SA Art Times AUG 09

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Issue : August 2009

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New scheme to promote Art Fair

he recent Joburg Art Fair Assess-ent Discussions held in Joburgasnt exactly defined by vigorouself-analysis as it s t itle implied.evertheless the general consensusppeared to be positive w ith mostgreeing that the Joburg Art FairAF) was advantageous to theomotion of contemporary art.response to the toll that theseugh financial times have taken on

AF, Artlogic have proposed a newcheme which should encourage gal-rists continued support of the fair.

ith a panel consisting only ofdividuals associated with the artir, Ross Douglas, head of Artlogic,stablished a hard line of defence

buttress against the criticism their has attracted from the mediand gallerists, who have been ques-oning the affordability of the fair.ertainly Artlogic have engaged inome level of self-reflection, evi-enced in Douglas new schemend his more measured discussionsbout the art fair. He dispensed

with his usual rhetoric, whichhas thus far embodied Douglasattempt to position the fair as edu-cational a cont emporary Africanart affair and as an alternativeto a biennale in other wordsanything other than a commercialenterprise. Clive Kellner made avery clear distinction between artfairs and biennales, finally puttingto bed Douglas assertions that the

fair was in some way a replace-ment for such an art event.Nevertheless the general tone ofthe talks tended more towards theself-congratulatory as the panellistsused the opportunity to expound onthe benefits of an art fair. The impli-cation was that it was necessary tojustify its relevance. But generallyeveryone who attended seemedto agree that JAF has been a creditto the city of Joburg, has aidedin positioning South Africa as a progressive cultured destinationand that it has helped render con-temporary art less scary to thegeneral public. Kellners informed

R3.2 M Lost Orchid

not a Tretchi

The so-called Lost Orchid paintingsold at slain mining magnate BrettKebbles art auction w as not the realthing, the auctioneer admitted in aninterview published on Friday.

Pie-maker wins ABSAAtelier Award 09

he winner of this years ABSAAtelier competition is an unlikelyuspect.

hirty-four year old Stephen Rosinns a family pie-making business,

nd lives in a rural area near Plet t,

where, until last September, hehad no electricity. Winning theaward, held at Gautengs ABSAgallery on the 23rd July came assomething of a surprise to theartist too. I wasnt even supposedto be going, says Rosin, it wascompletely unexpected!

Rosin, who studied painting atthe Nelson Mandela Metropolitan

University in Port Elizabeth (thoughhe never painted a single canvasin his final year), has entered thecompetition for the previous twoyears in a row, making the list oftop ten finalists last year.

The pie season being what it is,Rosin says he will only be able tohead to Paris after Decem ber,possibly in January of 2010. He ishowever, thrilled at the prospect. Its incredible, says Rosin, amazing , to be afforded theopportunity not only to travel toParis, but to receive so muchexposure. Until then, he plans to

set up a proper portfolio, framingthe works he hasnt had fundsto frame, and saving up for hisEuropean sojourn.

Read the f ull story atwww.arttimes.co.za

Aidan Walsh and his partner A ndrew Verster share a joke wit h Peter Machen outside the KZNSA Gallery, Durban. Aidan Walshdied of a heart attack in July and was one of the most amazing artists and art professionals in Durban. Aidan had an importantimpact on the Durban Art Scene as a seminal figure as the curator and director of The Walsh-Marais Gallery. Other artists whohad their work shown in the gallery include Walter Battiss, Peter Schutz and Cecil Skotnes, Clive van den Berg and Penny Siopis.As a result of the high standard set by W alshs curatorial eye, many works that now reside in the Durban Art Gallerys permanentcollection were purchased from t he Walsh M arais Gallery. See Aidans Obituary on page 5. Photo:Peter Machen

Discussions about the Joburg Art Fair

showed the event to be benefcial, however,Artlogic have cooked up a Spring Art Fairto bolster confdence,

writes Mary Corrigall

continued on page 3

talk demonstrated that art fairs

arent a contemporary phenomenonbut his assessment of the art fair asa concept was ambiguous.

What does it do for art? heasked.

Indeed the talks did not addresshis query. There was little mentionof how the art fair benefited thediscipline itself or the galleries andartists none of whom were repre-sented on the panel. Nevertheless,Douglas willingness to engage indiscussions, displayed his open-ness to critical feedback. Alex Doddon the other hand, who was obvi-ously speaking in her capacity asmedia advisor to Artlogic, discour-

aged arts writers from participatingin critical assessments of the fair,implying that the fair was a vulner-able inchoate entity that requirednurturing.

The low sales figures for the 2009Joburg Art Fair (JAF) weren tglossed over. The slump wasascribed to a generally unhealthyfinancial climate w hich threatenedindustries across the board.

The art fair took place at a very diffi-cult time w hen the recession wasjust kicking in. The interest rate hadnt

Graham Britz told Beeldnewspaperthat forensic tests on the painting,signed Tretchikoff , showed that itwas not the original Lost Orchidart work.

