Die stillewemotief in die Suid-Afrikaanse grafiese kuns

Abstract

Die ondersoek na die voorkoms en uitbeelding van spesifiek die stillewemotief in die SuidAfrikaanse grafiese kuns, is gegrond op die navorser se persoonlike belangstelling in die kunstenaar se keuse betreffende die tema van die kunswerk en die medium en tegniek waarin dit uitgevoer word. Die navorsing is gevolglik gemik op twee spesifieke afdelings binne die Suid-Afrikaanse kunskonteks: eerstens op die kunstenaars met 'n sogenaamde grafiese of tekenkundige ingesteldheid, teenoor die met 'n skilderkunstige ingesteldheid. Tweedens is een tema, binne die breer konteks van die grafiese kuns, naamlik die stillewe, uitgesonder vir bespreking. Teen die agtergrond van die uitgebreidheid van die kontemporêre kunsbeskouing en die verdwyning van die tradisionele afbakening tussen kunsgenres, moes bepaal word of daar enigsins so 'n verband bestaan. 'n Beredeneerde verkenning is daarom ten doel gestel sonder om 'n volledige historiese oorsig van die ontwikkeling van enige van die twee onderwerpe weer te gee. Aan die einde van die sewentigerjare was dit duidelik dat Suid-Afrikaanse kuns 'n nuwe tydvak betree het. Die heersende strewe na groter internasionalisme, is met 'n sosiale en kulturele bewustheid vervang. Met 'n terugkeer na tradisionele figuratiewe voorstellingswyses, soos die landskap, stillewe en genrestukke het 'n nuwe generasie SuidAfrikaanse kunstenaars hulle op die werklikhede binne hulle eie omgewing begin toespits. Die klemverskuiwing ten opsigte van die relevansie van die kunswerk was terselfdertyd tyd-en-plekgebonde, maar het ook saamgeval met 'n nuwe wêreldwye benadering, naamlik die van die postmodernisme. In die postmodernistiese konteks het die grense waarbinne lewelose voorwerpe voorkom en uitgebeeld word, in so 'n mate vervaag dat die tradisionele definisie van die stillewe nie meer omvattend is nie. Die tradisionele stillewevoorstellings van versamelings voorwerpe, wat deur hulle leweloosheid saamgebind word, het plek gemaak vir uitbeeldings waarin die Iewelose voorwerpe, in voorkoms en betekenis, opsig selfstaande is. Uit die navorsing was die invloed van die snelle tegnologiese ontwikkeling en die gepaardgaande grensloosheid wat dit in die beeldende kunste oor die algemeen en in die grafiese kuns in besonder teweeggebring het, is opvallend. Kunstenaars benut die geleentheid om verskillende, en dikwels uiteenlopende, tegnieke in enkele werke saam te gebruik. Ten einde die nuwe benadering onder ons eietydse kunstenaars te ondersoek en te begryp, is die oeuvres van vier bekende kunstenaars, by name Karel Nel (1955- ), William Kentridge (1955-), Titia Ballot (1941-) en Pippa Skotnes (1957-) uitgesonder vir bespreking. Die keuse van die kunstenaars is gegrond op aspekte wat hulle met mekaar in gemeen het, soos hulle grafiese ingesteldheid, die algemene voorkoms van lewelose voorwerpe in hulle oeuvres en veral van belang, hulle individuele bydraes tot die Suid-Afrikaanse kuns gedurende die tydperk 1980 tot 1995. Die navorsing het eerstens aangetoon dat ondanks tyd en plek, kunstenaars gelei word deur 'n onwillekeurige tegniese ingesteldheid. Tweedens het geblyk dat tematiese voorkeure, alhoewel ook persoonlik, meer tydsgebonde en veranderlik is.

This study looks into the appearance and portrayal of specifically the still-life motif in South African graphical art, is based on the researcher's personal interest in the artist's choice with regard to the theme of the artwork and the medium and technique in which it is carried out. The research is therefore focussed on two specific segments within the South African art context: firstly, on those artists with a predisposition towards graphic art or drawing, rather than towards painting. Secondly, one theme has been selected for discussion within the wider context of the graphic art, namely that of the still-life. Against the background of the all-encompassing contemporary approach to art, and the disappearance of the traditional boundaries between art genres, it must be determined if there indeed exist such distinctions. A reasoned exposition was therefore set as the objective, without repeating a complete historical overview of the development of the two subjects. At the end of the seventies it was clear that South African art had entered a new period. The dominant striving towards greater internationalism was replaced by a social and cultural awareness. With a return to the traditional representational method of portrayal, such as the landscape, still-life and genre works, the new generation of South African artists began to focus their attention on the realities within their own environment. This shift in emphasis with regard to the relevance of the artwork was temporarily insular, but at the same time coincided with a new worldwide approach, namely that of postmodernism. In the postmodern context, the boundaries within which lifeless objects occurred and were portrayed, were blurred to such an extent that the traditional definition of the still-life was no longer all-encompassing. The traditional still-life representations of collections of objects which were bound together by their lifelessness, made way for images in which the lifeless objects were self contained, both in appearance and in meaning. The influence of the rapid technological development and the accompanying elimination of boundaries which it brought about in the fine arts in general, and the graphic art in particular, was striking. Artists embraced the opportunity to use different, and often disparate techniques together in a single work. In order to investigate and understand the new approach among our contemporary artists, the works of four well known artists, namely Karel Nel (1955-), William Kentridge (1955-), Titia Ballot (1941-), and Pippa Skotnes (1957-) were selected for discussion. The choice of these artists is based on aspects which they have in common, such as their graphic tendencies, the general occurrence of lifeless objects in their works, and of particular importance, their individual contribution to South African art during the period from 1980 to 1995. The research indicated firstly that, regardless of period and environment, artists are led by an involuntary technical disposition. Secondly it appeared that, although thematic choices are personal, their variations are significantly influenced by the period.