(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Lategan, Anita; Stevens, Ingrid
In this article, Umberto Eco’s definitions of beauty from his recent publication, On Beauty: a history of a
western idea (2004), are used to examine a selection of postmodern artworks that depict flowers either as their
major subject or as an aspect of their content. These artworks consist mainly of paintings but also include
photographs and an installation. The article aims to show that beauty has been revived as an aspect of
postmodern art, and that the flower is almost always an expression of beauty. However, postmodern works
also reveal other, personal intentions in addition to the exploration of beauty. A brief discussion of traditional
flower paintings, specifically seventeenth century Dutch paintings, serves to provide a background to this
discussion of contemporary art depicting flowers.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Winterbach, Hougaard
This article demonstrates that the mythological hero who appears in myth, legend and folklore has resurfaced
in the twentieth century as the American comic book superhero. First, the differences between the hero and the
superhero are explained. Then the characteristics of the archaic hero are discussed to show its parallels with
the modern superhero. The argument is based on Joseph Campbell’s formulation of the complex pattern in the
stages of the adventure of the hero. An analysis of a superhero comic book, Daredevil: Born Again, serves to
show how these different stages, as distinguished by Campbell, form the basis for both the archaic and the
American comic book superhero.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Glatigny, Pascal Dubourg; Mare, Estelle Alma
This article deals with a VOC map and its copy by an anonymous French cartographer of Governor Simon van der
Stel's expedition to Namaqualand in 1685. The original map of the journey, drawn between late 1685 and early 1686,
is not only a document of the expedition to the Copper Mountains, but has specific visual qualities which were
modified in the copy. We consider that a thorough comparison of the two maps, their visual display, the relationship
of the image to the text, and the background information on which both of them are based may lead to interesting
observations on how an unknown territory was represented and why.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Mare, Estelle Alma
Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa, is discussed in terms of the detrimental effect of monuments and the
monumentalising of structures of ideological significance built on its surrounding ridges, which more than any other
natural assets, define its sense of place and influenced the original urban conceptualisation. The discussion of existing
monuments and other structures which are indifferent to its sense of place will be followed by a brief discussion of
Freedom Park, the most recent addition, which is a government project sponsored by the ruling African National
Congress party, which has recently been completed on Salvokop at the main southern entrance to the city. The survey
of the monuments, military and other structures lead to the conclusion that their creation was mainly inspired by
ideologies on which the ruling political powers wished to bestow visibility by erecting them on elevated sites.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Schmidt, Leoni
This article is based on the experience of an art historian-theorist working within the context of a tertiary school
of fine arts dedicated to the integration of studio practice and art history-theory. Such integration is the
cornerstone of postgraduate studies in this context. Master of Fine Arts candidates are, for example, expected to
closely align their work for public exhibition with the historical and theoretical analysis and contextualisation
contained in their scholarly dissertations. This expectation is in line with current thinking on research in the
visual arts, with recent initiatives from within the discipline of Art History-Theory, as well as with tendencies in
contemporary arts practices. The article is divided into five sections: 1) an introduction, contextualisation and
argument mentioning the author’s shift from an interdisciplinarity of content to one of methodology; and which
locates this change within reflection on the relationships between “Art History” and “Art Theory”, with
reference to two texts, respectively published in 1994 – the year in which the author immigrated from South
Africa to New Zealand – and in 2006 – the year in which the article below was written; 2) relevant information
about particular curriculae which insist on the integration between studio practice and art history-theory and an
outline of their alignment with recent thinking, initiatives and arts practices; 3) a brief discussion of the roles of
drawing in this alignment; 4) a presentation of a case study as an example of this alignment; and 5) in
conclusion, a brief note on “interarts practices” and their implications for Art History-Theory as one, albeit
fractious, discipline.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Geldenhuys, Daniel G.
The article deals with Black Box/Chambre Noir by William Kentridge, an art creation consisting of a miniature
mechanized theatre, which had as commissioned work been exhibited at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin.
