Best of 2005
ArtThrob presents the 2005 lineup for 'Best of' - the conclusions and
ruminations of the ArtThrob editors across the country. Categories are:
the three best shows in your area; the three South African artists
making most interesting work in the past year; best newcomer and the
most important art event.
Certain liberties have been taken with these categories, and if you
don't agree with our editors' choices - or feel we have left out a
person, show or event - let's hear from you. Email us at
editor@artthrob.co.za, and we'll publish your responses online next
month.
Linda Stupart, Cape Town Editor
The three best shows in Cape Town in 2005
Wim Botha, 'Cold Fusion: Gods, Heroes and Martyrs' at Michael
Stevenson
In my view the year's best show of new work in Cape Town was undoubtedly
Wim Botha's solo show at Michael Stevenson Contemporary in April. 'Cold
Fusion' showcased the artist's now iconic iconoclasm, felling and
exalting ancient mythology, Christian iconography and South African
'Master' and Broederbond propagandist J H Pierneef.
Kathryn Smith, 'Euphemism' at the SANG
Though Kathryn Smith's 'Euphemism' did have a tendency to lean at times
both towards disjointedness and verbosity, the show contained a host of
strong, complex and visually interesting works. Also, I liked the
ponies.
Mustafa Maluka, Michael Stevenson Contemporary
Much was said about the death and resurrection and subsequent death of
painting in 2005, with Saatchi's new collection tendencies and Marlene
Dumas' new money both being big news in the artworld. Maluka's fresh,
hip hop stylized portraits and politics gave the medium a complex and
ingenious face in Cape Town.
Three South African artists making the most interesting work in
2005
2005 in many ways was a year of nostalgia and whimsy both in the arts
and popular culture, where sentiment is often used to deal with more
complex political or sociological issues.
James Webb
Post-Japanese residency, James Webb created a series of simple, sad and
beautiful works which were transmitted all over the globe in 2005. His
piece No Place Called Home, which was installed in many
site-specific variations found the artist transmitting calls of, in one
case, carnivorous South African birds from a tree in China in an
undeniably eloquent ode to displacement.
Robin Rhode
Robin Rhode was very active internationally last year with his well
received video pieces at the Venice Biennale and photographs at MoMA.
His expositions of childhood at the Biennale which Laurie-Ann Farrel
described as 'sweet' and 'cheerful' were particularly interesting in
their alliance with the global trend towards a fascination with
childhood, whilst in keeping with the artist's hip, individual,
intelligent and poignant style.
Penny Siopis
Penny Siopis' 2005 images of childhood were considerably less cheerful,
with her 'Three Essays on Shame' at the Freud museum in London. The
exhibition marked the centenary of Freud's publication Three Essays
on the Theory of Sexuality and, in the words of the curator,
explored the psychology of 'shame' and 'a poetics of vulnerability'. In
her interventions within the psychoanalyst's home, Siopis constructed
three multifaceted installations, including video, voice recordings,
found objects and her own paintings and drawings.
Best newcomer in 2005
Though I would assume that I was expected to name an artist here, a crop
of new galleries appeared in Cape Town in 2005, each contributing
immensely to the art scene in the city. With the hip The Bin, eclectic
and fascinating blank projects and the ever ambitious and wonderfully
diverse what if the world... opening their doors in the Bo Kaap and the
East City, a host of young artists suddenly had a place to exhibit their
work.
Though it technically opened at the very end of 2004, the best newcomer,
however, has to be the 34Long which has consistently held excellent and
interesting shows of the country's top artists, as well as making some
important international superstars' work available to the South African
public. Having recently opened their upstairs gallery as a space for
younger emerging South African artists with a slick and fascinating show
by Matt Hindley and Pete Eastman, 34Long looks set to remain an
important arena for South African artists.
Most important art event
'SESSIONS eKapa' has to be hailed as Cape Town's most important art
event of the year. Even though the organisers made the mistake of asking
Tracey Rose to speak, and having an open bar and Wayne Barker in the
same building, the sessions were informative, entertaining and important
for the South African arts community. It was absolutely necessary to
have a forum to discuss the big issues facing Cape Town, South Africa
and African art practitioners. Though little may have been resolved,
there were some very important questions asked.
