Nandipha Mntambo: The Encounter

NANDIPHA MNTAMBO THE ENCOUNTER

NANDIPHA MNTAMBO THE ENCOUNTER

16 APRIL – 30 MAY 2009

MICHAEL STEVENSON

‘A COMPENDIUM OF DESIRES’ MFUNDI VUNDLA

We are sleuths in a landscape that is like no other – looking,

in which women are too often regarded as second-class citizens.

searching for themes, exploring statements by Nandipha

Issues of self-representation established, however, Mntambo’s

Mntambo. This is an exciting and magical terrain, a complex world

feminist concerns are, in my view, tangents from the spine of her

occupied by bronzes, bullfights and cowhide sculptures.

aesthetics which possess an undercurrent of the spiritual.

It immediately strikes one that Mntambo’s use of cowhide as

A digression is perhaps in order. The German supermodel Vera

medium makes a lot of sense. Cultures across the globe have

(‘Veruschka’) Lehndorff, after a stellar modeling career in the

utilised hide in communication. One walks through the exhibition

1960s, emerged in the early 1980s as an artist of electrifying

‘hearing’ multiple polyrhythmic narratives from a cowhide

imagination. As with Mntambo, the use of her body is central

drum. The artist’s percussive voice takes us through a range

to her art-making. Lehndorff uses her body as a canvas while

of emotions: aggression, anger, submission, self-love, self-hate,

Mntambo uses hers to sculpt works of outstanding originality.

ecstasy, the need for sanctuary.

Susan Sontag, in ‘Fragments of an Aesthetic of Melancholy’, her The essence of Mntambo’s vision lies in investigating notions

introduction to ‘Veruschka’: Trans-figurations, saw embedded in

of femininity. Her work offers a challenge to the roles assigned

her work ‘… a compendium of desires. The desire to escape from

to men and women in society. Her army of female warriors,

a merely human appearance: to be an animal, not a person; to

Emabutfo, for example, defies the traditional demarcation of war

be done with personhood … The desire to punish the self … the

as male territory. In her video, Ukungenisa, one can read a salute

desire to compete with one’s image, to become an image; an

to the late Conchita Cintrón, the Chilean matadora who broke

artifact; art; form …’ Her words as aptly describe Mntambo’s work.

the sex barrier in bullfighting and introduced a new language of grace to the sport.

Mntambo punishes herself in the process of art-making. When one considers wet cowhide, combined with fat, smelly hooves,

Mntambo draws on an arsenal of tools to voice her vision, chief

flies and the onset of rot, the enterprise is extremely repelling.

among which is the use of her body as a mould. She puts her self on the line, as it were. She has no spokesperson, no His Master’s

It is clear that the artist’s use of her body as mould has a

Voice. She speaks for herself.

pompous ring to it. It is not enough for her to love her body. She competes with her image in her art-making. She is in a race to

Standing up for one’s self is important in a society such as ours 2

become art. To be done with the constraints of the human.

In Emabutfo we are confronted by Mntambo’s army – 24 sculpted

Since our viewing is after the fact, the artist’s body having

figures, fruits of a spiritual pursuit. The artist ‘enters’ the bodily

withdrawn from the sculptural embrace with the hide, we are

environment of the cow that has been involuntarily vacated

left with the unenviable task of imagining the artist’s experience

through slaughter. The artist and animal return, in armour, to fight.

in communion with the cow animal. As Bettina Malcomess has

The artist and animal stand up for what is theirs. Death is reversed,

observed, we are witness to an impression; a void.

life asserted in the artist’s engagement with the animal’s soul.

Now the artist changes media. The bronze bust Zeus, a work Readied for war, Mntambo’s army marches in the direction of a

of breathtaking imagination, is a blend of the masculine and

suspended sculpture complete with cows’ hooves. Nandikeshvara

feminine with the artist’s features as foundation. Another

is inspired by the Nandi bull, the Hindu god Shiva’s vehicle of

‘personality’ is created as a result. The story of Europa’s

transport in war. The hooves offer a further play on movement –

abduction by Zeus in the form of a bull is revisioned by Mntambo

the army submitting itself to the leadership of the god, Shiva.

in the photographic work, The Rape of Europa, and in Narcissus the artist gazes at her own reflection again in the guise of Zeus

We move on, to be confronted by three sculptures in a kneeling

as bull. We are forced to ask, what is beautiful? What is ugly? In

posture. Prayer, submission and sensuality are evident; there

these scenarios self-love and self-hatred come to the fore.

is also an effort to hide, as confirmed by the title, Refuge. The latter impetus is enhanced in uMcedo, the monumental sculpture

The video Ukungenisa gives us the artist in performance: the

the artist has designated as her cave or pregnancy hut. Is the

artist at war with herself. Mntambo simultaneously takes on

structure an incubator, a gestation shell the adventurous among

the roles of the bull, bullfighter, audience and herself. As she

us will disappear into?

rehearses her moves in the arena, we recall the duende, or grace, of Conchita Cintrón. The matadora interrogated machismo with

The medium and the narrative salute the artist’s Swazi cultural

the same passion with which Mntambo challenges male and

heritage. In the unity of material and the artist’s body, we see

female roles in society.

