December 16 2009

Powerful winds were blowing roofs off Cape Town houses as ‘Dada South?’ opened at the National Gallery on Saturday evening. I arrived late, but heard next day that some would–be opening guests, denied entry while some performance inside was in progress left again because it was much too unpleasant being buffeted in the wind to wait.

A pity. Inside, everyone was in high spirits as this mega show, years in the planning, and curated by Roger van Wyk with the assistance of Kathryn Smith opened its doors for the first time. I can’t comment yet because the crush was too great to really look at the exhibition properly, but those who persevered announced themselves impressed.

Kathy Coates and Datini Mziyiya at the Dada opening

Last time I was at the SANG, for the opening of ‘Strengths and Convictions’ I couldn’t see the Norwegian Queen, who was in attendance, above the heads of the crowd. This time, queen-spotting was easier. Probably because in heels and wig this queen was well over 6’ 4”. And dressed in clinging gold lame. And writhing to the band. Her name was Andrew, ex of Lola’s.

Queen Andrew

Talking about costume, the Mother City Queer Party is just around the corner. It’s the annual event which has a theme, and you have to go as part of a team dressed appropriately. Or undressed inappropriately. Whatever.  There have been great years and swak years, but this time it’s at the Old Biscuit Mill on December 19, and the theme is Tool Box.  Really subtle.

December 9, 2009

Oh dear. Some self appointed protector of the public morals/frustrated artist/Ed Young black listee has decided to paint over the YOUNGBLACKMAN gallery window through which the citizenry of Cape Town and assorted tourists were able to view Cameron Platter’s arty porno Black up that White Arse ll. Apparently the window has been coated in white and the Ezekial 25:17 verse quoted by the Samuel Jackson character just before he kills his victims in Pulp Fiction has been scratched into the white paint:

'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children; and I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers and you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.'

Printed in full, so we can all reflect upon it and upon our various sins.

I just googled YOUNGBLACKMAN to see if there were any pictures of the desecrated window on their website site yet, but the first selection that came up on Google read: haai ladies im a black man im seeking for a black african woman who have a big booty. im looking for a woman that love to be ... view this ad now!

Okay, so not that website. Unless that was Platter’s working script. I’ll put up a pic later if I get one.

In the meantime, I went to the Michaelis art school annual student exhibition opening last Wednesday. Lots of depressingly messy work, particularly in the Michaelis building floors two and three, but this grungy display was saved by a small corner on the top floor where Clare van Blerk restored a corner of the painting studio to its original pristine state. She scraped off years of accumulated layers of paint splashes off the floor, and laboriously sanded down the pine floor to a gleaming finish.The walls and the furniture were treated with similar care. And in a vitrine in another room, Fabian Saptouw had pulped popular art theorist Nicholas Bourriaud’s Post Production, Culture as Screenplay, How Art Reprograms the World using the pulp to make handmade paper on which he then printed Bourriaud’s text with handset type.

Two more students whose works deserves careful attention for conceptual clarity and meticulous craftsmanship: Christopher Swift (he won the Michaelis prize) and Danielle Mooney. Viewers of Mooney’s Your Sky climb a ladder which allows them to poke head and shoulders through a suspended tray of black oil, which reflects not only the view from skylights in the room but video footage, from a ceiling mounted projector, of clouds scudding by. A very pleasant way to get above it all.

November 29, 2009

It will be interesting to see the interaction of artists with the events of the World Cup in 2010. Predictably, at least one major soccer themed art exhibition is in the planning stages. But what will individual artists come up with?

Peering out of the Port Elizabeth soccer crowd is one of young Cape Town artist Dan Popper's lanky undulating puppets. Operated by long rods held by a handler (he can just be seen in the night shot), the puppets are auditioning to entertain the crowds at the World Cup matches next year.

Popper has his puppets gig for draw day, December 4 confirmed.

It's been a busy week. On Tuesday night Jonathan Shapiro aka Zapiro launched his latest book of cartoons Don't mess with my head at the Wash House, a tranquil historical venue high up on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. It was packed. Not that Jonathan had a chance to talk to anybody. Seated at a table with four pens lined up next to him and a fifth busily at work, he signed and signed.

On Wednesday I went to the National Gallery for the opening of Strengths and Convictions, an exhibition honouring South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize laureates - Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela. One of those invitation only events. The King and Queen of Norway were in attendance. It was packed. Couldn't see the royals at all over the heads of the crowd but did manage to take a photo of the Arch with artist Bongi Dhlomo, who was wearing Norwegian traditional dress in honour of the occasion.

The Michael Stevenson Gallery threw an opening party on Thursday night to launch its annual Summer Salon. It was packed. The wine ran out early but those who couldn't see anything inside for the crowds or get a glass of wine could go out on the street and watch Zanele Muholi, framed in a gallery window, shimmy her way through a performance she first made in a window of the red light district in Amsterdam - part of Muholi's ongoing investigation into the kinds of work women do in order to survive. This kind of investigation the crowd loved.