The artistic process and development of the art work is explored. Special attention is paid to the historical
context and background, in relation to the animated video film screened onto the miniature theatre scene, as well
as to the value and meaning of its accompanying music. The message being conveyed by the artistic creation as
“Gesamtkunstwerk” is taken into account.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Steyn, Carol
The Charterhouse of Nonenque is one of the few remaining charterhouses for nuns in the world. It was built in the
12th century as a Cistercian Abbey and adapted in the early 20th century as a Carthusian charterhouse. In this article
the buildings of Nonenque are described according to the plans of the layout after a brief history of the abbey. The
structure of the buildings is discussed in the context of Carthusian architecture and also in the context of the
Carthusian way of life. Carthusian architecture is shown to be unique in monastic architecture since the Carthusian
way of life demands greater solitude than those of the other orders and buildings are constructed to make provision
for this. Since Nonenque was adapted from a Cistercian building the measures needed to adapt buildings of other
orders to Carthusian needs are discussed. These adaptations are more radical in the case of Charterhouses for monks
than in those for nuns. Works of art at Nonenque are discussed briefly.
This article on Nonenque follows on a visit of a few days which I was allowed to make to the nunnery in 2004.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Steyn, Gerald
Open living areas and cattle pens surrounded by thatched round huts, commonly referred to as rondavels, is the
form generally associated with traditional South African architecture. The number of rondavels is, however,
dwindling, due to external pressures, but since they are such a tangible manifestation of a very resilient
indigenous knowledge system, this paper argues that a coordinated and comprehensive initiative is now needed
to protect representative examples.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Duffey, Alexander Edward; alex.duffey@up.ac.za
The art world is inevitably delighted when new works by an established pioneer artist are discovered, because it not only fills in the gaps in his/her oeuvre, but it also extends our knowledge of the creative potential of the artist in question. Recently two lost works by the well-known pioneer South African sculptor, Anton van Wouw (1862-
1945) were discovered. This paper reconstructs the events surrounding the discoveries and places the works within
the context of the oeuvre of the sculptor.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Lonie, Bridie
Notions of nature have been vital for the visual arts since the advent of Romanticism. However the stability of “nature” as a concept has changed dramatically. A range of autopoetic theories in the work
of writers such as Bruno Latour offers a useful pathway through the developing concept of a nature that is always mediated, no longer autonomous. The paper discusses the works of several artists who engage with the complex emotional and conceptual consequences of this situation. Artists James
Searle, Ali Bramwell and Sally J. Morgan, and film-maker Werner Herzog in different ways re-think the nature/culture continuum. Their work can be seen in terms of cultural theory and offers the opportunity to think differently about the work that artists do in the world. The article was first presented
as a paper at the Dawn Light Symposium in Ourimbah, New South Wales in 2006 in the context of public art projects around this topic.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Scheffler, Eben
In hierdie artikel word ’n oorsig van Van Gogh se lewe gegee met die fokus op sy religieuse belewing en die die rol van die Bybel daarin. Aandag word gegee aan die verandering in sy godsdienstige
belewing en denke. Van sy skilderye met ’n Bybelse tema word bespreek. Aandag word gegee aan die Aartappeleters, Stillewe met die Bybel, die Pietà, die Halffiguur van ’n engel, die Opwekking van Lasarus, die Barmhartige Samaritaan, en die Kerk in Auvers.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Raubenheimer, Landi
New media and cyberculture have become watchwords for the new millennium and the visual arts as field is undergoing revision and redefinition. Design history may in some instances be marginalized in the history of art, however it seems that such distinctions are no longer valid. With digital technology
comes not only changes in visual media and changes in the manner we receive visual culture. Different cultures of viewing and receiving visual information also develop. In the collaborative designs of Takashi Murakami and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, “high art” blends with consumer culture and design through the popular mass imagery of anime and manga (Brehm 2002: 34-40). This paper argues that the effect of Japanese popular culture on mass culture may be likened to the dialectical way
that digital media is often interpreted in the West. Technological progress has been seen either as an ultimate goal of civilization, as the downfall of civilization. This dualistic manner of interpreting the effects of technological progress on society and visual culture as either good or evil is inadequate. The
significance of digital culture has yet to be liberated from this debate. Insight into the proliferation of Japanese popular culture may be a significant contributing force into redirecting the interpretation of
digital culture and furthering critical engagement with design as production of visual culture.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Mare, Estelle Alma
This article introduces a neglected aspect of El Greco’s fantasia, namely the hidden geometric frameworks
of his later compositions which, when discovered by the viewer, reveal El Greco’s scientific
approach to art and his aptitude to express figural proportions and compositional relationships in terms
of geometric forms, constructed both symmetrically and asymmetrically with great precision. The research
focuses more specifically on the Virgin and Child with Saints Agnes and Martina, in which case
an unusual interpretation is offered of the meaning that the hidden double coded geometric framework
adds to the subject matter.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Steele, John
Southern Africa’s eastern seaboard region abounds in First-Millennium Agriculturist ceramic artefacts.
