Archive: Issue No. 42, February 2001
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
 |
Johannesburg 20.02.01 Andrew Verster and Cecil Skotnes at the Goodman 20.02.01 John Caple at the Everard Read 20.02.01 'Portrait of the Spirit' at the Alliance Francaise 20.02.01 Brad Hammond presents 'A Brief History in Video' 20.02.01 'Symptoms' by Marisa Smit at Spark! 20.02.01 Breyten Breytenbach at the Gencor Gallery 30.01.01 Elza Miles and Tamar Mason at Art on Paper 30.01.01 Gast Bouchet at Camouflage 30.01.01 Karin Preller at the Absa Gallery 30.01.01 Henry Moore at Gallery on the Square 23.01.01 Willem Boshoff's 'Kring van Kennis' at the Gencor Gallery 23.01.01 'Big Bag Show' at the Goodman Pretoria 20.02.01 'The Hourglass Project' at the Unisa Gallery 20.02.01 'Preview 2001' at the Millennium Gallery Orange Free State 30.01.01 Alan Alborough at the Johannes Stegmann
|
|
Andrew Verster
Cecil Skotnes
|
|
|
 |
Andrew Verster and Cecil Skotnes at the Goodman
Andrew Verster and Cecil Skotnes both present new work in a familiar vein. Verster says of the Indian-influenced collection of work, which he calls 'Bandhini':
"Making pictures is my way of getting to know something. I talk as easily with colours and shapes, as others talk with words. And though I longed to talk with India, I was tongue-tied and mute. I had prose, India was poetry. My colours were drab and my line did not flow but was all dots, dashes and angles. This was not going to be easy. But I was determined. And India was patient with me.
It is beginning to happen now." He continues his forays into engraving through wet paint to reveal brilliant colour beneath.
Cecil Skotnes' new works are the latest manifestations of the central theme he has been dealing with for several years, namely man and human interaction, explored through carved and painted wooden forms. This show is a chance to catch up with some reliable figures on the local art scene.
The exhibition opens on Saturday, February 24 with traditional Goodman 'drinks at noon'. Closes March 17.
Goodman Gallery, 163 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood
|
|
John Caple
|
|
|
John Caple at the Everard Read
A painter hailing from Sidcot in Somerset, John Caple has a style of working that can be traced back to the folk art of the West Country. Born in 1966, he began painting twelve years ago without formal training, focusing on the inhabitants and mythology of the area, and family events either actual, remembered or imagined. While the paintings could very easily be classed as the work of a 'na�ve painter' with subject matter that sits outside contemporary frames of reference, they are very unusual in their palette and treatment: dark tones, eerie treatment of light and space, and landscapes which seem to swallow up the people painted in them. Painted on card or whatever is close at hand, the work is very evocative of landscapes and characters as described in the books of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and probably one of the more interesting painting shows on this year's gallery circuit.
The exhibition opens on February 20 at 6pm. Closes March 6.
6 Jellicoe Avenue
Gallery Hours: Mon to Fri: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
| |
|
Andrew Tshabangu
|
|
|
'Portrait of the Spirit' at the Alliance Francaise
Presented in conjunction with the French Institute, the Alliance hosts an exhibition of photography by Soweto-based Andrew Tshabangu and Ren�-Paul Savignan from R�union Island. The two met in Bamako in Mali in 1996, during the second African Photographic meeting and decided to partner up, choosing to explore the expression of religious faith in their two different cultural contexts. The exhibition will include several drums by Samson Mudzunga.
The exhibition opens at 7pm on February 19 and closes on March 10.
The exhibition opens on February 20 at 6pm. Closes March 6.
Alliance Francaise 17 Lower Park Drive, Parkview
| |
|
Brad Hammond
|
|
|
Brad Hammond presents 'A Brief History in Video'
On February 23 at 10.00 a.m., last year's Absa Atelier winner Brad Hammond will present selected pieces of his video work produced to date, including his first collaborative video, Mute. Hammond is currently producing what he calls 'anti-videos', meditative and introspective works that explore the medium's capabilities for behaving in a non-narrative way, such that time becomes almost material.