Paul Edmunds, Chief Subeditor
The three best shows in Cape Town in 2005
Sean Slemon, 'Uplift: The Moutain Premises'
I'm cheating as I didn't see any of his shows, but as Subeditor my role
is not tied to any one place, so I'm pulling rank. I'm always a sucker
for work whose density is shared in equal measures by its conceptual and
physical presence and Sean Slemon's 'Uplift: The Moutain Premises'
played right into my hands. Three one-person shows in one year? No mean
feat, watch out New York!
'KO Video Festival', Durban
Although, once again I didn't see this, the sheer feat of getting every
exhibition venue, and a few others, to showcase video art in what is
generally regarded as a culturally peripheral city on South Africa's
east coast has to be admired. Curator and artist Greg Streak's unbounded
ambition and staggering fundraising abilities are pretty much unmatched
on South Africa's cultural landscape. Incredibly, none of the four major
projects he has run under the aegis of 'Pulse' have received any funding
to speak of from any South African bodies.
'In the Making: Materials and Process', Michael Stevenson
Contemporary
Once again I'm being underhand as my own work was included in this group
show curated by Sophie Perryer. Nevertheless, the excitement generated
amongst the audience by this diverse but coherent collection of work was
pretty unusual. It was interesting to note the enthusiasm of audiences
and critics alike for work that was not primarily narrative or issue
driven.
Three South African artists making the most interesting work in
2005
Peter Eastman
I was lucky enough to see his early paintings, tentatively built up in
in layered monochromatic enamels, and have seen these flourish into his
recent large scale works which reveal confidence and mastery and an
enviable understanding of tone. It feels like Eastman is emerging from
his uncertain, idiosynchratic beginnings into a role as an important
painter.
Gerhard Marx
Once again I'm drawn to work whose point of entry is a sensual one, but
which resonates in a conceptual space. Describing drawings composed of
map fragments does no justice to the shifting colour fields and
wandering lines of these works which are as personal as they are
universal.
Marco Cianfanelli
Completing my trio of male honkies is Cianfanelli whose work seems to
keep on moving every time you think its reached its zenith. His approach
is perhaps serious to the point of parody, but you have to appreciate
his restrained aesthetic and carefully mapped strategies.
Best newcomer in 2005
I'm opting out here and going for what if the world... , the new
'neighbourhood' gallery (or 'Design Collective' as they call themselves)
located in Cape Town's bourgeoning 'East City'. By inserting themselves
into, and indeed weaving, the fabric of the neighbourhood, this gallery
is breaking ground. The monthly 'Neighbourgoods' sales, the East City
Guild and the regular Tea Parties may not threaten the existence of
SESSIONS eKapa, but they are making it possible for young artists and
artisans to sell their work and for others to start their collections.
The result? Shedloads of sales and a lot of excitement.
Most important art event
It would have to be an event which didn't take place and whose
importance only really became evident when the plug was pulled. Under
the guidance of Clive van den Berg (and funding of Brett Kebble), The
Brett Kebble Art Awards had become a unique event on the art world
calendar as much for the participants as the audience which had last
year swelled to unexpected numbers. Here's hoping it will be revived.
Gauteng editor Michael Smith
An eventful year in Gauteng for the visual art industry whose ripples
are sure to be felt for years to come. 2005 saw numerous desperately
needed retrospectives, crucial to the historicising of SA's rich history
of art, and going some of the way to redressing past inequalities.
Mindful of the hugely subjective nature of this process, I nonetheless
hereby venture my opinion about some of the most important shows and
players on the Gauteng scene in 2005.
The three best shows in Gauteng
'Dumile Feni: A Retrospective' at the JAG
Fielding criticisms of overcrowding, and working with a budget that
could reasonably be described as prohibitive, curator Prince Dube
nonetheless pulled off one of the most important shows of 2005. The word
'redress' is often bandied around nowadays, usually with as much
connection to reality as an election promise, but Dube's show reminded
us that 'redress' is most effective as a verb.
Spanning the length and breadth of Dumile's career, the show
reasserted his rightful place as a seminal SA artist. It revealed how
Feni's work went beyond struggle culture to embrace the personal, the
psychological, the erotic, and (believe it or not) the humorous.
Congratulations to Dube, Head of JAG Clive Kellner and all involved.
