Greg Streak
Fake Empire (Blue Monday) 2011,
plywood, plastic, steel, live plants, Dimensions variable
The new year is here, and ArtThrob continues to deliver fresh reads for your inevitably bloodshot eyes.
News Editor Matthew Blackman has been busy, turning in a slew of items that summarise the major points of the year that was. He looks at the honours garnered by various SA artists, and also considers the conscientious objections by David Goldblatt and Zwelethu Mthethwa to various political issues.
Blackman also reports on the failure of the Deputy President, despite assurances to the contrary, to respond to questions about the process surrounding SA’s participation in the 2011 Venice Biennale.
Artist and freelance contributor to ArtThrob Greg Streak sums up the visual contributions to December 2011’s COP17 conference held in Durban. Streak considers the politics of making work against a backdrop of political insincerity and a window-dressing mindset.
Also, I spoke to Robyn Penn about her recent show 'Pretty World' at David Krut Projects at ArtsOnMain.
In case you missed them in your orgy of festive excess, a reminder about some articles from the end of 2011: ‘Sound affects: what three contemporary artists are listening to’ sees me speaking to James Webb, Sanell Aggenbach and Paul Edmunds about what’s on their playlists at the moment; in ‘Fresh face, fresh perspective’ Sara Hallatt, new Director of Johannesburg’s Bag factory Studios speaks about bringing her event coordinator’s mindset to the visual art industry; and Editions Manager Natasha Norman speaks to artist Chris Swift about his quest to understand white identity.
MICHAEL SMITH
MANAGING EDITOR

Bridget Baker
Steglitz House (film still) 2009-2010,
Black and white film; DVD, audio, 9 minutes
Image courtesy of the artist

Frohawk Two Feathers
Beer, Braaivleis, Battle, The Battle of Cape Agulhas, 1792 2011,
Acrylic, ink and tea on paper, 112 x 164cm

Siemon Allen
Land of Black Gold II (detail) 2004,
Paper and correction fluid mounted on foamcore, 248.9 x 510.5 x 1 cm
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Courtesy of Guggenheim Museum and Goodman Gallery, South Africa; Photo by Siemon Allen

Pieter Hugo
Pieter and Maryna Vermeulen with Timana Phosiwa 2006,
C-Print, 121.5 x 102.5cm
Image courtesy Stevenson
As seen on Figures & Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography
Ashraf Jamal reviews 'Unearthed': Lindi Arbi at the Monument by Lindi Arbi at Gallery in the Round, Ruth Simbao reviews Umtshotsho by Nicholas Hlobo at Monument Gallery and .
Bianca Baldi reviews 'Wrecking at Private Siding 661' by Bridget Baker at CHRISTIAN FERREIRA at the Wapping Project, Bianca Baldi reviews 'The Global Contemporary: Art Worlds After 1989' by Ruth Sacks, Pieter Hugo, Zander Blom, Meschac Gaba and Moshekwa Langa at ZKM - Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and Hannah Dewar reviews 'Santu Mofokeng, Chasing Shadows: 30 Years of Photographic Essays' by Santu Mofokeng at Jeu de Paume.
Robyn Cook reviews 'Recollect' by Hendrik Stroebel at KZNSA, Robyn Cook reviews 'Homing' by Various Artists at KZNSA and Robyn Cook reviews Opening of The Collective: An artSPACE Durban Initiative by Various Artists at The Collective.
Michael Smith reviews 'Other Faces' by William Kentridge at Goodman Gallery, Sean OToole reviews The FNB Joburg Art Fair by Various artists at Sandton Convention Centre and Matthew Partridge reviews 'SWAT' by Willem Boshoff at Goodman Gallery.
M Blackman reviews 'The Edge of the Earth Isn't Far from Here' by Frohawk Two Feathers at Stevenson in Cape Town, Renee Holleman reviews 'Damn your eyes, damn your eyes' and 'Further Fictions' by Robyn Nesbitt and Natasha Norman at Commune.1 and Lloyd Pollak reviews 'Thrown Together' by Simon Stone at SMAC Art Gallery Cape Town.
A new ArtBio on Wilhelm Saayman

David Goldblatt
The sports field at Hondeklipbaai. 14 September 2003. 2003,
Digital print on cotton paper, 420 x 515 mm
Editions for ArtThrob print proves investment value on auction Last month at the Stephen Weltz auction, David Goldblatt's Editions for ArtThrob print sold for a record R16 000.00. At the close of the edition the prints were selling for only R6 000.00 making the sale a 166% return on investment. Editions for ArtThrob was initiated as a fundraising venture for the website but has proved time and again to be an invaluable opportunity for collectors to invest in prints by top South African artists with real return on that investment. Currently the print program has available works by Zwelethu Methethwa, Candice Breitz, Willem Boshoff, Sam Nhlengethwa, Penny Siopis, Mikhael Subotzky, James Webb, Cameron Platter, Dineo Bopape, Athi Patra-Ruga and Georgina Gratrix. Our Portfolio editions includes prints by William Kentridge, Robert Hodgins and Jane Alexander. Visit the Editions website for more information on available prints and purchasing.