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