Mntambo recalling or connecting through the unconscious to the Swazi practice of clothing the dead in cowhide at burial. The

We are observing the evolution of an authentic artistic voice.

deceased is ‘protected’ from the elements and enters the world of the ancestors at one with the cow animal. uMcedo may indeed

Mfundi Vundla is a pioneering producer of television and film

be an effort to protect.

in Africa 3

Ukungenisa 2008 Single-channel video projection, shot on HD Duration 2 mins 30 secs, sound Edition of 5 + 2AP

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Praรงa de Touros I 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 111 x 166cm Edition of 5 + 2AP Photograph: Jac de Villiers

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Praรงa de Touros IV 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper Triptych, 111 x 77cm each Edition of 5 + 2AP Photographs: Jac de Villiers

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Praรงa de Touros II 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 111 x 166cm Edition of 5 + 2AP Photograph: Jac de Villiers

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Praรงa de Touros III 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 111 x 166cm Edition of 5 + 2AP Photograph: Jac de Villiers

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Nandikeshvara 2009 Cowhide, cows’ hooves, resin, polyester mesh, waxed cord 183 x 110 x 26cm Private collection, Mauritius

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Emabutfo 2009 Cowhide, resin, polyester mesh, waxed cord 24 figures, each approx 120 x 60 x 20cm; installation approx 120 x 230 x 440cm

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Emabutfo and Nandikeshvara Installation view

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uMcedo 2009 Cows’ tails, wood 320 x 335 x 150cm

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Refuge 2009 Cowhide, resin, polyester mesh 3 figures, each approx 52 x 60 x 59cm; installation approx 52 x 190 x 59cm Private collection, Johannesburg

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Installation view with (left to right) The Rape of Europa, Narcissus, uMcedo and Refuge

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The Rape of Europa 2009 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 112 x 112cm Edition of 8 + 2AP Photographic composite: Tony Meintjes

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Narcissus 2009 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 112 x 112cm Edition of 8 + 2AP Photographic composite: Tony Meintjes

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Zeus 2009 Bronze 88 x 84 x 58cm Edition of 5 + 2AP

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Zeus (detail) 31

Sengifikile 2009 Bronze 79.5 x 53 x 25.5cm Edition of 5 + 2AP

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Europa 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper 112 x 112cm Edition of 5 + 2AP Photographic composite: Tony Meintjes

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Mlwa ne Nkunzi 2008 Archival pigment ink on cotton rag paper Diptych, 112 x 84.5cm each Edition of 5 + 2AP Photographer: Lambro

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The Jester 2008 Cowhide, resin, polyester mesh, waxed cord 175 x 60 x 80cm Sasol Collection, Johannesburg Facing page Intsandvokati 2008 Cowhide, cows’ ears, resin, polyester mesh 175 x 100 x 140cm Julia Stoschek Collection, Dßsseldorf

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Sondzela 2008 Cowhide, resin, polyester mesh, glass beads, waxed cord 170 x 165 x 100cm Julia Stoschek Collection, DĂźsseldorf

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As I Am 2009 Cowhide, cows’ hooves, resin, polyester mesh 58 x 71 x 44cm Private collection, Mauritius

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Silence and Dreams 2008 Cowhide, cows’ tails, resin, polyester mesh, waxed cord 8 figures, installation approx 245 x 650 x 300cm Installation view, Summer Projects 2008/9, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town

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Babel 2009 Cows’ tails, wood Installation dimensions variable Installation view, Why Not?, Kuckei + Kuckei, Berlin Photo: Lutz Bertram

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NANDIPHA MNTAMBO Born 1982 in Mbabane, Swaziland; lives and works in Cape Town Master’s degree in Fine Art with distinction, Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, 2007 SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Number Two: Fragile, Julia Stoschek Collection, Düsseldorf

2007 Ingabisa, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town

Performing South Africa, Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin Dak’art – 8th Dakar Biennale

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Skin-to-Skin, Standard Bank Gallery,

2009

Black Womanhood: Images, icons, and

Johannesburg Beauty and Pleasure in Contemporary

Barcelona Afterlife, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town 2006 Olvida quien soy – Erase me from who I am, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas MTN New Contemporaries,

ideologies of the African body, Hood

Johannesburg Art Gallery,

South African Art, The Stenersen

Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover,

Johannesburg

Museum, Oslo

NH; Davis Museum and Cultural Center,

Spot on ... Dak’art – 8th Dakar Biennale, IFA gallery, Berlin Why Not?, Kuckei + Kuckei, Berlin Black Womanhood: Images, icons, and

Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA delle Papesse, Siena The Trickster, ArtExtra, Johannesburg

Summer Projects 2008/9, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town

2005 In the Making: Materials and process, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town

2007 Summer 2007/8, Michael Stevenson,

2008

National Gallery, Cape Town

.ZA: Giovane arte dal Sudafrica, Palazzo

ideologies of the African body, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA

Second to None, Iziko South African

AWARDS

Cape Town Apartheid: The South African mirror, Centre de Cultura Contemporania,

Curatorial Fellowship, 2005 Brett Kebble Art Awards

Acknowledgements The artist gratefully acknowledges the support of Pro Helvetia in the production of Ukungenisa. Thanks to the Bronze Age Foundry, Dr KOP Matseke, studio assistant Peter Njanji, Michael Stevenson gallery staff, friends and family.

Catalogue no 41 | April 2009 Michael Stevenson, Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock 7925, South Africa Tel +27 (0)21 462 1500 Editor Sophie Perryer Photographs Mario Todeschini (unless otherwise credited) Image repro Ray du Toit Printing Hansa Print, Cape Town info@michaelstevenson.com www.michaelstevenson.com

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MICHAEL STEVENSON 50