He said it was a m istake t o havestated in the catalogue that thispainting was the original LostOrchid.

In fact, it was without a doubt notthe original, said Britz.

The catalogue should have statedthat this was a painting in thestyle of Tretchikoffs Lost Orchid,said Britz.

He added that this painting couldbe another painting by Tretchikoffcalled After the Dance .

This is the first time that Britz, whosold the painting for a recordR3.2-million including commission atthe auction earlier this year, admittedthat it w as not the original work.

Beeldnewspaper reported shortlyafter the auction that there weredifferences in detail between thepainting owned by Kebble, and apicture of the painting that appearedin a book by How ard Timmins onTretchikoffs w ork in 1969.

THE SOUTH AFRICANARTART TIMESTIMES

tephen Rosin

continued on page 3


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A HANDFUL OF UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS

H Pierneef THE BAOBAB R 2 400 000 2 800 000Pieter Wenning THATCHED COTTAGES R 600 000 800 000rma Stern AFTER THE STORM, ALICANTE R 1 800 000 2 400 000Stanley Pinker SUNTAN R 300 000 400 000

CAPE TOWNDecorative and Fine Arts

Tuesday and Wednesday,

20 & 21 October 2009

Enquiries: 021 794 6461

[email protected]

www.swelco.co.za

The Great Cellar, Alphen Hotel,

Alphen Drive, Constantia, 7806

P O Box 818, Constantia, 7848

JOHANNESBURGDecorative and Fine Art

Tuesday and Wednesday,

17 & 18 November 2009

Enquiries: 011 880 3125

[email protected]

www.swelco.co.z

13 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank,

2196, Johannesburg

P O Box 52431, Saxonwold, 213


3/16

outh African Art Times August 2009 3

ew scheme to promote Art Fairntinued from page 1

opped yet and no one knew whatas going on. Quite a few salesok place a few weeks after the fair.uyers didnt feel the need as theyave done in previous years to buytworks immediately, they couldke more time, asserted Douglas.

he sharp 50 percent increase insitors to the fair was seen aspositive indication that Southricans supported the event. Never-eless with flagging sales and

ugh economic realities threaten-g its existence Artlogic have hadcome up with a plan to entice

allerists to continue supporting thet fair. Thus Artlogic have initiatedhe Spring Art Tour, which willn in galleries in Johannesburg,om September 17-20, and inape Town, from October 1-4. Itexpected this new event will

ement the gallerists associationth JAF, asserted Douglas.

We wanted to offer both the spon-ors, galleries and art communitiesnother event that could extende momentum of the art fair. Weecided that an event once a yearas not enough for that audienceinteract so we came up with the

pring Art Tour.

Its an ingenious new scheme; italways seemed implausible that anannual event would be sufficient to grow a market for contemporaryart. The Art Tour will not onlycreate more buzz around local artbut as it will be located in galleriesand will consist of curated showsit is more likely that the public willbecome more familiar with the localart market and will be exposed tomore quality interactions with art.Of course, its success depends on

whether the tour is effectively andappropriately marketed. Grolschis the main sponsor of the event,according to Douglas.

The art fairs Sandton location wasblamed for keeping the costs barelyaffordable for gallerists but Douglasindicated that while he would preferto stage the event closer to theinner city, viable venues, offeringsufficient parking and amenities,simply didnt exist elsewhere.

Robert Keip, CEO, investments andpremier banking at First NationalBank, the primary sponsor of JAF,implied that the developmentand enrichment of t he visual artswas not a priority for corporatesponsors. FNB does not view the

sponsorship of the visual arts as anexercise in social development butrather as part of their sponsorshipprogrammes, w hich are solely moti-vated by the necessity to reinforceand market t heir brand and provideentertainment for their valuedclients, said Keip.

In terms of these objectives, Keipexpressed dismay with the fact thatFNB received litt le coverage in thepress for their sponsorship of the

event. Douglas remained adamantthat they would not sell the namingrights of the event to the primarysponsor as it would be out of stepwith internationally established busi-ness models for art fairs.

As a commercial venture govern-ment wouldnt consider fundingthe event, observed Steven Sack,director of Arts Culture and Heritageof the City of Joburg. The art f airssurvival is, therefore, dependent oncorporate sponsorship, w hich placesit in a vulnerable position.

When asked what was the w ayforward for the art fair, Douglasresponse w as unequivocal: to

survive.

But at the time, Britz said thatTretchikoff could have painted twoversions of the Lost Orchid.

Besides several small differencesin the two paintings, the Kebblepaintings signature is different toTretchikoffs know n signature.

Throughout his work, Tretchikoffssignature did not have lines struckthrough the letters f in his sur-name, but in the Kebble work, it isstruck through.

The sale of the painting has beensuspended.

The Kebble auction w as the biggestof South African art to date andfetched nearly R55-million.

