It's a time of exclusions. As the Brett Kebble Art Awards make their second turn many a muttering can be heard about who has not been accepted onto the lengthy list of finalists. Art Space in Fairlands, Johannesburg is hosting a show entitled Ani(male) that apparently arises out of the fact that many of South Africa's art awards in 2003 were awarded to women. This all male show (no, there is an 'honorary' position allocated to Diane Victor) will, it seems, celebrate the male energy in art. Now I suspect that there might well be a bit of tongue-in-cheek here but really: even in jest, of all the myriad exclusions we see in South African art: economic, educational, racial, social I would think that it is high time we had an exhibition by men
apologising for 'the male energy in art'. Now that we know who made it onto
10 Years/100 Artists, the lavish coffee table book that is published this month, we may prepare ourselves for a dizzying stream of criticism, in print and in gossip, about who has been left out. Perhaps the time has come to stop wasting energy on these activities and to celebrate the winners and losers alike. Maybe Ruth Sacks understood this with her entry to this year's 'Kebbles'. In a gesture far from any male energy I know of, she has made three series of tiny trophies engraved with 'Better Luck Next Year'; 'Don't Take it Personally' and 'I Like Yours Best'. One will go to each of the 183 non-winners on October.
Andrew Lamprecht
Next Update: November 3
CAPE
Comics Brew hits the Mother City with events and exhibitions at several galleries.
The AVA will show its regular Bitterkomix fare while Bell-Roberts hosts a group
show and US Art Galleries gives space to independent voices in the industry.
Artist Cameron Platter and film-maker Miles Goodall get creative at Erdmann
Contemporary. The DaimlerChrysler Art Collection makes a turn at Iziko SANG
with a strong educational component that will hopefully leave its trace after
the show has been struck. The Irma Stern Museum hosts an exhibition of small
bronzes and pen drawings by renowned sculptor Bruce Arnott.
GAUTENG
Art on Paper in Melville has scored something of a coup with its show of 32 drawings
by exiled master Dumile Feni. This one is not to be missed. A ceramics group
show curated by Suzette Munnik opens at RAU and Michael Meyersfeld challenges
the viewer to look beyond the image at PhotoZA. Cyclical aspects of human existence
are engaged with in Nirupa Singh's 'Unveiling the Chrysalis: Monkeytime Moonshadows'.
KWAZULU-NATAL
Political commentator Roelof Louw shows at the NSA while Nathi Gumede continues that institution's excellent work in interrogating socio-political issues in his curation of 'Black'. Sfiso KaMkame shows his mastery of oil pastels at the African Art Centre and the Durban Art Gallery hosts a retrospective of the veteran Durban photographer Ranjith Kally.
INTERNATIONAL
Kim Lieberman's oil-on-postage stamp paper signature works are to be seen in New York as are photographic images by Robin Rhode as part of 'Adaptive Behavior' this month. Rapidly-rising star Carol-anne Gainer tops off her residency in Colombia in a joint show with two artists from that nation. She is also one of the young talents selected to be part of a parallel show to this year's Ghent Film Festival (the others are Hentie van der Merwe, Ed Young and Bridget Baker). Clifford Charles cements his growing reputation in the Netherlands with a show in Den Haag, while Mandy-Lee Jandrell's photographs of Chinese miniature replicas of famous landmarks will greet VIPs at No. 10 Downing Street.
Kim Gurney examines three sculptors at Michael Stevenson Contemporary and sees echoes of a struggle-era masterpiece in Kevin Brand's latest work. In examining 'A Place Called Home' at Iziko SANG, Gurney interrogates Zayd Minty's complex curatorial moves. Ruth Sacks questions the boundaries between art and 'glorified wallpaper' in Gina Waldman's show at Bell-Roberts. Robert Hodgins is as sharp and witty as ever at Goodman; Robyn Sassen looks at the biography of South Africa's beloved colourist through his latest exhibition. Gabi Ngcobo is seduced by the visual qualities of Theresa-Anne Mackintosh's prints and paintings at the NSA. Robyn Sassen refuses to play Alice in Wonderland in her review of Brenda Schmahmann's monograph on South African women artists, 'Through the Looking Glass'.
David Goldblatt is awarded one of the world's premier book prizes and Johan Botha was the regional winner for Africa in the Commonwealth Photographic
Awards. On October 16 all eyes will be on the winners of South Africa's richest
art awards, now known affectionately or otherwise as 'the
Kebbles'. Robyn Sassen takes criticism directed to the art press seriously
and offers partial remedy through the
pages of ArtThrob.
Karen Bradtke, director of artSPACE durban, makes a strong case for acquiring art by students as a way of both giving support at the time when it is most needed and also making a savvy investment. To this end she chooses a work by anet norval.
Sue is incommunicado in the wilds of Egypt at the moment. Her diary will be put
online as soon as she gets back.
He's been buried, resurrected, imprisoned twice, married four times and dismissed from his job for making art. Many of his neighbours don't seem to understand his art and many in the art establishment cannot fathom the rich cultural and historical legacy that underpins his production. Samson Mudzunga has taken a few hard knocks in his life but his wonderful carved drums and the ceremonies that are integral to the appreciation of them are transformative actions by an artist who seeks peace and tranquility and to be able to drink the water from the legendary lake that he loves.
All eyes will be on who the winners are for the Brett Kebble Art Awards this month. For all the build-up and for details of the finalists' exhibition there can be no better resource than the official site or maybe not. Carine Zaayman takes issue with some aspects of the Award's web resource.
Self-styled as an ‘online New Media art project’ [R][R][F] 2004 -->XP
is the brainchild of new media curator Agricola de Cologne. In looking at this
project, the question of whether using the internet as an exhibition space ultimately
marginalises new media is asked.
The German International Competition of Graphic Art, to be held in Frechen, invites
submissions in any graphic medium.
Feedback has been very slow for the last few months but we are now hearing murmurs
of life as one reader makes some suggestions for improving the site and Ed
Young takes a few potshots at well-known critics for what he sees as their
less-than-exemplary fact-checking.
Send us your
own commentary.
Penny Siopis is the latest artist to join our Editions for ArtThrob programme. Her work 'Cultivate Love' was produced in collaboration with Randy Hemminghaus, master printer from New York's Galamander Press, and is a distillation of her most recent work, from her Shame series.
Available now: outstanding prints by William Kentridge, Robert Hodgins, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Hentie van der Merwe, and Tracey Rose.
Browse through past editions of ArtThrob.
Who writes for ArtThrob and other bits of relevant information.
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