David Krut Arts Resource now in Cape Town
by Virginia MacKenny
Cape Town is famous, at least in the South African context, for its bookstores - there are probably more independent booksellers here than in any other city - and a welcome antidote they provide to the predictable commercial offerings of Exclusive Books, which in terms of the visual arts generally confines itself to coffee table classics, 'how to' books and monographs on mainstream artists.
In addition to those famed on Long Street there are a few new alternatives that have recently made their appearance on the scene, one of which is the David Krut Arts Resource at the Montebello Design Centre in Newlands. Opened a couple of months ago, the shop is a satellite body for Krut's larger endeavours in Johannesburg. The low-key, intimate shop is located in the renovated cow-shed of the complex that was once the gatehouse of a stately 19th-century home. The compact, whitewashed space holds a combined art gallery and the arts bookshop managed by Alastair Whitton. Whitton, an artist himself, is open and enthusiastic about the space. He is easy to engage, informative and sympathetic to viewers/readers in need of expanding their knowledge of what books are available or what is on the gallery walls.
Given that Krut runs David Krut Publishing (DKP) it is not surprising that one can find the full TAXI series of monographs dedicated to South African artists such as Steven Cohen, Pat Mautloa, Santu Mofokeng, Jeremy Wafer and Jo Ractcliffe here. Complete with educational supplements the set currently consists of 12. The 13th, on the work of Diane Victor, is in production and due out in July. Krut is known for his active support of local artists, so it is here too that one can find the widest selection of material on Kentridge. David Krut Arts Resource stocks a range of books and CD-Roms of his work including The End of the Beginning, a DVD of a 1994 documentary that contains the complete Felix in Exile film. Currently in production at DKP is a book on Kentridge's work relating to The Magic Flute opera. Compiled and edited by Dr Bronwyn Law-Viljoen it will make its appearance in time for the production of the opera at Artscape in September.
Also from DKP are books such as Light on a Hill: Building the Constitutional Court of South Africa and Mapula: Embroidery and Empowerment in the Winterveld. For the reader who wishes to browse more widely, the store offers a range of books on South African art and culture from other local publishers and in addition, it is useful to note, for those interested in art from further afield, that Krut is the official South African distributor of Tate publications. If you join the mailing list they will also alert you to the arrival of new books. Two books that have recently appeared on their shelves engage art and the environment: Architecture and Vegetation. Hybrid Home Spaces (R210) and Ecotopia: The Second ICP Triennial of Photography and Video (R360). Both examine creative responses to the impact of humanity on the planet.
The gallery at David Krut Arts Resource clearly performs a supportive function for bookstore. Primarily showcasing the work of those artists who have created works with the David Krut Print Workshop (currently numbering more than 40), it shows artists such as Kentridge, Penny Siopis, Willem Boshoff, Colbert Mashile and Sandile Zulu. While it clearly has a large in-house pool to draw from, the gallery is also willing to exhibit the occasional outsider. It is, for instance, currently showing Andrzej Nowicki, a recent Michaelis Masters graduate, who is exhibiting works on paper.
Be aware of the somewhat idiosyncratic opening hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am - 3pm, or by appointment.
David Krut Publishing: Fine Art and Books
Montebello Design Centre, 31 Newlands Avenue, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 685 0676 or 072 259 1415
Email: alastair@davidkrut.com
www.davidkrutpublishing.com / www.taxiartbooks.com / www.bodymaps.co.za
Hours: Tue - Sat 11am - 3pm
Other locations:
David Krut Arts Resource, 140 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, Johannesburg
David Krut Projects, 142 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, Johannesburg
David Krut Bookstore, Constitutional Court, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
David Krut Projects, 526 W26th St., New York