The money went into Kebblesbankrupt estate. He was killed in abizarre shooting in September 2005which has been claimed to havebeen an assisted suicide. Sapa

Lost Orchid not the real thingcontinued from page 1

Fresh Stormsvlei Art Festival not to be missed

A new Stormsvlei Art Festival isto be launched in the Overberg,Western Cape on Sunday 23 August.

The Stormsvlei Art Festival, a oneday event will take place between11 am 4 pm at Stormsvlei, an18th century hamlet situated on theSonderend River at the end of theRuggens region of the Overberg.

Various artists will be showing paint-ings, sculpture, installations and landart in and around the buildings of thishistoric town.

Jannie Uitlander, the artist formerlyknown as Johnny Foreigner, is the

protagonist behind the Art Fairand Happening. Highlights willbe a demonstration of the black-smiths craft, a performance braai,a furniture exhibition and a prizefor best moustache on show.There will also be a country marketwith food, books, collectablesand more.

Stormsvlei is situated at the cross-roads betw een Riviersonderendand Swellendam on the N2 andBonnie-vale and Bredasdorp onthe R317.

Lunch is available at Zandrift

Restaurant (booking advisable028 261 1167).

Any artists, performers or musicianswishing to participate please contactJannie on 073 030 7240.

Accommodation available atStormsvlei Riverside Cottageswww.stayhere.co.za/ads/

stormsvleicot

The Stormsvlei Art Festival joins theOverbergs Cultvaria and Baards-keerdersbos annual art routes inopening up the rich, raw art talent inthe country.

Tretchikoff never crossed his ffsas with the auctioned work


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South African Art Times August 2009

SOLITUDE & things collected

k r a a l s t u d i o364 milner street, waterkloof, pretoria

opening of exhibitionsaturday 29 august 09, 12:00rsvp: [email protected] or hanlie on 082 464 6767

private viewing by appointment till 10 october 09

roselyn mccullochaloes recollected nil jonkerbush vinethe earthworm farmers cottage

New R 1 M Firewalker sculpture explodes into shapeMarx & Kentridges FirewalkerSculpture rises on theJohannesburg city landscape

The SA Art Times has commissionedWendel Fernandes these past fewweeks to photograph the rise of Johan-nesburgs Development Agencysnewest commissioned public worksentitled Firewalker, collaborationpiece by Johannesburg artists WilliamKentridge and Gerhard Marx.

The sculpture will resemble a womancarrying a burning brazier on her head,but only from certain angles; If oneapproaches the work from the directionof the bridge, these loose steel frag-ments combine to create the cohesiveimage of The Fire Walker... This imagethen explodes into loose individualfragments and abstraction as you movearound it , Marx and Kentridge explain.

The work is being hailed as Johan-nesburgs Statue of Liberty, evoking the

Big Apples monumental torch bearingwom an. But she is a very particularStatue of Liberty JohannesburgsStatue of Liberty which carries with it,at every point, either the history or thethreat of its own collapse , the artistssay. Neustetter also noted the contra-dictory implications of the work, w hich,while its message of survival inspires,

if we carry fire on our heads, whatelse can we do? it is also disturbing; should someone have to do this?

In her article for the weekender, AlexDodd also draws attention to the pos-sibility of theft, a problem which hasplagued various public sculptures in thecity in recent years. Were trying tomake it as solid and strong as possible,but there is the chance that parts couldget stolen , Marx concedes, addingthat concerns about safety, and thepiece being used as a possible hidingplace for hijackers were also takeninto account in the manufacture of thepiece.

Then again, theft of part of the statuesmetal might only add to the senseof contingency offered by Joburgs exploding and fragmented Statueof Liberty.

New on the Johannesburg horizon: Firewalker, a R 1 M collaborativepiece between Gerhard Marx (left) and W illi am Kentridge (left, i n

hat) all made possible by Steven Sacks (far right) hard work.Johannesburg is wel l ahead of any other South African city i n its

commissioning of public w orks. Photo: Wendel Fernandes


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presents

BRAAM KRUGER (1950 2008)

A retrospective exhibition of oil paintingsCurated by Dr Fred Scott

2 September 14 October 2009

The General, oil on panel, 138x122 cm, 1989

Sponsored by Standard Bank andwith financial support by BASA

UJ Art Gallery

c/o Kingsway and University Road Auckland Park Johannesburg South Africa

+27 11 559 2099 [tel] +27 11 559 3178 [fax] [email protected] [email]

urban artist and gallerist Aidan Walshed of a heart attack on 11 July at t hege of 76, after a year of struggling withness. An acclaimed and highly populartist, Walsh also had an importantpact on Durbans art scene as a

allerist and curator. Although now

Aidan Walsh 1933 - 2009OBITUARY

from Paris with a suitcase filled onlywith perfectly formed paintings. Overthe next two decades, the eternallygentle Walsh became one of Durbansbest selling painters and achieved muchcritical recognition.

