ReCollection: 130 years of Acquiring Art for the Nation (1871 - 2001)
by Kerryn Greenberg
'ReCollection', by now almost a permanent feature of the South African National Gallery's (SANG) entrance room, continues to provide visitors with an impressive overview of the gallery's 130 years of collecting. It is also a highly unusual undertaking considering that public galleries do not normally stage exhibitions revealing their collecting policies.
Presented both thematically and chronologically, this exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the trials, tribulations, and achievements associated with collecting art within a restrictive political and economic framework. By taking an honest look at the SANG's turbulent history, curator Hayden Proud bravely acknowledges the collection as a product of this history.
On entering the gallery one is confronted with Daphne Taylor's The Brazen Serpent. Arguably not the finest work on display it is apparent that Proud's choice of it as the core artwork is based on something other than its aesthetic value. This painting was one of many works lost to the collection during a scandalous sale in 1947 when paintings deemed inferior by the SANG's director were auctioned off. Today regarded as unacceptable practice, the SANG, in-line with their policy to protect all work in their permanent collection, whether bought or donated, is making attempts to recover these 'lost' works.
Moving from the colonial to the contemporary, 'ReCollection' covers a vast spectrum of artists working in a variety of different mediums and styles. The selected artworks also reflect the individual artists' divergent influences and concerns. Superficially disjointed, it is ultimately Proud's voice, narrating a history of changing value judgements and evolving policies through specific artworks from the SANG's permanent collection, that unites the exhibition.
Part of this success lies in how Proud successfully conveys the difficulties inherent in the collecting process, confronting viewers with questions ranging from what and when to purchase, to the aesthetic and economic value of artworks, to what to do with what is purchased, to donors and their expectations. There are questions asked about how to display the artwork, how to care for it, as well as insights into the difficulties of forming and growing a representative collection within tight economic and political constraints. Proud does not shy away from a legacy of what is now regarded to have been 'inappropriate' decision-making.
Historically the SANG's collecting policy has had a strong bias towards works by international artists as well as white South African artists working in the European style. By using half of the exhibition space to show artworks of this nature Proud acknowledges this history, and encourages the public to think about what was historically purchased and why. It is with this purpose in mind that he reveals that the gallery spent half of its 1987 acquisitions budget on purchasing Andre Lhote's La Joueuse de Flute. This work was chosen to represent the School of Paris' influence on South African art, but also shows the SANG's historical pre-occupation with white artists following European trends.
The inclusion of Paris, snow scene, a painting bought in 1927 and exhibited as the SANG's only genuine Impressionist artwork, finds itself once again on display despite its condemnation as a fake in 1985. This is extraordinary. Not only is the gallery acknowledging that they purchased a fake and exhibited it for years as an original Alfred Sisley, they are re-exhibiting it, as a genuine part of the SANG's permanent collection. Its exhibition unexpectedly brings to the fore problems concerning copies and fakes.
In keeping with this seemingly transparent overview of the SANG's history of collecting, Proud presents Victor Vasarely's Vega-Fel, an acrylic Op Art painting that constitutes one of the SANG's most expensive acquisitions, costing R19 000.00 in 1970. Although of interest to the public, this revelation is highly unusual. Galleries rarely reveal how much works cost or their estimated value.
The gallery's collection of limited edition prints is presented as a response to the soaring price of paintings in the 1980's. Photographic prints are also recognised as a 'new' field of collecting that emerged in 1965. Although now widely accepted as fine art, the curator makes reference to the historical misgivings of its status, and presents its acceptance in South Africa largely as a result of its ability to successfully document the social reality and drama of politics during Apartheid.
With Proud's guidance the viewer is able to identify gaps in the SANG's collection and attribute them to Apartheid policies and the general cultural boycott that ensued, alongside strictly imposed budget constraints. Proud goes some way to explaining this and presents the SANG's current policy, which aims to subvert the injustices of the past and create a permanent collection that is more representative of South African art and artists.
Through exhibiting the work of artists like John Muafengejo the gallery recognises South Africa's previously neglected independent art movements. The incorporation of Willie Bester's Soldier (recycled refuse as a political polemic and a talking point of the exhibition) successfully evidences an example of the gallery's current policy, which is to collect works by wide ranging voices expressing themselves in diverse mediums with strong political and social messages. Challenging traditional gallery definitions of what constitutes art, Proud juxtaposes the presentation of controversial pieces such as Bester's alongside examples of traditional South African cultural material, such as beadwork, snuff spoons, and head rests.
Continuing on a theme, Proud makes reference to current state indifference to visual art, and a general inability to recognise such a collection as an important component of South Africa's national identity and pride. The curator makes numerous political statements and in identifying past obstacles, draws attention to the current hurdles the gallery is forced to face. The biggest obstacle is to enlarge the collection in line with multicultural objectives mindful of the limited space, the suitability of which is already under question. Reference is also made to high running costs, which are negatively impacting on already marginal acquisition budgets. Furthermore Proud reveals that donations to the SANG are not eligible for tax exemption, providing little incentive for the public to donate artworks.
An unapologetically dense visual and textual experience, this rather heavily curated show demands public interaction with both the text and the artworks simultaneously as the curator presents the forces that have shaped the form and growth of the gallery's permanent collection. Even a superficial appreciation of the artwork and the associated history is an arduous task for a public accustomed to instant gratification. Fortunately Proud made allowances for this by colour-coding the walls into bite-sized chunks that one can appreciate independently of the larger story.
The curator's pre-occupation with politics towards the end of the exhibition does tend to overshadow some of the other issues at hand. For instance, the SANG's recent budget is not revealed; we are not told how much newly purchased works cost, and the curator despite making reference to their policy of inclusivity fails to explain what is being done to achieve this. It is evidently far easier to address these issues in the past than it is in the present. Just as the collection is a product of its time, so this exhibition is a product of its time.
Kerryn Greenberg is a student of Art Criticism, currently studying her Honours at the University of Cape Town.
South African National Gallery, Government Avenue, Company Gardens, Cape Town
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