William Kentridge, whose last retrospective at the South African National Gallery in Cape Town was one of the biggest crowd pullers in the SANG's history, is again the subject of a differently curated - this time by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev - retrospective at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, see
Robyn's Sassen's review.
Much as the country's most famous artist deserves these accolades, ArtThrob's question is this: why do the large art institutions not take more initiative in bringing the art careers of other late and mid-career artists to the attention of the public in locally curated retrospectives? The drawings, the different bodies of work in varying media building links and connections across the years all take on a new richness and complexity when seen as a whole. Artists like Penny Siopis, Clive van den Berg, Sandile Zulu, Moshekwa Langa and Brett Murray come to mind. What a treat it would be to see a substantial exhibition from each, spanning the last 10 or 20 years.
In ABOUT US this month, and in the interests of better communication, ArtThrob publishes a list of new email addresses for our various editors.
What is happening about the much talked about Luanda Triennale? Find out next month in a special reportback on this fledgling event.
Next update: Friday, September 2
Sue Williamson
FOUNDING EDITOR
CAPE
The highly varied materials artists use and the way these are transformed into art is the focus of 'In The Making' at Michael Stevenson Contemporary, which features 11 South African artists at various stages of their careers. In 'Profit and Loss' at João Ferreira, Nadja Daehnke bases her multi-layered artworks on historical texts and images, and at the new project space Blank, Nhlanhla Hlongwane, presents 'Stepping Razors', a way of moving forward that can also cut through obstacles. Lithographs from UCT's Working Proof Portfolio are up at the UCT Irma Stern Museum
GAUTENG
'Click' at the Goodman Gallery mixes photographic works by international stars like Shirin Neshat, Tracey Moffatt and Marina Abromovic with new work from local artists such as Senzeni Marasela. At Gallery@157, Cape Town sculptor Kevin Brand shows 'Pieces of Eight', sculptures inspired by the little components found on circuit boards and Leon Vermeulen exhibits 'Shadow Drawings'. At The Premises, the city of Johannesburg is remapped by Sean Slemon.
KWAZULU-NATAL
US artist Kendall Buster transforms the space at the KZNSA with her expansive installation, 'Model City', and Siemon Allen makes a rare appearance in this country with 'Cards'. The Durban Art Gallery hosts shows on AIDS in 2005, work by women on women from India and the Norman Catherine retrospective.
INTERNATIONAL
On 'Orientations and Illusions', the first electronic arts festival in Rio de Janeiro, South African artists include Tracey Rose, Zen Marie, Gregg Smith, Moshekwa Langa and Thando Mama. In London, Guy Tillim is showing at The Photographers Gallery.
CAPE
Dario Matter's stone sculptures in the Erdmann Contemporary gallery speak of 'Discomfort' in a solo debut. Kim Gurney says his strongly developing personal visual language ties the show together. John Murray has created a lekgotla of African presidential leaders in the Michael Stevenson gallery with an exhibition of his latest portraits, while Claudette Schreuders' lithographs extend her distinctive oeuvre. Kim Gurney reviews. Linda Stupart has mixed reactions to Carol-anne Gainer's works at Bell-Roberts Contemporary, but pronounces her a surprising and provocative addition to the city's art scene.
GAUTENG
In this month's reviews, Robyn Sassen comments that William Kentridge's retrospective at the Johannesburg Art Gallery represents a cogent and unforgettable insight into the work ethic, humour and potency of the artist. Brett Kebble winner for 2004, Phillip Rikhotso blends Tsonga mythology with urban anachronism in a stunning exhibition, but fellow winner Tanya Poole's work is less convincing.
In the STUDENT REVIEW section, Nkosinathi Quwe reviews the Burgess cult classic A Clockwork Orange directed by Greg Homann. In his exhibition 'Disruptive', Ian Waldeck goes all out to 'violate' masters of the art canon with mixed results, feels Motlamedi Sehuhula.
KWAZULU NATAL
Francesca Verga presents an overview of the exhibition 'Positive: AIDS in 2005' at the Durban Art Gallery.
INTERNATIONAL
Julia Rosa Clark's obsessively handmade works on 'A Million Trillion Gazillion' at Liste Art Fair in Basel have a universal appeal, finds Mandy Lee Jandrell.
Absa L'Atelier celebrates its 20th anniversary and announces 2005 winners; Guy Tillim wins the international Leica Oskar Barnack Award; S.A. Nobel Peace Prize winners are commemorated in public sculptures by Noria Mabasa and Claudette Schreuders, and KwaZulu Natal master ceramicist Nesta Nala dies at 65.
Sue Williamson goes to the opening of Blank, a new Cape Town gallery, receives news of a California residency, and envies the title of another online diary: 'Diary of an ageing art slut'.
Cape Town artist print- and film maker Vuyile Voyiya is the subject of the August artbio.
Carine Zaayman visits www.dumile.org.za, finding it to be a comprehensive repository of the artist's work.
The Portugal-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation recently launched their ArtAfrica website, a rich resource of information on Portuguese speaking artists from across the African continent.
Calls for participation in a Cape Town-based International Thupelo Workshop as well as the International Festival of Electronic Art 404 in Argentina.
ArtThrob catches up with a backlog of correspondence.
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