The hour-long presentation will take place in the Absa auditorium, with accompanying refreshments. Please call Julie Macliam on 350-4588 or 350-4291 for more information or to book your seat.
ABSA Auditorium
| |
|
Marisa Smit
|
|
|
'Symptoms' by Marisa Smit at Spark!
It's good to see that Spark! are beginning to turn out regular exhibitions, and encouraging the work of younger and less experienced artists. Recent Wits Tech graduate Marisa Smit presents 'Symptoms', a collection of work dealing with body politics.
The exhibition will be opened by David Paton on February 21 at 6.30 p.m. Closes March 4.
Spark!, 10 Louis Road, Orchards
| |
|
Breyten Breytenbach
|
|
|
Breyten Breytenbach at the Gencor Gallery
Artist, poet and reactionary Breyten Breytenbach presents 'Lappesait', a monumental work produced for a 1999 commission for design firm Studio V and attorneys Brink, Cohen, Le Roux & Roodt. Described as " a twenty first century work intended for the ordinary man", the piece is made up of what the artist terms 'canvas books', each of the ten units measures 3 x 1.2 metres and combines poetry and images.
Breytenbach is celebrated internationally as a painter, having had nearly 40 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group shows, and has been the recipient of several European painting prizes. However, in this country, this aspect of his controversial career is less well known than his writing, and he has exhibited his paintings locally on only four occasions.
The exhibition opens on February 6 at 6.30 for 7.00 p.m. Seating is limited. RSVP to Rita van der Heever on (011) 489 2034.
Opening: February 06, 6.30pm
Gencor Gallery, Rand Afrikaans University, C Ring, cnr Kingsway & University Road, Auckland Park
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Elza Miles and Tamar Mason at Art on Paper
Art on Paper is a new gallery on Main Road Melville specializing in graphics, photography and paintings on paper, although they do show other media. Run by enthusiastic Alet Vorster, the gallery currently shows graphic work circa. 1960/70 by Elza Miles (who is better known as a critic and writer) and ceramics by Tamar Mason. The gallery comes highly recommended by recent visitors. Closing: February 28
Art on Paper, 8 Main Road, Melville (next to Outer Limits book shop)
|
|
Gast Bouchet
|
|
|
|
Gast Bouchet at Camouflage
Based in Brussels and Luxembourg, photographer Gast Bouchet spent some time in South Africa during November 2000, as part of 'Area', Camouflage's international residency programme. The exhibition is entitled 'This Space Between Us' and consists of work produced during his residency, presented as a slide projection installation.
Opening: February 01, 8pm
Camouflage Art.Culture.Politics nucleus johannesburg africa, 140 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, 2193
|
|
Karin Preller
|
|
|
|
Karin Preller at the Absa Gallery
Painter Karin Preller's 'Family Album' exhibition gathers together a series of paintings she has produced from old family photographs, often painted to mimic the original monochrome quality of the aged photographs. A well-dressed white couple amble down Rissik Street, the style of the clothing dating the image somewhere between 1950 and 1970; children play in the yard of old farmsteads; and people pose alongside cars and fences. The paintings straddle a curious space between photo-realism and more expressive painting - from a distance then appear to be photographs, but up close, this status shifts - shadows become geometric and shapes quite stylized. The exhibition will be opened by Keith Dietrich on February 7 at 5.30 pm
Opening: February 07, 5.30 pm
ABSA Gallery, ABSA Towers North, 161 Main Street, JHB
|
|
Henry Moore
|
|
|
|
Henry Moore at Gallery on the Square
In addition to ceramics by the Ardmore Studio, Rodney Blumenfeld, Andrew Walford and Nomabaso Bedeshe, and works by Regi Bardavid, Jenny Stadler and others, this commercial space in Sandton Square is currently showing a portfolio of Henry Moore lithographs called 'Reclining Figures' (1973). Often criticised for becoming something of a caricature of himself in later years, this is an opportunity to view a collection of international graphics and decide for yourself. Take note of the gallery's new trading hours.
