The worldcentric art of Willem Boshoff : an analysis of artefact and discipline in 'Children of the Stars'

Abstract

Willem Boshoff is a practicing conceptual artist. Readings typically emphasise his use of language, socio-political consciousness and critique of authority within the South African context of colonialism and apartheid. In this article I posit Willem Boshoff’s art practice and production (discipline and artifact) within a broader framework, as an expression of a worldcentric consciousness. I will justify my endorsement of worldcentricism as a viable ‘mode of consciousness’ for our times and argue for the artist’s vital role in the transition from one stage to another. My use of the term ‘worldcentric’ adheres to Ken Wilber’s definition of an identity that transcends ethnocentric boundaries and has expanded to include all human beings. My analysis is based on the integral framework formulated by Ken Wilber. Integral Theory is cross disciplinary and aligns evidence from diverse fields of study: including psychology, ecology and spirituality. The stages of consciousness identified by Wilber will be outlined in order to contextualize and unpack the concept of a worldcentric paradigm. I will be examining Boshoff’s ideas, artifacts and discipline with reference to their ecological, scientific and symbolic significance, and arguing that they adhere to the world centric criteria set out and can be evidenced in his art and commentary.

Willem Boshoff is ’n praktiserende konseptuele kunstenaar. Interpretasies van sy werk beklemtoon sy gebruik van taal, sosio-politiese bewustheid en kritiek op outoriteit binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks van kolonialisme en apartheid. In hierdie artikel plaas ek Willem Boshoff se kunspraktyk en produksie (disipline en artefact [dissipline en artefak]) binne die breër raamwerk van ’n wereldsentriese bewustheid. Ek sal my ondersteuning van wereldsentrisme as ’n waardige eksistensiele bewustheid verdedig en redes aanvoer vir die kunstenaar se rol in hierdie bewusmaking. My gebruik van die term ‘wereldsentrisme’ stem ooreen met Ken Wilber se definisie van ’n identiteit wat etnosentriese grense oorskry en die hele mensdom insluit. My analise is gebasseer op die integrale verwysingsraamwerk wat deur Wilber uiteengesit is. Sy integrale teorie is multi-dissipliner en hy beywer hom om harmonie te bewerkstellig tussen uiteenlopende studierigtings soos die sielkunde, ekologie en teologie. Die stadiums van bewussyn wat deur Wilber geidentifiseer is sal bespreek word om die konsep van ’n wereldsentriese paradigma te belig en kontekstualiseer. Ek sal Boshoff se idees, kunswerke en disiplise [dissipline] bestudeer met verwysing na die ekologiese, wetenskaplike en simboliese betekenisse, en argumenteer dat sy werk ooreenstem met wereldsentriese kriteria, en waargeneem kan word in sy kuns en kommentaar.