenny Parsons. Church Street, Stellenbosch. T. 021 887 2256 www.dorpstraatgalery.co.za Glen Carlou Estate On exhibition is The Hess Art Collection, including works by Deryck Healey, Ouattara Watts and Andy Goldsworthy. Simondium Rd, Klapmuts T. 021 875 5314 www.glencarlou.co.za Sasol Art Museum 01 March-16 April, “Woordfees” with Andries Botha.
SMAC Art Gallery From 20 March, “Super Boring” by Wayne Barker. De Wet Centre, Church Street, Stellenbosch. T. 021 887 3607 www.smacgallery.com
US Art Gallery 01 March-07 March, “Woordfees exhibition”(This includes official posters for the 2010 Soccer World cup with William Kentridge, Paul Emsley and Lees Tussen die Lyne) see woordfees website for more info www.woordfees.co.za 11 March-29 March, “Origination” a Project by Katie and Rebecca Beinhart. Cnr. Dorp & Bird Street, Stellenbosch. T. 021 808 3524 corliah@sun.ac.za
George Strydom Gallery 04–30 April, “Drawing Conclusions?” Strydom Gallery’s annual theme exhibition of South African art - a response by a few selected artists 08 June-17 July, “Annual Winter Exhibition of Southern Cape Art” Selected artwork from artists of the Southern Cape. 79 Market Str., George T. 044 874 4027 www.artaffair.co.za
Knysna Knysna Fine Art 17 Feb-18 March, “Collected celebrity” by Alex Hamilton. 19 Feb-09 March, “Aides Memoires”’ solo exhibition by Gregory Kerr 8 Grey Str., Knysna, T.044 382 5107 www.finearts.co.za
Hermanus Abalone Gallery A wide selection of paintings, drawings, graphic art, photographs and sculptures by leading South African artists. 2 Harbour Rd, The Courtyard, Hermanus. T.028 313 2935 www.abalonegallery.co.za
Neil Rodger, Karoo nude / 90 x 90 cm. Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town
The Artful Viewer
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a desperate lack of decent art history documentation - so much so that it sometimes seems as if we’re permanently adrift: coming from nowhere, going nowhere.
Melvyn Minnaar Walk-about, talk-about The latest fashion, in case you’ve not noticed, is the gallery walkabout. Even hole-in-the-wall exhibition spaces that pop up a few artworks under what they think is a witty title and call it ‘curated’, now advertise ‘walkabouts’. Sometimes they even serve cups of tea, or a drink. We all know that art museums have a long-established tradition of guided tours - and a fine one it is too. Possible the word ‘guide’ have fallen victim of political correctness, or maybe it’s just a sign of the dumbed-down times that the ‘walkabout’ - with it’s more informal, we’ll-talk-about-it-together, nothing-serious nuance - is now the modus operandus. (The Friends of the Iziko SANG, when the latter was still the cultural hub it was, had some very cheerful walkabouts - more a social get-together than anything else.)
That much was evident at, and one of the strong undertones of, the Dada South? symposium late last month. Held to flesh out Roger van Wyk and Kathryn Smith’s important exhibition at the Iziko SANG with a rather loose, open-ended agenda, it (together with the Iziko exhibition, one might add) suggested that so much of our artistic past has gone unrecorded. Throughout the sessions, it was obvious that there are many art ghosts floating out there. Some are still vaguely visible, others have disappeared altogether in the gloom of South Africa’s difficult past. Speakers were talking about artists who once played important roles and are now unknown and forgotten. Of course, given the country’s history, documenting culture was always going to be, if not vigorously hegemonic (which it was), a onesided, even emotional, affair. Yet, at the Dada South? get-together, one got the sense that we are still seriously lacking to at least try to write about our cultural past in reasonably objective, neutral fashion. If there is an elephant lingering far too long in this room, it is political correctness. If Berman was the lead scriptwriter of a previous era’s art history, is the present one Williamson? What of those in-between and beyond? Can’t we move past the fades and favourites?
From the art museum the walkabout has now migrated to your every commercial and other art gallery. What is the significance of this? Have gallery visitors, art lovers and cultural poseurs become so stupid that they have to be led around by the nose?
During the conference, the charming Susan Hapgood, director of the American Independent Curators International, demonstrated in her quiet, thorough way what a knuckle-down art-historical researcher gets up to. Shun the fashion and get down to the forensic.
Methinks the gallery walkabout is somewhat of a motion of no confidence in their clientele by the owners. (Maybe it’s that sweet-talk thing: convincing them how valuable their highly-priced art purchase is.) If this new fade evokes cynical thoughts, it does not mean a call that galleries should skimp on the information they provide. The decent catalogue, detailed labelling (omitting wall tags next to artworks altogether is another contemporary nonsense), and, obviously gallery staff who can provide answers to questions are essential. (Thankfully, more and more galleries realise the importance of effective and detailed web information. Is there any greater blessing to the visual arts than the internet?) Galleries who provide well-researched catalogue information (itsybitsy and/or pretentious essays don’t always do the trick) play an important role in documenting cultural trajectories. South Africa has
In his challenging opening remarks, our own art enfant terrible, Thembinkosi Goniwe, suggested very sensibly that we can develop a unique (South) African way of engaging and writing about our art history. His suggestions, unfortunately, didn’t leads to much discussion later. It should be a vigorous debate, of course. And so the questions around South African art history and its manners of recording evaporated at this event, even though Malcolm Payne made a strong plea for jacking up art school academia. If art history isn’t being nurtured, researched and documented at these institutions, where would it? South African art history is in an appalling, depressing state of neglect. So perhaps those commercial gallery walk-abouts make sense. At least, someone needs to talk about art and whence it comes.
Bird eternalises the Zuma two figures With a remarkable sense of timing, provocative artist Stuart Bird opened Two Fingers at Youngblackman last night. Bird is well known for criticising Zuma’s policies in the past, with his Zuma Biscuits, which comprised of giant Zoo Biscuits imprinted with images of a skirt, shower, machine gun and Zulu shield causing much controversy in 2007/8. Though it may not be his original intention, Bird’s latest work once again could be seen to take a satirical look at our president. Just a few days ago 25-yearold UCT student, Chumani Maxwele, was arrested for pulling a zap sign at President Jacob Zuma’s convoy while jogging with a friend on De Waal Drive. It was alleged the student was taken into custody by gunpoint and a bag was put over his head. In the 24 hours that he was held, Maxwele claimed he was interrogated about his political affiliations and officials searched his Woodstock home. In actions remarkably reminiscent of a police state, the police ministry said the sociology student pointed his middle finger at the president which was synonymous with swearing and showing disrespect.”No person is permitted to use foul language, swear at another individual, especially as such conduct may lead to promoting hate conduct in the Republic,” said spokesman Zweli Mnisi. With this in mind, Bird’s Two Fingers, which consists of three
circles of unique white casts of the artist’s fingers pulling what, on the inside of the circles is a peace or victory sign, and from
the outside a “fuck you”, adds many new levels to an already clever piece.
When asked about the work, Bird said simply, “It’s about exclusion.”