Friday
- 23 October 1998
14.00 - 15.30:
The group were welcomed by Emile Maurice (Education
Director of the South African National Gallery, SANG)
who was to prove be the most generous of hosts during
our stay. Joe Dolby, Curator of Prints then gave an
introduction to the SANG Print Collection with an
emphasis on contemporary African prints.
15.30 - 16.30
Printmaker, Cameron Voyiya, discussed his work with
the group, his hopes and his fears and how they affect
his distinctive style of lino printing.
Saturday
- 24 October
10.00 - 12.00
Randy Hartzenberg opened his studio and gave members
of the group a very moving insight into the influences
of his work as a painter, printmaker and performance
artist.
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One
Eyed King
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People and Scaffold
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"Randy
led Poppy, Carolyn, Wendy, and Charles to his studio
at the back of his dad's house in Crawford. It
was
immediately obvious that a garden shed is woefully
small for the large scale canvases showed them.
They
only just fitted through the doorway! Randy works
in a variety of different media. For example, the
quality of his printmaking is superb as evidenced
by a range of powerful images created in various
print
media. He sculpts, makes performance art and writes
with as much assurance of an artist of stature.
He
wrote the words to the song Nelson which is included
on a cassette tape called Remembering Ralton.
Randy talked
at length about his life, the struggle under apartheid,
the bulldozing of District Six, and the visual
language
he has developed to articulate his feelings.He now
teaches in a tertiary college in order to supplement
his income. Despite Randy making a second visit
to
the group for supper later in the week, it is clear
that the group had only touched the surface of
what
Randy has achieved. He is humble beyond words and
a very dedicated artist. Everyone was genuinely
moved
by his gesture of presenting one of his lino prints
to some of the project schools. We all hope that
meaningful
contact can be sustained now that we are 6,000 miles
away. Randy Hartzenberg has touched all our lives."
Charles Sinclair
Sunday
- 25 October
15.00 - 17.00
A visit to the Kirstenbosh National Botanical Gardens
was rewarded with the bonus of being able to view
a stunning collection of Zimbabwe Stone Sculptures
Tuesday
- 27 October
10.00 - 11.30
Marieta Swanepoel gave a guided tour of the current
SANG exhibition - Mute Testimonies - which includes
a range of artist s responses to apartheid.
11.30 - 12.30
Members of the group visited the Thupelo Workshop
which is an annual workshop for emerging artists.
The workshop takes place at SANG and is run by Jill
Trappler. Jill is a painter herself and it was her
uncle, Bill Ainslie, who was responsible for setting
up the first multi-racial workshops for artists in
Johannesburg during the years of apartheid.
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Jill
Trappler
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14.00 - 15.30
At her home and studio Jill Trappler gave the group
a wonderful insight into her work.
16.30 - 17.30
The group visited the Frank Joubert Arts Centre and
learnt about the the unique way in which art is taught
to school pupils in the Western Cape. Traditionally
the centre served mainly white schools and is run
by Jill Joubert (no relation), whose hospitality and
welcome was greatly appreciated
19.00 - 22.00
Randy Hartzenberg visited the group at our hotel in
order continue the dialogue and show and explain more
of his work. This proved to be a most enlightening
and moving evening.
Wednesday
- 28 October
15.30 - 17.00 Members
of the group visited the Montebello Arts Centre which
houses artists studios and, in the spirit of a co-operative,
sells work from local artists. Quite by chance we
met the poet Peter Kanty who invited us to his house
for tea!
Thursday
- 29 October
10.00 - 12.00
The group visited the studio of Garth Erasmus, mixed
media artist and musician. Garth lives and works in
the North Pine district outside Cape Town and we first
met him at the Thupelo Workshop earlier in the week.
As well as talking movingly about his work as an artist
during the struggle Garth gave us an extraordinary
taste of his ability as a musician by playing his
didgery-doo!
13.00 - 14.00
Velile Soha, painter and graphic artist, talked to
us, in his studio, about his work as an artist and
how his experiences of growing up as a child in the
township of Langa influences much of what he does.
18.00 - 19.00
Some members of the group returned to the Frank Jourbert
Arts Centre for a presentation about the life and
work of contemporary Cape Town artist, Willie Bester.
Willie has an international reputation for his work
as a painter and collage artist. that frequently represents
personal views of the injustices of apartheid.
Friday
- 30 October
10.30 - 12.30
A visit to the Battswood Arts Centre gave an insight
to the range and scope of the arts provision in an
outlying district of Cape Town. The centre traditionally
provided facilities for black and coloured schools
and is run by the enchanting Liesl Hartman and staffed
by practising artists all of whom include work in
the centre s gallery of community art and sculpture.
The work of woodcarver Mario Sickle, in particular,
caught my eye.
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Chris
Wightman and Zwelethu Mthethwa
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14.00 - 16.30
The final artist's studio visit was to see Zwelethu
Mthetwa. A graphic artist and photographer Zwelethu
is currently working as Head of Photography at the
Michaelis School of Art in Cape Town. His work is
recognised world -wide and the insight that he gave
us into the important influences on his work will
long be remembered by those of us privileged to be
present.
Chris Wightman
Devon County Adviser for Art and Design
