[MATRIC] South African Resistance Art (Credit to Marley) Flashcards
Question 4 of the exam. 5 Examples (24 cards)
For what movement and in what year was ‘Botha’s Baby’ created? By who?
‘Botha’s Baby’ was made by Gavin Younge in 1981 and is part of the anti-apartheid art movement
Describe ‘Botha’s Baby’ by Gavin Younge
A cast-iron and welded steel baby feeding tray, with a space fitting a pistol indented into the tray.
What is the symbolism behind ‘Botha’s Baby’?
The juxtaposition of a baby’s high chair with a handgun’s impression in the feeding tray symbolises how systemic violence permeated through privileged and sheltered white South Africans.
By associating the “baby” with Botha, Younge critiques the (at the time) South African Prime Minister’s role in perpetuating a cycle of violence and oppression.
What was the public perception of the work ‘Botha’s Baby’ in the South African art world?
The sculpture elicited strong emotional reactions upon its first exhibition, with some viewers vandalising it, highlighting the contentious nature of art that confronts uncomfortable truths
For what movement and in what year was ‘Tribute to Chris Hani’ created? By who?
‘Tribute to Chris Hani’ was made by Willie Bester in 1993 and is a piece of protest art
Describe ‘Tribute to Chris Hani’ by Willie Bester
A mixed media assemblage that combines found objects, photographs, painted elements, and symbolic imagery, surrounding a portrait of Chris Hani, which is framed in a bicycle wheel
What is the context behind ‘Tribute to Chris Hani’?
The piece was created in response to the assassination of Chris Hani, a prominent anti-apartheid leader, in 1993. Hani’s death was a pivotal moment in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy
What does the tire symbolise in ‘Tribute to Chris Hani’?
– The bicycle tire around the portrait
of Hani represents a laurel wreath
– While the tire connotes the fearful
“necklacing” practice, Bester aimed to restore it to its original connotations of transport,
labour, progress and union activity
– The tire is inscribed with the
valediction “Hamba Kahle” (Go
Gently),
What other symbolism can be found in ‘Tribute to Chris Hani’?
The AK-47 overlaid by the dove symbolises Hani’s wish to abandon the armed struggle and fight for freedom through labour organisation (Strikes, stay-aways, peaceful demonstrations, etc)
The figure of a miner, whose helmet illuminates a bank note, symbolises wage negotiations and the labour struggle
The yoke symbolises the continued state of subjection under Apartheid.
For what movement and in what year was ‘Butcher Boys’ created? By who?
‘Butcher Boys’ was made by Jane Alexander in 1986 and is part of the anti-Apartheid art movement
Describe ‘Butcher Boys’ by Jane Alexander
A life-sized sculptural installation featuring three humanoid figures sitting on a bench in varied human-like poses. They appear mostly human, but with grotesque mutations (horns, shut ears and mouths, etc.).
What do the mutations of the ‘Butcher Boys’ represent?
As if something fundamental has been stripped away, the mutations represent the brutality and moral decay of apartheid
- Silencing of dissent (no voice),
- Refusal to hear the suffering of others (no ears),
- Loss of empathy and communication.
What does the name of the artwork ‘Butcher Boys’ refer to?
The term “Butcher Boys” evokes not only literal butchery but also institutional violence, particularly state-sanctioned brutality. The figures’ physiques are strong and intimidating, implying the threatening presence of power used to intimidate or oppress.
What parts of the Apartheid system does ‘Butcher Boys’ critique?
Censorship and dehumanisation, increasing violence and state control. Jane Alexander’s work, while not overtly political in symbols, clearly critiques:
authoritarian control, the numbing of the human conscience, the normalisation of systemic cruelty.
For what movement and in what year was ‘Patience on a Monument’ created? By who?
‘Patience on a Monument’ was made by Penny Siopis in 1988 and is part of the anti-Apartheid art movement
Describe ‘Patience on a Monument’ by Penny Siopis
- The artwork features a black female figure, semi-naked, seated atop a mound of debris. (This debris includes items such as fruit peelings, a stretched canvas, a dead bird, a skull, models of a pregnant womb and a broken heart, a small handbag, ornamental fittings, and an open book)
These objects are compacted into what appears to be a vast waste-disposal site.
The figure is depicted peeling a lemon in her lap, and her posture and the act of peeling a lemon are anti-heroic
What do the objects in the mound of trash represent in ‘Patience on a Monument’?
- Fruit peelings symbolise decay, the discarded remnants of life, and perhaps bitterness.
- The stretched canvas references the medium of painting and art itself, indicating how art tries to capture or frame history
- Dead birds are often a symbol of death or lost freedom. In an Apartheid context, it may suggest the loss or silencing of certain voices or histories
- Skulls are a classic symbol of mortality, and the countless deaths of the Apartheid era
In general, these objects symbolise the fragmented, discarded, and complex realities that underlie official historical
Siopis uses these objects to highlight the tension between what is commemorated and what is left behind or erased in Apartheid history.
What are the key themes in ‘Patience on a Monument’?
Memory and History
- Siopis frequently addresses how history is remembered, constructed, or contested
Waiting and Transformation
- Patience might indicate a waiting period for change, recognition, or justice, especially in the context of South Africa’s apartheid society. The late 1980s expected the radical change that would occur in the 90s.
Personal vs. Collective Memory
- Siopis’ work often blurs the line between personal and public memory with the use of the “monument”
How are ‘Patience on a Monument’’s themes visually communicated?
The use of colour, texture, and layered imagery could suggest how memories and histories overlap and obscure one another. The busy composition of the artwork represents the overwhelming trauma and personal struggle of those affected by Apartheid.
For what movement and in what year was ‘Voyages’ created? By who?
‘Voyages’ was made by David Brown in 1989 and is part of the anti-Apartheid art movement
Describe ‘Voyages’ by David Brown
An installation of three large wooden ships with strange sails, and crewed by distorted men doing random activities
What does the activity of the crews represent in ‘Voyages’?
The figures on each ship are made to do nothing useful that one would do on a regular ship. This represents Brown’s criticism of the Apartheid government, specifically the military.
The work has been referred to as a “ ship of fools.”
How does David Brown utilise the medium of sculpture to express the themes of ‘Voyages’?
By making the masts of the ship feature zero functioning sails, Brown communicates the lack of progressive action by the government during Apartheid.
By situating the ships atop still tables, he also conveys this “useless inactivity” and that the government has less control of the direction of the future than they think.
Discuss the context behind South African Resistance Art
From 1976 to 1994, artists began to use their creative voices to speak out about Apartheid. Some used subtle messaging while others opened blatant criticism against the government.
The beginning of this period was marked by the South African art world’s response to the 1976 Soweto march, in which police opened fire on an unarmed crowd of young civilians.
Artists from all racial groups and all skill levels exhibited their works in galleries, on streets, on t-shirts, or on posters.
All art forms were used, including painting,
sculpture, photography, drama and graphic design.
From political prisoners to forced conscription, Resistance Art covered a wide range of topics related to the general oppression of South Africans.