Marco Cianfanelli's 'Projected Development' at Gallery Momo
A strong show by a young artist, 'Projected Development' was important
this year not only because of the volume of good work it contained, but
because it was refreshing to a see an artist so incredibly enthusiastic
in his exploration of an area of interest.
The ultimate value of this show, however, lies in the ass-kick I'm sure
it delivered to young artists bemoaning their lack of success: it
positively embodies Warhol's admonition to Lou Reed: work, work, work,
the most important thing is work.
Making Waves: SABC Collection at the JAG
I'm taking a bit of a chance with this one because strictly speaking it
started in 2004, but I saw it in 2005. While I'm not sure that the show
lived up to its title, as there were few surprises in terms of which
artists are part of the collection, it was nonetheless a valuable
revelation of what can be done when a progressive corporate collector
and a decent collection curator meet up. The representation of younger
artists is crucial to a vital collection, as is an eye for key works
from such young turks. Collection curator Koulla Xinisteris is to be
commended for amply fulfilling both these criteria.
Three SA artists making exciting work
Candice Breitz
Candice Breitz's hot show at London's White Cube Gallery and her
inclusion in Taschen's Art Now surely reveal that she's gathering
momentum. Now resident in Berlin, Breitz's work in video gleefully
resists the worldwide swing back to painting, to great effect. Watch
this rising star.
Mustafa Maluka
Mustafa Maluka has recently been attracting considerable attention,
mostly for an extensive series of paintings that productively synthesize
the history of portraiture, black consciousness and a razor-sharp
hip-hop-inflected street awareness. An avowedly black cultural producer
that frankly outsmarts many other young players on the local painting
scene, Maluka is surely another to watch.
Lisa Brice
Lisa Brice has returned to our shores this year with an impressive body
of work produced in 2005. See my review of her Goodman Gallery show for
more detail, but suffice to say that it's heartening to see such
dramatic development in an artist since I was last aware of her work.
Most interesting newcomer on the SA art scene
Johannesburg's Trasi Henen is one young artist whose work really
interested me this year. With a body of work that seems to have more
legs than the meager output of most 'bright young things', Henen is
convincing as someone in which to invest some hope.
Showing as much awareness of Radiohead album covers as she does of
Jean-Michel Basquiat and US scrawl-artist Sue Williams, Henen's work
transcends the abject-chic of 90's painters too embarrassed by their
medium's history to actually paint properly. Instead the scratchy lines,
paint drips and half-erased images become properly integrated into the
surfaces, like the syntax of indecision elevated to the position of a
full language.
Most important art event of 2005
The tragic and seismic event of Brett Kebble's brutal murder cast a long
shadow over SA art in 2005. While the topic of corporate involvement in
art through sponsorship is always an incendiary one, with many arguing
that art's position is inevitably compromised, I believe that the
opportunities lost for emerging SA artists when the 2005 Brett Kebble
Art Awards (BKAA) was cancelled were great.
The loss that the consequent rescinding of funding signaled for SA's art
competition circuit is only the most visible of its repercussions:
jeopardized employment of those involved in the BKAA process, and the
loss of the curatorial fellowship programme that would have seen
previously disadvantaged individuals and constituencies drawn into the
process are equally distressing.
Francesca Verga: Durban editor
The three best shows in Durban
It is coincidental that all of my favourite top local exhibitions were
held at the Durban Art Gallery.
Wim Botha, 'Premonition of War', Durban Art Gallery
Wim Botha's 'Premonition of War' exhibition at the Durban Art Gallery
was for me one of the most impressive exhibitions of the year,
incorporating works from the DAG's permanent collection, including works
by Franciso Goya, J.H. Pierneef, Auguste Rodin and W.H. Coetzer amongst
others. The subject matter of Botha's works linked cleverly with the
chosen exhibition space, as well as with the specifically selected works
from gallery. Botha's craftsmanship is to be commended, as is the
lighting and installation of the show. I loved the fact that the
installation mechanisms were kept visible.
Roger Ballen, 'Shadow Chamber', Durban Art Gallery
Roger Ballen's 'Shadow Chamber' exhibition left me feeling uneasy and
its effect on gallery visitors was remarkable. The photographs on
exhibition were mind-blowing, successfully creeping into those dark
places in one's subconscious that we would mostly rather not explore.
