Archive: Issue No. 105, May 2006

5.05.06 'Visual Trajectories' at the SANG
5.05.06 Deborah Bell at João Ferreira
5.05.06 'Details' at Bell-Roberts
5.05.06 'Not Yet Famous' at what if the world...
5.05.06 'Recent Arrivals' at 34Long
5.05.06 Andrew Hollis, Eris Silke and Timothy Zantsi at the AVA
5.05.06 Paul du Toit at Erdmann Contemporary
5.05.06 Jacques Dhont at the US Art Gallery
5.05.06 Anthony Wakaba Mutheki at VEO
5.05.06 Elmarie Costandius at Artb
5.05.06 Orda at blank projects
5.05.06 'Dawid's Choice' at Rust en Vrede

11.04.06 'Picasso and Africa' at the Iziko SANG
11.04.06 Wim Botha at the SANG
11.04.06 Guy Tillim at Michael Stevenson
11.04.06 Johann van der Schijff at Bell-Roberts
11.04.06 'Facing the Past' at the SANG
11.04.06 Zapiro at the Old Town House

13.01.06 Woven into Life: Basketry in South Africa at the Castle of Good Hope
 

'Visual Trajectories' marks the evolution of visual arts in India from 1850 onwards. A comprehensive overview of Indian art, the exhibition includes works by unknown 19th century Indian artists as well as newer photography and painting. Leading schools of thought from 20th century India are documented including the Bengal School's fascination with history and myth.

Opens: April 27
Closes: June 4

Deborah Bell presents an exhibition of mixed media drawing entitled 'Crossings and Monuments Too'. The works are a natural extension of her recent Sentinels, Unearthed, and Displacements series, drawing on the heritage of ancient civilisations, but creating from them an evolving invented legend of the human passage through history. Her figures deal with the cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth.

Opens: May 3
Closes: May 27

This month Bell-Roberts Contemporary hosts an exhibition of new work by Barbara Jackson, Shirley Fintz and Martine Jackson entitled 'Details'.

Barabara Jackson's pots are inspired by the social and political transformation of South Africa along with the vibrant, ever-changing environment in which she lives. Jackson constantly pushes the use of colour and texture to the extreme, redefining her medium within the ceramic field.

By experimenting with fusing old and new, in both her media and subject matter, Martine Jackson creates one-of-a-kind artworks with decorative elements. Inspired by imagery from her own experiences, a passion for decorating, and her belief in the ability of art methodology to capture moments that have passed, Martine Jackson transforms decoration into art and decorative 'pieces of wall'.

Shirley Fintz's playfully colourful and patterned ceramic sculptures are inspired by the artist's collection of antique toys. She infuses her ceramic sculptures with elements of South African culture, inspired by the colour, textiles, patterns, people, history and future of the country.

Opens: May 24
Closes: June 17

what if the world... hosts 'not yet famous', which has been conceived as a platform for young, lesser established artists. The show is an opportunity for local contemporary artists to introduce their work to the creative community and curate an exhibition among their contemporaries. This first installment of the show features new drawings, paintings, installations, and prints by artists Georgina Gratrix, Andrezj Nowicki, Ashleigh McLean, Rowan Smith, Tony Walters, Ali Aschman and Rebecca Haysom.

Opens: May 5
Closes: May 27

34Long gallerists Andries Loots and Fred de Jager have put together a selection of works from the gallery's collection of contemporary art and their exciting new finds from around the world. New works by Takashi Murakami, and Mr and Yoshitomo Nara will be shown alongside works by William Kentridge, Willie Bester, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Robert Hodgins, Marlene Dumas and Esther Mahlangu.

Opens: May 9
Closes: June 3

In the AVA's main gallery Andrew Hollis, having returned from a long stay abroad, exhibits new figurative paintings in a show entitled 'Inside Anonymous 2'. This will be Hollis' second show at AVA, his last being in 1999.

In the Long Gallery Eris Silke returns to AVA with new paintings in an exhibition entitled 'Dream and Obsession', while upstairs Timothy Zantsi shows new pastel and mixed media works.

Opens: May 8
Closes: May 27

Cape Town artist Paul du Toit recently worked at the prestigious Dieu Donné Papermill in New York City's SoHo district, where he created works in paper pulp which will be exhibited in his show 'Drawn to Abstraction'.

Dieu Donné Papermill is one of New York's most dynamic art centres dedicated to the creation, promotion and preservation of new contemporary art utilising the hand papermaking process. Throughout its 27-year history Dieu Donné has worked with more than 500 world-renowned contemporary artists including Chuck Close and William Kentridge.

Opens: May 10
Closes: June 3

Jacques Dhont exhibits his sculptures created mostly from organic media at the US Art Gallery. Notions of 'blindness' are at the centre of this exhibition which humorously explores ideas of innocence and experience. He recently showed new work at Erdmann Contemporary in Cape Town.

Opens: April 19
Closes: May 27

VEO hosts Anthony Wakaba Mutheki's 'The Eye of the Storm' this month. This show is the first solo gallery exhibition for this self-trained artist in Cape Town though he has recently shown successfully in New York and Philadelphia, taking part in shows such as the 'New York Art Expo' and 'Philadelphia International Black Arts Festival'. The Mail & Guardian recently ran a cover feature on him in their 'Friday' section, and apparently his work is selling very well.