If he hadnt followed the path of fineart, Walsh has said that he would hebecome an archeologist, f ascinated ashe was by the small details and arcanaof history. And indeed his paintingsoften function as a kind of archaeol-

ogy of the present, one that is foreverslipping away from us, and it is in thatdilapidated slippage that Walsh founda kind of spiritual home. With hisdeath, Walsh and his work joins thepast in a sense with which he wasso perpetually fascinated. But even asAidan Walshs life now crystalises intohistory and memory, the passion, skill,inspiration and commitment to art thatdefined his life will continue to shineinto the future.

rom Art Smart

he late Aidan Walshs inimitablend humorous comments written inctober 2005 linked to a forthcomingxhibition.

he following was sent to artSMart byndrew Verster, giving the late Aidanalshs inimitable and humorousmments linked to a forthcoming

xhibition of his works. It was writtenn October 10, 2005:

hen I was a child, we lived in Englandwar-torn England. Although Im Southrican, I was brought up t here becausey father had business interests there

nd the whole family went over allven children and my mother and,

OOM, war was declared. Bad timing.

here was rationing. I was, I believe,nsidered an odd child I didnt likeweets, so I used to give my sweettion cards (children got extra), to and lady who lived near us. She wasmazingly interesting. Her father hadeen a doctor in a Catholic Missionation in Yucatan, and they had a

Aidan Walsh and his inspirat ionhouse in Vera Cruz. She was well over80 and had a collection of exquisitelyillustrated books, huge and magnificent,on the rain forests, M ayan and Aztecruins, the local flora and fauna. Herflat was filled with beautiful objectsand Spanish colonial furniture. I wastotally captivated by the stories of herchildhood, visits to Mexico City, to theforests and all the ruins. She was soabsorbing that I used to lose all countof time. Once my father had the canaldragged, thinking I had fallen in. I havealways seen filled with curiosity. AndMiss Elizabeth Bamber stimulated thatcuriosity to an amazing degree.

I didnt ever get to Yucatan. I haventbeen as much a traveller and I wouldhave liked to be. And in another lif e,I might have become an archaeo-

logist.At least in this country, I have tra-velled to some pretty remote places,possibly the most remote beingPofadder. I have made two trips there.It has a weird and unique fascination. Ireally had no idea whether it existed or

O Connor, Malcolm Christian, Clivevan den Berg and Penny Siopis. Otherartists who had their work shown inthe gallery include Walter Battiss, PeterSchutz and Cecil Skotnes. As a result ofthe high standard set by Walshs curato-rial eye, many works that now residein the Durban Art Gallerys permanentconnection were purchased from theWalsh Marais Gallery.

In the early 80s, the Gallery having runits course, Walsh moved to the NSA,

where he was appointed as curatorand continued to support the work ofyoung artists on the rise. But it wasonly in his 50s, during a three monthresidency at the le de la Cit in Paris,that Walsh started to pursue paintingwith seriousness.

Verster says that he thinks t hat Walshneed to get away, both from him andDurban, in order to find his talent andconfidence as a painter, and he recalls,with an amazed smile, Walsh returning

renowned for his hyper-realist land-scapes, and also for his portraits, Walshwas a seminal figure as the curator anddirector of the Walsh-Marais gallery,which opened in the early 60s, andwhich often gave artists who are nowof national and international importancetheir first show.

The gallery, which Walsh started withceramicist Carol Marais at the timeWalsh was also a ceramicist was oneof the first galleries in Durban to show

contemporary work, and the first galleryto host regular temporary exhibitions.This was something which he wasencouraged to do by Andrew Versterwho, at the time, taught at SolisburyIsland. Verster, who would shortlybecome Walshs lover and life partner,was one of many artists who had theircareers forged in the fires of Walshspassion for fine art. Other artists whoexhibited at the gallery early on in theircareer included Paul Stopforth, Patrick

not, or was simply a joke. I knew it wasreal when I discovered it.

So much of my trips around the North-ern Cape, arid, desolate and stark, haveproduced some amazing places, placethat people in general hadnt heard of,and which in their unique way are totallyfascinating.

Near Saldanah, I discovered someupright stones near a remote sandytack which were thought to have beenvenerated by the San. They possess anaura similar to that which I experiencedwhen I saw some menhirs at Carnac inBrittany. They have a vibrant presenceabout them.

My friend Lize, who one evening wasdriving past from Vredenburg to Gonna-

manskraal, noticed some indistinct lit tlelights flickering around the stones. Sheturned off t he road and drove towardsthem. Her husband felt uneasy. He feltthey were interfering with somethingbeyond them and that they should turnback. And they did. They both felt t heeerie atmosphere exuded by the stones.

Later on, when I joined them for drinks,Lize said that in the 1850s a shipload ofIrish immigrants who were fleeing thePotato Famine and religious intolerance,settled in nearby Caledon. Amongstthem were Walshes, some who hadnames that run in my family so theywere probably distant relations. She hasa theory that when they were packingup in the Holy Isle, some leprechaunssneaked in and stowed away in theirportmanteaux and snuck out again inSouth Africa, and it is they who madetheir home around the stones.