The abject nature of the exhibition was fascinating and made for an
unforgettable experience. 'Shadow Chamber' is to tour the country.
Norman Catherine, 'Now and Then', Durban Art Gallery
'Now and Then' gave viewers a chance to see the diversity for which
'veteran' (I use this term out of respect) artist Norman Catherine is
renowned. His retrospective show included works from 1968 until 2004.
The installation of the exhibition was impressive and I enjoyed the
experience of engaging with the sculpture In Sheep's Clothing
which was two and a half meters in height.
Three South African artists making the most exciting work
Wim Botha
Wim Botha's Scapegoat (2005) is among my favourite works of 2005.
Made of anthracite, eco-solvent and epoxy resin especially for the
'Premonition of War' exhibition, the confrontational issues raised in
this work, and the exhibition in general, made a strong impact. I look
forward to seeing Botha's next body of work.
Diane Victor
Diane Victor's Smoke Portraits, part of her exhibition at Michael
Stevenson Contemporary in October, are incredible works: intense
empathetic portraits of HIV/Aids patients in the St. Raphael's HIV/Aids
clinic. My admiration is based on her accuracy and choice of subject
matter. The role Victor plays as a social commentator sees her depicting
realistic and harsh issues that are commonplace in present day South
Africa with amazing capability.
Ledelle Moe
Ledelle Moe's sculptural installation 'Memorial Collapse' comprises
a large toppled-head constructed of concrete and a steel framework.
Although Moe is now based in the US, the work was specially created for
an exhibition at the KZNSA. The work reflects the notion of crumbling
power structures, such as the falling of Saddam Hussein. The work has
since found is way into the Durban Art Gallery's permanent
collection.
Most interesting newcomer on the art scene
Local Durban artist Desmond Zeederberg participated in the May 2005,
'Red Eye Meets DDC' event. His installation of over 500 pairs of orange
rubber gloves hung from a tree in the middle of Farewell Square in
Durban's city centre, was fascinating. Another of his installations was
shown at 'Red Eye: Intersection'. This time sheets of linoleum with
hundreds of nails attached, created a visual maze along the foyer walls
in the Durban Art Gallery. His installations are visually appealing,
consisting of collections of the unusual items in creative settings.
Most important art event
The 'Red Eye Art' event, as part of the Durban Art Gallery, is a
sustainable visual arts event that has been running since 1998. 'Red
Eye' takes place at the Durban Art Gallery and spills over into Durban's
city centre. The event is to be commended for its involvement in inner
city renewal and the ability to draw crowds into the gallery and city
surrounds. The involvement with, and profiling of young and upcoming
visual artists, performers, choreographers, musicians and fashion
professionals is highly successful. The last event, held in September
2005, 'Red Eye: Intersection', was curated by a relatively young-team:
Dean Henning, Rike Sitas, Vaughn Sadie and Doung Anwar Jahangeer. This
time round the installations in the gallery included a large component
of high-tech installations, featuring artists from Johannesburg, Cape
Town and Durban.
Sue Williamson: Editor (based in Cape Town)
I have to admit to feeling a bit of a fraud even taking part in this
survey, as I was out of the country so much of last year, and missed
shows and artists' work I really wanted to see, like Churchill Madikida
at Michael Stevenson, Sanell Aggenbach at Bell-Roberts Contemporary,
Penny Siopis at the Goodman Gallery. So bearing that in mind ...
Three best shows of 2005
In the Making: Materials and Process, curated by Sophie Perryer at
Michael Stevenson Contemporary
The intense engagement of curator and artists alike with the theme of
this show - materials and process - led to a visually and conceptually
coherent, and sometimes astonishing exhibition. All the work on the show
was made especially for it, and there were a number of outstanding three
dimensional pieces, from artists like Ghanaian El Anatsui with his
exquisite wall hanging made of flattened metal liquor tops, Nicholas
Hlobo, Doreen Southwood, Nandipha Mntambo, Alan Alborough and Paul
Edmunds.
David Goldblatt: Intersections at Michael Stevenson
Contemporary
David Goldblatt has received so many kudos in the past, but to see the
vastness of the landscape of South Africa, the touching graves of people
killed in farm murders, the cursory attention given to Aids awareness by
small towns with their ribbon symbols, through the eyes of David
Goldblatt is revelatory. His influence on the way the country is
regarded visually both here and internationally is profound.
