2003 in review
by Michael Stevenson
1) Best Show(s): Clive van den Berg's 'Love Ballast', held at the Goodman in September, was mesmerising. He is an artist who seamlessly fuses his acute aesthetic sensibility with his inquiring intellect to produce works that are reflective, engaging, sad and also very beautiful. David Goldblatt's show was also staggering. He has a very individuated way of looking at familiar landscapes in a way that leaves me haunted by the presence of the place. His work is extraordinary, I think, for the reason that his images transcend the formal aesthetic concerns that are an end in themselves for so many artists.
2) Best individual artwork: At the risk of being slightly prejudiced in my choice, it would be a toss-up between Willem Boshoff's Secret Letters, exhibited at Michael Stevenson Contemporary in September, and Wim Botha's Mirage, the centre piece of his November show with us. Both works were conceptually intriguing, aesthetically seductive, and were conceived on a scale that goes beyond the usual format of art in South Africa.
3) Most memorable quote: None.
4) Biggest disappointment: The biggest disappointment was almost not a disappointment because my expectations were so low, yet the Brett Kebble Art Award exhibition was still a disappointment. A misconceived project relying on an out-dated triennale format and lacking an understanding of the integrity that is fundamental to the work of many artists. Aside from the fact that the R100,000 prize was parking meter money in relation to what the whole extravagant, hubristic exercise must have ultimately cost.
5) Best review: Reviewing in the mining-towns and fishing villages of South African art tends to be so meek and conciliatory because most reviewers are hesitant to express an opinion for fear of being sent into exile by our parochial art world. In addition, the habit of most reviewers to look at exhibitions through a (often holely) theoretical sieve, rather than from a personal perspective, makes for many boring reviews. The exceptions are the likes of Lloyd Pollack and Melvyn Minnaar whose writing may not be fashionable in the academies of art (and Pollack is too fond of adjectives) but it is always refreshing to read an engaging opinion rather than a regurgitated press release or platitudes to important personas.
6) Artist to watch in 2004: Churchill Madikida's show at the Johannesburg Art Gallery was intriguing and teasing yet perhaps not entirely resolved visually or conceptually. But his work is spirited, heartfelt and provocative, in a considered way, and I would hope that, with time, his early promise will mature into powerful work once he has come to terms with the multi-media aspects of his creative process.
7) Additional comments: I think the South African art world perhaps does not sufficiently acknowledge the amazing times in which we live. Art in South Africa is at an extraordinary juncture because the artistic imagination of the country has shifted out of the shadows of apartheid into a context that is complex, yet dynamic, in its articulation of the human condition. In the decade since the advent of democracy, a generation of artists who are challenging the frontiers of artistic expression, both visually and intellectually, has come to the fore.
In the past few years the parameters of the international art world have also shifted dramatically to embrace art conceived on the margins and frontiers of the western world. As a result, we have 20 or more artists on the international circuit when in the isolated 1980s it was a great event when a single artist was included in an international show. We have a profusion of extraordinary artists in our midst that is totally disproportionate to the size of our art community. Compare for instance how few artists from countries similar to ourselves (such as Australia, Brazil, India etc.) are seen as frequently in international shows. In time, it may be said that Johannesburg was one of the creative capitals of the world in the early 21st century.