I remember my first trip to Paris. I hadapplied for the Atelier flat at the CitInternationale des Arts. The waiting listwas tw o years. Unexpectedly, DianaBreedt phoned to tell me there hadbeen an unforeseen cancellation and I

had to leave within ten days. My pass-port had expired . Well, those tendays were chaotic. I had my passportand visa just hours before boardingthe plane. Did I need a Jamiesonsonce aboard!

Read more on ww w.artsmart.co.za


6/16

sasol new signaturesart competton 09

Exhibition

For further information contactassociation of arts pretoria 012 346 3100

or visit www.sasolsignatures.co.za

Gallery hours:

Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00

Pretoria Art Museum Arcadia Park

cnr Schoeman and Wessels Streets

27 August 20 September 2009

controversialcontemporarycuttingedge


7/16

Walter BattissSupplement to The South African Art Times

alter Whall Battiss (junior) wasorn into an English Methodistmily of Settler stock in Somersetast in the Western Cape provinceSouth Africa on the 6th of January

906. His siblings Alfred andoreen were born in 1907 and 1910spectively. The young family livedthe Battiss Temperance Hotel.alter Senior was an athletic man

nd could not relate to his sensitive,tistic son. The family moved tooffiefontein, an Afrikaans com-unity, when Walter w as 11 yearsd. A friend of t he family; Williamowler took Battiss to see the rock

engravings of the Bushman in theveldt near Koffiefontein.

In 1919 the Battiss family relocatedto Fauresmith. The sense of isola-tion he felt only increased when, dueto his intelligence and diligence, hewas pushed ahead by two standardsat school. He matriculated in 1923at the age of 17 and found his first

employment at a bank in Fauresmith.In 1924 he became a clerk in theMagistrates Court in Rustenburg.His formal art studies started in 1929and he finally obtained his BachelorsDegree in Fine Arts from theUniversity of South Africa in Pretoria

at the age of 35 in 1940.

Battiss married the not ed art-educa-tionalist Grace Anderson on the 12thof M arch 1940. Anderson, an olderwoman, born in the late 1800s,was intelligent and strong-minded,a painter, potter and weaver. Theywere both very dedicated to the pur-suit of their own art and the couple

held two joint exhibitions in 1942and 1945. They moved to GiottosHill in Menlo Park Pretoria, it was alarge house filled with art materialsand layers of artworks and items col-lected by both artists. They each hadtheir own bedroom, studios and

spaces. Not much is mentionedabout the nature of their marriage asGrace was not the public persona thatBattiss was, they had one son Giles.

Battiss travelled extensively through-out his life. After Graces death in1975 it is well documented thatBattiss visited hippy communes inboth Greece and Santa F where he

participated in group orgies whichbecame a major theme of his workduring the late 70s. He was not alibertine; he did not drink alcohol anddid not engage in the orgies out oflasciviousness, but as a means ofexpanding his experience of himself,

other human beings and the worldaround him. He would later revealthat he had always felt that he wasan island to himself. It was perhapsthe early foundational relationshipwith his father that perpetuated thedevelopment of a public persona the artist-performer who becamethe self-proclaimed King Ferd the IIIof Fook Island.

Battiss persona was in stark con-trast to the conservative Calvinisticmindset of t he country and govern-ment. He w as open minded andfree-thinking and above all believedin and championed the cause

Reality is fantasy and fantasy is reality Art is more real than everything around us because we crystallize it.

Orgy 3, screenprint, 43,5 x 61cm, (Stephan Welz & Co. October Auction Cape Town)

of freedom of expression. Thisperspective was one which grewthroughout his life, as he had a keenintellect and a constantly inquiringmind. He retained a childlike curios-ity throughout his life. Undoubtedlyhis early encounters with indigenousrock-art opened his perceptionsto alternative realities. As a publicfigure he w as warm, accessibleand a strong role model for his artstudents and younger artists. Heremained energized and never losthis enthusiasm he was a rarecombination - balancing teachingwith prolific art production.

his work caused a great amount of controversy both stylisti-ally and for it s subject matter it was unlike any other formpainting being produced at that tim e in South Africa. In theeater context of world art it was totally contemporary, whilethe same time expressive of the influence of San rock art on

attiss work.

Father and son in the rocks, ca. 1949, oil on canvas,60 x 76cm, Walter Battiss Art Gallery

Battiss and his wife Grace owned 2 black Scotty dogs named Lindy and Suzie.

People in love with trees, 1981, watercolour, 36 x 50,5cm, private collection

While once again the subject matter ref erences Africa and San-style figures,the composition draws upon elements of Abstraction, it also interestingly isreminiscent of t he fabric design of the Omega Workshops which had such aninfluence upon his w ife Grace, who w as a weaver and ceramicist.