Archaeological records are beginning to show that amongst predominantly utilityware prehistoric ceramics are many freely sculpted works that include fragments of engraved human figurines.
Such sculptures offer intriguing palimpsests of deep past southern African lifeways, and in this paper such artefacts are discussed and some interpretations of possible social significances are explored.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Olivier, Bert
Almost a century after Dada burst upon the western ‘art’-scene, scandalizing the bourgeoisie and execrating
conventional, academic art for its complicity with a culture that could give rise to something
as horrendous as the First World War, which witnessed death and destruction on a scale never seen
before, the question should again be raised: Did Dada represent a revolt that was too extreme to have
a salutary effect? And related to this – is another revolt of that kind not long overdue (or is it perhaps
already happening in certain ‘artistic’ quarters), given the obscene prevalence of war in the globalized
world? Perhaps the thought of the psychoanalytical thinker, Julia Kristeva – especially on the need for
‘revolt’ in society – could shed light on these questions.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Steyn, Gerald
There is unquestionably an urgent need to study African urban entities, but the most appropriate method remains a controversial issue. This article was motivated by a speculative question: Could A pattern
language (Alexander et al. 1977) not be used to analyse and interpret examples of African settlement
in order to promote conservation and to plan more appropriate urban solutions? Malindi on the coast
of Kenya serves as a case study.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Van Tonder, Gert J.
Eight structural aspects of Japanese dry rock gardens are presented as suggested conceptual qualities
for probing the underlying logic of naturalistic landscape design. The aim is to better equip a methodic
research approach into visually expressed intuitive design properties which are very difficult to articulate
otherwise. The presentation is not exhaustive, and should be considered an open invitation for the
creation of a record of clear examples from which the intuitive design of the Japanese garden can be
more fully understood.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Fisher, Roger C.; roger.fisher@up.ac.za
Moerdijk, in his formative years as architect, held Baker and his patron, Rhodes, in high regard. But in his
maturity he made little, if any reference to Baker’s influence or even legacy in the making of South African architecture. It would seem a deliberate amnesia which suited his political purposes as proponent of an
Afrikaner Nationalist architecture, which brought him into direct conflict with the practitioners of the Baker School, an episode of South African architectural history overshadowed by later developments.
(Art Historical Work Group of South Africa, 2006) Fisher, Roger C.; roger.fisher@up.ac.za
This article presents Gerard Moerdijk’s response to the challenges posed by the legacy of Herbert Baker in South Africa, through, firstly, those aspects of an architecture derived from regional response,
namely local style traditions of the Cape Dutch legacy, climatic constraints as well as the use of local resources – material, labour and skills; secondly their distinctive styles used in their church designs in the protestant tradition; thirdly their designs of memorials and monuments that use African precedent for inspiration.