Robin Rhode on 'New Photography '05' at the New York MoMA
One of three young photographers on this show, Robin Rhode was given a
generous space for a number of his photographed performances, and
videos, in most of which he interacts with his own wall drawings. In one
such set of photographs, a grid of maybe 24 white-framed images, his
progress is charted as he tries to avoid a succession of drawn objects
apparently being thrown from a high window - like a television set -
before finally being flattened by a hurled car. Rhode is an artist
totally in control of his craft, from the streetwise colour-coordinated
clothes he wears for his performances to the humorously exaggerated
poses of slapstick. He has not strayed far from his initial concepts,
yet his work always looks fresh.
Three most interesting South African artists
Doreen Southwood
Not much new work from Doreen Southwood was seen locally, but the two
pieces that were on different shows at Michael Stevenson Contemporary
were bravura performances. Southwood is known for challenging herself
with ambitious works that are difficult to achieve, and both of these
ran true to form. On 'In the Making' (see above), Southwood's
contribution was Curtain - a pale blue steel panel brocaded with
tiny chromed nuts, bolts and washers to produce a rich and shimmering
surface which appeared solid enough to withstand the ages. In fact, all
the pieces were held in place by magnets on the back of the steel sheet,
and the slightest movement could disrupt the pattern. Apparently, even
getting the piece into the gallery was a nightmare, with the magnets
sticking to the back of the transport bakkie.
Southwood's second piece was the (unfinished) Universe of Me, a
large scale painting in which hundreds of tiny swimmers, identically
clad, battled currents and each other to lead the pack.
The artist has also been at work on an international commission for a
public art space in Tilburg, Holland, with a piece called
Sindroom an installation in which a young girl stands immobile
below a swing which has gone out of control.
Candice Breitz
With last year's Venice Biennale success, Breitz consolidated a stellar
position in the international art world - achieved in a relatively short
span of years. Referring to herself as a 'pirate' for her working
methods of appropriating and re-editing popular films and music videos,
Breitz makes work which is immensely watchable. Mother on the
Venice Biennale, took five scenes from films such as Mommie
Dearest and Kramer v Kramer and blacked out everything in the
frame except the female lead (painstaking work which took teams of
German students to complete), then lined up the five mothers and allowed
them to play to each other.
Mustafa Maluka
Maluka, the subject of one of ArtThrob's first artbios, returned to this
country in the past two years from years of study and work in the
Netherlands. His statement for his show of portraits entitled 'Accented
Living (a rough guide)' read in part: 'Accents being a distinctive mode
of expression that convey the characteristics of different regions and
classes and are only noticed once the speaker leaves his home
territory'. The large scale, brilliantly coloured, upbeat portraits in
oil with titles like These are not my people spoke to
hybridization and the 'postcolonial experience of the exile'.
Best newcomer
Nandipha Mntambo
I first became aware of the work of Nandipha Mntambo on the 'In the
Making' show, which seems to have informed many of my choices. Mntambo,
a vegetarian, goes through unpleasant and smelly processes to shape
cowhide into floating sculptures, which, says Mntambo, challenge
'stereotypical ideals of female form as well as notions of femininity'.
In Purge and Stepping into Self Mntombo adds bones and
glass beads to create two headless figures in a haunting tableau.
Most important art event
Die Vier Hoeke
Since I missed the SESSIONS eKapa and the opportunity to evaluate that,
I choose Mikhael Subotzky's one day event in a prison. Wrote Kim Gurney
in her review: 'The rhetoric of Freedom Day took on a deeper resonance
for visitors to Mikhael Subotzky's one-day photographic exhibition at
Pollsmoor Prison, 'Die Vier Hoeke', on April 27. The venue could easily
have overwhelmed less striking work. In this case, the decision was
inspired'.
Subotzky showed not only his own work, brilliant images of prison life,
but the prisoners showed their own black and white photographs made in
collaborative workshops with Subotzky, and there were also body maps
from workshops with Jane Solomon.
At the opening, the resonance of this work was immeasurably heightened
by the very audible thrumming roar and beat of prison life going on
around us. But it was the fact that Subotzky had not just moved in to
Pollsmoor to take his own photographs, and but had taken weeks to share
his skills with the inmates which made the event important.