Opens: May 2
Closes: May 12

In the vestibule of the Artb gallery Elmarie Constadius exhibits her glass sculpture Conform which plays with the associations the word contains - 'Con' can be seen as deceiving or misleading, and 'form' refers to the shape of the object. Together they become 'Conform' which means to fall into the same mould or become the same shape.

Opens: May 10
Closes: June 7

Kilmany-Jo Liversage's exhibition 'Orda2006' at blank projects aims to evoke the feeling of Street Art in action. 'Orda' (Liversage's street name) works here with other figures on paintings or wall drawings depicting street scenarios linked to territory and urbanisation.

Opens: May 3
Closes: May 26

Annually, architect and collector Dawid Ras curates a group show of small works by artists which used to be held at Stellenbosch's Dorp Street gallery. This year's installation, at Rust en Vrede, includes Anton Karstel, Magda Joubert, Jaco Benade, Jan du Toit, Nel Erasmus, Hannes van Zyl, Trevor Coleman, Guy du Toit, Michelle Nigrini, Henk Serfontein, Lynette Ten Krooden and Bevan Thornton.

Opens: April 18
Closes: May 17

'Want to see a woman with three eyes protruding from her elbow?' asked the Heritage Agency in one of many intriguing 'Picasso and Africa' advertising campaigns. Said exhibition opens at SANG this month, representing a collaboration between one of Paris' Picasso Museum's leading curators, Laurence Madeline, and Marilyn Martin, Director of Art Collections at Iziko South African National Gallery. It offers, for the first time, a dialogue between Africa and Picasso and explores the influence of African art on his artistic output, in the company of 'classical African pieces'.

A major loan from the Picasso Museum has been augmented by works from the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the Centre Pompidou, as well as the Picasso family and other lenders. The exhibition has three distinct yet interrelated components: More than 60 paintings, drawings and sculptures, dating from 1906 to 1972, which contain and communicate Picasso's African inspiration; a selection of works that reflect the diversity and rapid changes of which he was capable; and a selection of African sculptures, similar to those with which Picasso may have been familiar, which have been sourced from various South African holdings.

Opens: April 13
Closes: May 23

2005 Standard Bank Young Artist award winner, Wim Botha's 'Premonitions of War' comes to the National Gallery after well received shows in Grahamstown and Durban. It did, however, generate controversy at its last stopover in Bloemfontein. The show features a collection of the artist's iconic and iconoclastic pieces, challenging a range of gods, from Jesus to JH Pierneef.

Opens: April 8
Closes: May 28

In this new series of colour photographs, entitled 'Petros Village, Malawi, 2006', award-winning photographer Guy Tillim looks intimately at the daily life of the residents of a village in central Malawi. On two occasions he stayed for a week in the village and quietly observed the conversations and routines of the day. His lyrical images of the residents and the textures of the village linger, evoking stillness and reserve.

The exhibition is also to be seen at the Museo di Roma on the occasion of the fifth edition of the FotoGrafia International Festival of Rome which opens later this month.

Opens: May 3
Closes: June 3

Johann van der Schijff's exhibition, 'Power Play' playfully examines power relationships in society through encouraging the viewer into considering the physical, and moral, choices they are forced to make as they engage with the work on show. The aesthetics of van der Schiff's pieces evoke shiny show cars and desirable commercial displays in their meticulous polished and military-industrial finishes.

Van der Schijff graduated with a Master's from Michaelis. He subsequently studied further in the Netherlands and more recently helped establish UCT's Master's in New Media course. His work was seen on last year's 2nd Spier Outdoor Sculpture Biennale and at the previous year's 'YDESIRE'. The exhibition will be opened by Pippa Skotnes.

Opens: April 25
Closes: May 20

A decade after the country's Truth and Reconcilliation Commission was established, an exhibition at the Iziko South African National Gallery recognises and reflects on its achievements. The show includes often iconic works by artists such as Steve Hilton-Barber, Rose Kgoete, Kevin Brand and Zwelethu Mthethwa as well as works which 'look to the future' by Given Makhubele and Vuyisani Mgijima among others. All works are from the permanent collection of the Iziko South African National Gallery.

Opens: April 4
Closes: end 2006

Award winning political cartoonist Zapiro, alias Jonathan Shapiro, has long been a household name in South Africa for his biting satire and fluid line.On the back of a major nternational award, 'Sacred Cows Make Large Targets' presents 60 original drawings for published cartoons as well as montages of covers for various books that have been published.

Opens: April 25
Closes: June 11

This exhibition in the Grain Cellar at the Castle of Good Hope intends to reveal the artistry of southern African baskets, paying tribute to the deep environmental knowledge and ways of life of South African basket-makers, past and present. The baskets on display cover a wide range of techniques, uses and regions of origin, collectively reflecting the knowledge and skill of their creators, as well as the beauty to be found in these practical constructions.

Opens: December 20
Closes: July 1