Zebras in Grass, 1952, oil on canvas, 64 x 87cm, private collection


8/16

Battiss continued to push his work through an accumulation ofsymbiotic influences while working tow ards a style that w ouldbe uniquely his own form of expression. Here the motif of horse,bull and rider refer to t he simplified schematic representationsfound in San Rock art while stylistically and colouristically he hasdrawn upon Expressionism and the works of artists such as OskarKokoshka, Ernst Ludwig Kirschner with their thickly loaded appli-cations of impasto paint, bold dramatic colours and dark outlines.

Red Bull in kraal, oil on canvas, 50 x 40cm, Pretoria Art Museum

Battiss created anthropomorphic and metamorphic figures influenced bythe figures found in San art that are believed to represent the San Medicinemen in a state of trance halfway between this w orld and the next, halfwaybetween m an and animal / insect, they m ay also be seen as symbolic repre-sentations of the int erconnectedness of all life forms a precept certainly heldby the San-Bushmen. Battiss has created a bold and graphic statement thatmay be read as both design, sign and symbol.

Mantis Dance, undated, screenprint, 40 x 52 cm, Pretoria Art Museum

attiss knew when he painted this painting that he had finally connected with a form of expressionat he wanted to pursue the distillation of detail and design to the essential elements, the humanrm forming part of the harmony of the whole he considered this to be his breakthrough work.

The Early M en, 1938, oil on paper

he subject matter of t his painting may refer to the gatherings that were held outsideustenberg that Battiss was invited to as a young man of 19. Stylistically and thematicallyhough not colouristically, it references the w ork of M atisses paintings La Joie de Vivre905) and Luxe, Calme et Volupte (1904).

Figures and Rocks, ca. 1940, oil on canvas, 61 x 76cm, Walter Battiss Art Gallery

ymbols of loveand Mantisform part of a series of w ork in which Battiss created vast patterned

mpositions. Within t he patterns we may see elements of San rock art, hieratic figures, and thealligraphic mark making of early pre-Islamic cultures. It also references the work of Cy Twomblyd perhaps it might have even influenced the work of Keith Haring.

Mantis, oil on canvas, 90 x 184cm UNISA collection

GALLERY

Coco de M er, Seychelles, 1973, screenprint and collage, 57 x 40cm,Walter Battiss Art Gallery

In both the Liza Minelliand Coco de Merprints Battiss references thePop Art w ork of Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, once againproving how completely international and contemporary his work was.

Afri can Rocks and figures, oil on canvas,81 x 101cm, South African National Gallery

In this masterpiece we see that Battiss has drawn together allthe previous elements that he has played wit h and investigatedand begun to create an art that w hile it references all these influ-ences, is now making a stylistic statement completely his own.

Artists Signature Styleattiss style moved away from realism toward a hieratic, abstract, symbolist character as heought to create an art which reflected his South African heritage which he felt included thet of the Bushmen. He worked in oils and watercolours, woodblock and silk-screen prints.e was able to compartmentalize what he was trying to explore or express by working in aariety of art mediums. He printed his first serigraph / silk-screen in 1954. The appearance ofalligraphic forms, animal and human abstractions and the influence of Ndebele beadworkegan to emerge in Battiss work from 1955 as he sought to create a new visual language.July 1961 he visited the Middle East (Baghdad, Persia and Arabia), where he studied earlye-Islamic calligraphy, as he was fascinated by the graphic, fluid, liquid forms which he saw as

eing derived from nature. By 1962 Battiss began applying paint with the palette-knife, straightom the palette drawing it across the canvas and dragging out the colours in rainbow-likecs. He then drew into the paint in a sgraffito delineation of form.

s Orgy series from the mid to late 70s feature complicated compositions, denselyopulated with bodies that contort and co-mingle presenting a further challenge to societyserceptions of acceptability of gender and sexual orientation. Battiss depicts these taboos withn over-arching lightness and playfulness of spirit. He also created and participated in manyfferent f orms of interventionist, performances or art happenings and installationsom the late 60s till his death. They occurred either as dialogue between him and othertists, or directly with the public with some of these forming part of the Fook experience.these art works Battiss showed himself t o be completely current w ith the thinking and art

ends being explored by his international contemporaries, and way ahead of the art mindset inouth Africa.

Battiss developed a technical device of m ixing his paint on hispalette, then applying the unblended colour onto the canvas withthe palette knife in thick rainbow-like swathes of colour. He thendrew with the back of his paintbrush into the wet paint, exposingthe underlying colour in a method referred t o as sgraffito. His linework is rem iniscent of Picassos Minotaurseries. The subjectmatter mostly centered on the human form.

Summer, 1959, oil on canvas, 40 x 35,5cm, private collectionBattiss had now completely come into his ow n artistically; he drew upon hisAfrican heritage and international artistic acculturation. His w ork was com-pletely contemporary in terms of international art trends. He had begun to lookupon graffiti as the true uncensored art of the people; this w ork predates inintention, form and content the w ork that was later produced by Jean MichelBasquiat.