Opening: February 07, 5.30 pm
Gallery on the Square, Shop 32, Sandton Square, corner 5th and Maude Streets, Sandown
|
|
Willem Boshoff with one
of the stones from 'Kring van Kennis'
|
|
|
|
Willem Boshoff's 'Kring van Kennis' at the Gencor Gallery
RAU seems to be serious about putting its money where its mouth is in terms of knowledge-building and moving the once-Afrikaans dominated university into the 21st century. They recently commissioned neo-conceptualist Willem Boshoff to create a public sculpture for the main entrance to the campus. Kring van Kennis was erected in the second half of last year. A circle of eleven 'stones of thought' sculpted from South African granite have been placed roughly in a circle to form eleven points of discussion, one for each of South Africa's official languages. Adapted from Western and African Stone Age forms of concentric circles, texts are etched into the granite of the top part of the eleven stones. About twenty inscriptions covering the theme of "things that are worth learning about" (as described by the artist) are found on every stone or "seat", with the emphasis on knowledge, cognitive power, intelligence and awakening. To emphasis the site-specificity of the piece, typical university ideals are expressed and emphasised with -ologies and -isms suffixes. The chosen text is a selection of words from a dictionary, which Boshoff began to develop himself more than ten years ago. Each is found at the top of the 'seats' with a concise explanation. He says:
The official unveiling of the group of sculptures will be undertaken by Prof JC van der Walt, the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University, on Wednesday, January 31 at 5.30 p.m.
Opening: Wednesday, January 31 at 5.30 pm
Gencor Gallery, Rand Afrikaans University, C Ring, cnr Kingsway & University Road, Auckland Park
|
|
The Big Bag Show
|
|
|
|
'Big Bag Show' at the Goodman
Post- Big Bag Auction, the gallery hosts the 'Big Bag Show' featuring artists who worked, or who have worked, at the historic Bag Factory, also known at the Fordsburg Artists' Studios. While the studios provide facilities for artists, specifically those from communities without similar resources, they have hosted local guest residents as well as run a successful international residency programme for mid-career artists. The exhibition will include past and present residents as well as established and younger talents.
Opening: January 27
Goodman Gallery, 163 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood
|
|
Bongi Bengu
|
|
|
|
'The Hourglass Project' at the Unisa Gallery
'The Hourglass Project' at the Unisa Gallery
'The Hourglass Project' exhibition is the result of a residency project held at the Caversham Centre, run through the Caversham Educational Trust. The residency at the Caversham Press print studio in Natal, involved women artists from the USA, Ireland and Southern Africa and the exhibition includes Deborah Bell, Bongi Bengu, Sophie Peters, Bronwen Findlay and Grace Tshikuvhe.
The exhibition closes on March 16.
Unisa Main Campus, Theo Van Wijk Building, B-Block - 5th floor (Gold Fields Entrance)
|
|
Wilma Cruise
|
|
|
'Preview 2001' at the Millennium Gallery
The Millennium kicks off the year with a group exhibition by a rather motley crew of artists including Braam Kruger, Wilma Cruise, Jaco Benade, Magda Joubert, Chris Diedericks, Daniel Mosako, Johan Moolman, Cheryl Gage and Guy du Toit. Hopefully the gallery's New Year resolution is to treat their artists and exhibitions more professionally than in the past.
The exhibition closes March 3.
Unisa Main Campus, Theo Van Wijk Building, B-Block - 5th floor (Gold Fields Entrance)
| |
|
Alan Alborough
|
|
|
|
Alan Alborough at the Johannes Stegmann
Judging by the images on www.alanalborough.co.za, the exhibition of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for 2000 has gone from strength to strength
as it has moved from one venue to another. Alborough's unique concept was
that the show would change and mutate and develop as it proceeded from city
to city, and that those changes, and the responses of public and press
alike, would be recorded on a website. At each venue, the other worldly
installation has dominated the space, evoking expressions approaching awe
from viewers.
Closing: February 21
Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery, Ground floor, Library building, University of the Orange Free State
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||
