Archive: Issue No. 63, November 2002

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ARTTHROB
MONTHLY ISSUE #63 NOV 2002
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Marlene Dumas

The Witness, a superb gouache on paper by Marlene Dumas, goes up on auction this week

SEE NEWS

Karlien de Villiers

Karlien de Villiers
'Paranoid'

SEE REVIEWS

Brett Murray

Brett Murray
Zulu Heaven
Painted metal
190 x 115 x 11.5 cm

SEE KZN LISTINGS

Norman Catherine

Norman Catherine
Catalepti, 2002
Oilstick on paper
126 x 87 cms

SEE GAUTENG LISTINGS

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen
Western Deep, 2002
Stills

SEE NEWS


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SELECTED LISTINGS

STANDBY

THIS WEEK:

"This issue is bigger than me," explains Kendell Geers in an exclusive interview with ArtThrob, "and involves every artist in the collection, from Picasso and Rembrandt to Sekoto and Siopis." He is clarifying some of the statements contained in his two open letters to Maishe Maponya, Director: Arts, Culture and Heritage Services for the City of Johannesburg.
As it however transpires, Kendell Geers has been arguing the same points for ages, an article written in 1997 loudly warning of the perils facing the Johannesburg Art Gallery. "It was ironic that, in the end, it was my own works that was stolen and vandalised," he comments.
If pressed to answer why this issue focuses such an inordinate amount of attention on Geers, the response would be varied - and also simple. Johannesburg stands at the troubled centre of South Africa's transformation process. As Terry Kurgan's overview of events at Constitution Hill (not quite incidentally up the road from the Johannesburg Art Gallery) reveal, there is much to be optimistic about. Then again there is a long list of talented artists living in exile. Kendell Geers is but one of them.
"You [expletive] scared him away," ArtThrob is accused in a letter published in Feedback. In his interview Kendell Geers, however, points the finger elsewhere, his explanations and accusations encompassing far more than just the City of Johannesburg's beleaguered old art gallery.

A limited edition print by Zwelethu Mthethwa will launch Editions for ArtThrob. Set to launch in December, this venture will make the work of South Africa's best artists widely accessible to new audiences, as well as provide an opportunity for collectors to build up a unique collection. The distribution of a new print every two months will also create the necessary financial support to sustain www.artthrob.co.za. Other than Zwelethu Mthethwa, artists Tracey Rose, Robert Hodgins, Kay Hassan and Hentie van der Merwe have also confirmed their participation.

Next Update: 1 December


CAPE

William Kentridge returns home, the South African National Gallery hosting a major retrospective of the artist's work. Donovan Ward shows at Bell-Roberts, while the AVA showcases work by Nicholas Hales, Alice Goldin and five young photographers. Tom Cullberg is at the João Ferreira.

The Absa Gallery hosts the SANAVA charity exhibition, Giulio Tambellini shows Where Does Outside Become Inside at Art on Paper, Norman Catherine shows new work at the Goodman Gallery, and Jane Alexander's award-winning anthropomorphic 'African Adventure' series arrives in Pretoria fresh from Germany.

Brett Murray shows 'White Like Me' at the DAG, the NSA launches its annual festive season exhibition, and 'Eye Operation' by Siphiwe Zulu is extended. And, there is still a chance to see Carol Brown's 'Male Order', a show that highlights the place of the masculine in our society.

Winner of the Artissima 2002/ Big Torino Prize, Hentie van der Merwe exhibits at the Italian art fair Artissima 2002. Recently nominated for the Walter Hopps Award for Curatorial Achievement, Kendell Geers showcases his curatorial skills in Australia. Brett Murray lights up Brussels with his wall lights and installations, while Maputo-based Berry Bickle shows in France. The large group show, South African Family Stories is still on view in Amsterdam, while Rory Bester and Amanda Carlson's 'The Field's Edge' continues to focus US attention on major themes around narratives of domestic life and the Diaspora.

REVIEWS

Looking at the systems and structures underpinning Jeremy Wafer's work, Paul Edmunds attempts to grasp the principles that render Wafer's output fractionally beyond the viewers grasp. In a rare review of a student's work, we assess the output of emerging talent Matthew Hindley. Michael Godby reports on Africa's latest photo festival: Photofesta Maputo. Sean O'Toole assesses the new Taxi monograph on David Koloane and gives 'Comics Brew' a thumbs-up.
NEWS

We devote a significant proportion of our coverage to the on-going debate between Kendell Geers and the administrators of the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Aside from an open letter sent by Kendell to Maishe Maponya, we include an interview with the artist, and also reprint an article by the artist from 1997. We also mention Geers in Art Papers magazine, the Art for AIDS Orphans Auction, early press reviews of 'The Field's Edge' show in the US, and discuss Turner Prize winner Steve McQueen's 'Western Deep', filmed near Johannesburg. In the SANG, the Mount Nelson guard Jean Moto Kalunga strikes a pose.
SUE WILLIAMSON'S DIARY

Sue Williamson offers her insiders view.
ART BIO

An artist of undeniable import, ArtThrob profiles the extensive artistic output of Malcolm Payne. His complex oeuvre encompasses virtually every medium, from drawings, paintings and prints to wallpieces and sculptures. As he reveals: "I like the seriousness of the game."
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Links to artists, galleries, and institutions
PROJECT OF THE MONTH

SEEING/BEING SEEN, at www.see.org.za, is a project site that facilitates cultural exchange between South Africa and the Netherlands. More importantly, it also serves as a virtual complement to the group show at Amsterdam's KIT Tropenmuseum, 'Group Portrait: Nine South African Families'.
EXCHANGE

We include proposal guidelines for the forthcoming YDESIRE exhibition, to be held at Cape Town's Castle of Good Hope next year, as well as for the third Impact International Printmaking Conference, also in Cape Town. There is information on a teaching opportunity in Medellín, a city in the heart of the Andes Mountains, as well as details about new post-graduate courses in the arts, at MECAD in Barcelona.
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