80 000 buck or more, 1967, oil on canvas, 91 x 101cm, private collection

Symbols of love, 1966, oil on canvas,122 x 122cm, Pretoria Art Museum

Greek Island, wat ercolour, 33 x 47,5cm,Pretoria Art Museum


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www.a r twessels.co.zaTel (+27) 12 346 0728

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Bird, tree, man, screenprint, 45 x 36cm, private collection

Liza Minelli , screenprint and collage, 63 x 50cm,Walter Battiss Art Gallery

Silk Stockings, screenprint,45 x 36cm, (Stephan Welz & Co.

October Auction Cape Town)

Shepherd, screenprint,60 x 43cm, (Stephan Wel z & Co.

October Auction Cape Town)

They come they go, gouache, 41 x 55cmUNISA Galler

Untitled, 1976, watercolour and whit e ink,35 x 49,5cm, University of the Witwatersrand

Art Galleries Collection

This work forms part of both Battiss island andorgy series.

During the mid 50s to late 60s Battiss created a series ofcompositions focusing on aspects of daily West African life, inboth subject matter and style, he was heavily influenced by thework of Maurice van Essches Congo series.

African women, 1960, oil on board, 31 x 41 cm,private collection

Battiss dedicated his life to the study and pursuit of his art. He gained his artdegree over an extended period of study as time and finances allowed. In aturn around, Battiss supported his studies to become a teacher through thesale of his own artwork. He sold his very first piece of work at the age of 16.He took any available time away from w ork to sketch and paint the surround-ing landscapes in a painterly, realistic manner similar to that explored by theCape Impressionists. Battiss received his art training entirely in South Af ricaand in 1938 he was to travel to Europe for the first time. Here he was to findthat much of what he had been searching for artistically was confirmed bymany other artists on the same journey tow ards a new form of expression.

Despite his dedication to his t eaching, his ow n artworks and intellectualpursuits, Battiss always made time to form, join or participate in Art Societiesand Art movements. In 1939 The Amazing Bushman, a study of the rock

art of t he San-Bushmen was published - the first of many publications asBattiss was not only a prolific visual artist but wrote ef fusively too obser-vations, poetry, free-form verse and essays. Battiss w as also to discoverthe rock art treasury at Zastron in the Free State in 1939. In 1944 an exhibi-tion of his copies of rock paintings was held in Johannesburg; this was ofgreat art historical importance in South Africa as it was the first presentationof this form of art from an aesthetic viewpoint. His copies were faithful repro-ductions without any interpretation or manipulation, however it w as throughthis close study of the work that he found the key he was looking for in hisown painting.

In April 1965 he visited the Hadhramaut, Southern Arabia and in Decembervisited Jordan. In 1966 Battiss visited Greece for the fi rst time, it lit a spark ofkinship and recognition in him and he was to keep returning to this countrywhich eventually lead to the creation of t he Fook Island concept. Nesoscreated in 1968 was a compilation of images from the various Greek Islandshe had visited. He printed 25 editions of fifty four colour serigraphs, and handbound each one, perhaps one can attribute the art-books Battiss compiled tothe early influence of his mother and her book binding commissions. Battissseemed to come into a second fruition after his retirement at the end of1971. He is quoted as saying Happiness belongs to youth but I m findingit as I grow older. Towards the end of 1975, in collaboration with NormanCatherine the first Fook Island exhibition and happening w as staged. Fook, as artist Norman Catherine explains, w as Battisss user-friendly andfun for everyone idea for art, his reaction to the deeply serious conceptual

art he saw while on his numerous travels abroad. Basically, Battiss inventedFook Island because he wanted everybody, children as well as people hisown age, to enjoy the freedom to create art, especially at a time in SouthAfrica when there w as serious censorship, Battiss believed that onesresponse to a work w as more about ones own taboos and perceptions thanthat which the artist is trying to communicate. In July of 1969 he visitedWest Germany, on his return he w ent to his holiday home in Port Shepstoneto rest, he suf fered a severe heart attack and died on the 20t h of August.Battiss never stopped producing art it was his life he never ceased inengaging with creativity.

Analysis o the artists work / key stylistic infuences

A watercolour copy of a cave painting of t he San Bushmen. This form of art was to revolutionizeBattiss approach to his own artw ork, in response to studying it he abandoned perspective,simplified the human form to that of a symbol and worked towards compositions that wouldbecome a patterned harmonious whole.

Barrow Hill , Ladybrand OFS, wat ercolour, 44 x 94cm, Pretoria Art Museu

This charming portrait is painted in a semi-impressionistic / expressionisticstyle that at t he time w as being explored by the second generation CapeImpressionists such as Gregoire Boonzaier. Not satisfied to m erely workof a more abstract, simplified symbolism. How ever he continued to painthighly observed w atercolour scenes.

Lina, 1938, oil on canvas, private collection

Bird, tree, manand Boy and birdscreenprints are reminiscentof the paper cut-outs produced by Matisse towards the end ofhis career. They share the same clarity of vision, lyrical contentand sinuous silhouette outlines, freshness of colour and light-ness of spirit.

Boy and bird, screenprint, 50 x 37cm, Pretoria Art Museum


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11/16


12/16

HIGHLIGHTSfrom 10 Years of Collectingfor the Sanlam Art Collection

20 August 1 September 2009

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Durban Art Gallery / 2nd Floor,City Hall, Anton Lembede St.Durban Open Mondays to Saturdays08:30 to 16 :00 / Sundays 11:00 to 16:00tel: 031 3112264/9 fax: 031 3112273email:[email protected]

Artwork illustrated from PAST/PRESENTworks by Andrew Verster on view from12 August to end of October 2009

Raw Vision Gallery, 89 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, CT

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SA Art Times Contemporary Art is t s Profi le

MBONGENI BUTHELEZI

taff Writer

009 has been a frenetic year forbongeni Buthelezi. The Johan-

esburg-based artists first nationaluring exhibition opened in May,the Pretoria Art Museum, and

uly saw him jetting off to Germany,here he had been invited to theunst:Raum Sylt-Quelle Foundation

stay in the foundations centre andomplete a commission.

ohannesburg audiences maymember Buthelezis striking

anvasses from the Joburg Art FairApril. Star of Dr Ralf-P Seippels

ooth, Buthelezi was feted as havingeveloped an entirely new method

painting.

et from a distance, one mightistake Buthelezis large-scale worksr oil paintings. Rendered in mono-

hromes, sepia tones or in full colour,e images of tow nship life, humanrms and landscapes certainlysemble expressionist paintings.

hese are no ordinary paintings, how-ver, and a closer look betrays them.lastic on canvas or Plastic on plas-, read the labels, and indeed, it isbbish which is Buthelezis mediumchoice. Collecting plastic carrier

ags and packaging from super-arkets, restaurants and recyclens, Buthelezi melts an average of000 plastic bags onto each of hisanvases using a heat gun. Initiallyork ing with matches and cigarettehters, Buthelezi eventually dis-

overed that the heat gun, usuallysed to strip rather than apply paint,as the perfect instrument for hisaft.

Asked by writer M mutle Kgokonghow he developed the unusual andrather smelly technique, Buthelezisaid that his humble beginningscertainly aided the discovery. Lackof materials was a motivating factor,says the artist, who began experi-menting with discarded plastic whenhe could no longer afford the water-colours he had been trained to use atFUNDA. If I was a privileged artist

who had accessibility to traditional artmaking materials such as oil paints, Iwould not have discovered the art ofplastic painting.

And Buthelezi has certainly had tostruggle to reach where he is today.In June, he told Rapport, how, asa young man passionate about art,he left home with just t wo blanketsand a sack of clothing, to live in a

room in Soweto and study art at theFUNDA centre. Much like his art,Buthelezi says, I built my life up outof nothing.

Buthelezis first big break camewhen the Plastic Federation ofSouth Africa bought up his entirestock of work, from his room. Then,in 1998, Buthelezi was the artistin residence at the National Arts

Festival in Grahamstown, and sincethen the offers have been pouring in,Buthelezi exhibiting in Germany, theUK and the US.

These days, with the artists small-scale works selling in the region ofR 17 000, Buthelezi lives in a double-storey house in Krugersdorp, a farcry from the one-room he rented inSoweto in his student days. He iscommitted to giving back, however,by conducting recycling workshops,getting children involved in collectingmaterials for him and teaching.

Buthelezis travelling show, ImizwaYami, which translates as Myfeelings is showing at the Pretoria

Art Museum, until 16th August.From there, it will travel to the SasolMuseum in Stellenbosch, the RedLocation Museum in Port Elizabethand Oliewenhuis Museum inBloemfontein, and continue travellinguntil 2011.

Read and see more work at:www.seippel-gallery.com

Or see his work at: Seippel Gallery,Arts on Main, Johannesburg, Sunday25. July 2009

Photos by Helenus KrugerArtwork courtesy Seippel Gallery

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The SA Art Times

www.arttimes.co.za


14/16Carla Van Zyl, Goerop (Namibian Man), oil on canvas, 120 x 100cm

CHRISTOPHER MLLER ARTSOUTH AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY AND MASTERS

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Unisa Art Gallery, Theo van Wijk Building, GoldFields Entrance,B-Block, B5 - 02Main Campus, Preller and Ridge Streets, Pretoria, 0003Email: [email protected], Tel: (012) 429 6823Gallery hours: (Tue - Fri 10:00 - 16:00)

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89 Central Street Houghton Gauteng 2198 P O Box 851 Houghton Gauteng 2041

Maggie (Maria Magdalena) Laubser, South African 18861973Composition with Head, Foliage and Huts, 1956

signed; signed and dated 1956, Strand on the reverse

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Maggie (Maria Magdalena) Laubser South African 18861973Fishing Boats

signed

oil on board

51 by 40,5 cm

R500,000-R700,000

Documents

SA Art Times AUG 09