South African artists at home

197 Pages·2015·114.638 MB·English

by  Duncan, Paul

SOUTH
AFRICAN
ARTISTS
AT HOME

SOUTH
AFRICAN
ARTISTS
AT HOME
PAUL DUNCAN
Published in 2015 by Struik Lifestyle
(an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd)
Company Reg. No 1966/003153/07
Estuaries No. 4, Century Avenue (Oxbow Crescent), Century City, Cape Town
PO Box 1144, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
www.randomstruik.co.za
Copyright © in published edition: Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd 2015
Copyright © in text: Paul Duncan 2015
Copyright © in photographs: As credited on page 192
ISBN 978 1 43230 195 8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, digital, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and the copyright owner(s).
Publisher: Linda de Villiers
Managing editor: Cecilia Barfield
Design manager: Beverley Dodd
Designer: Helen Henn
Editor: Gill Gordon
Proofreader: Bronwen Leak
Reproduction by Hirt & Carter Cape (Pty) Ltd
Printing and binding: 1010 Printing International Ltd, China
AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to all the artists who welcomed me into their homes, and to the galleries who handled my enquiries:
Brundyn+ – www.brundyn.com (Elana Brundyn and her team)
Erdmann Contemporary – www.erdmanncontemporary.co.za (Heidi Erdmann)
SMAC Art Gallery – www.smacgallery.com (Baylon Sandri and his team)
Whatiftheworld – www.whatiftheworld.com (Ashleigh McLean).
Many thanks, also, to the following for their assistance: Mary Armour, Nikki Heath,
Liza Dyason (www.lizadyason.com), and João Ferreira (www.joaoferreira.co.za).
Endpapers: Johann Louw; page 1: Conrad Botes; pages 2–3: Sanell Aggenbach and Brett Murray; page 5: Beezy Bailey.
CONTENTS
Introduction 6
Conrad Botes 17
Willem Boshoff 29
Kate Gottgens 43
Willie Bester 53
Jody Paulsen 65
Hylton Nel 73
Tom Cullberg 89
Roger Ballen 97
Michael Taylor 111
Sanell Aggenbach and Brett Murray 119
Beezy Bailey 137
Sam Nhlengethwa 151
Johann Louw 163
Barend de Wet 177
Photography credits 192
INTRODUCTION
S
outh African Artists at Home offers a glimpse behind the offers a highly visible entrée into his life as mentor, guru and
public exhibitions and gallery showings into the private worlds accessible Big Druid in a manner that seamlessly brings together
of some very private people who, while icons of the country’s art art personae and the artist as ironic seer and social prophet. Not
world, are also internationally acclaimed. What makes this book only does he let others into his workshop, he leads walks around
about a random collection of artists, and the homes they live in, urban streets in search of the overlooked genius loci.
so interesting and relevant is that each person in it is an artist Some artists on my list questioned whether being in the book
working right now in South Africa. would be a good idea. As a few put it, ‘this is not the sort of thing
There are painters, conceptual artists, a photographer, that artists do’. That may be true, and yet there’s an innocent
a ceramicist. They’re represented by some of South Africa’s voyeur in all of us, a simple curiosity about others’ lives, what they
most important galleries, among them Brundyn+, Erdmann hang on their walls, or have for supper. Think of how we crane our
Contemporary, Stellenbosch Modern and Contemporary Art necks to scan the bookshelves behind a writer being interviewed
Gallery (SMAC), Stevenson and Whatiftheworld. Most of them are on TV. As Baylon Sandri of SMAC says, ‘it’s just a glimpse, and I
established; all of them are respected and collected, right now. wish more people had that opportunity occasionally’.
Each makes an individual statement, and belongs within the For some artists, the boundaries are less strict, for others the
current debates around art and the context it comes from. For the desire for privacy is absolute. Assembling my cast list wasn’t a
most part, readers of this book who are art lovers will recognise walk in the park. Artists who responded with generosity and
the names and be aware of their work. even enthusiasm to welcome the presence of the photographer
This was not an easy book to put together. People who’d agreed into their homes often felt that the connection between the
to be in at first, were subsequently unavailable, causing my cast personal and the making of art would in some way be made
list to vary wildly from one week to the next. Then, just when I visible. The glimpse may be a subtle or oblique pointer to sources
thought I’d struck a balance between so-called ‘struggle artists’ of inspiration or work habits in the making of art. In the case of
and those not making art for the revolution, it all came unstuck. Sam Nhlengethwa, a vast and informed jazz collection housed at
As a reader, you may have your own view on the checks and home gives us the entrée into his art. Hence we’re able to look
balances underpinning this book. If you do, tell me about them, into the homes not only of Nhlengethwa, Boshoff and Bailey, but
but be gentle. This book is not art discourse; it’s not a mirror of the also Roger Ballen, Hylton Nel, Beezy, Johann Louw, Michael Taylor,
country’s art scene. What it does offer up, though, is an insight Willie Bester, Barend de Wet, Kate Gottgens, Jody Paulsen, Tom
into the relationship between making art and the daily life of an Cullberg, Conrad Botes, and husband and wife team Brett Murray
artist in their domestic space. and Sanell Aggenbach. All of them opened their doors generously,
‘I’d love to see how these people live,’ João Ferreira told me, put the kettle on and invited me to sit at the kitchen table and
suggesting a whole raft of other artists for inclusion. A gallerist chat, sometimes venturing into territory where one rarely goes,
and dealer who’s had relationships over many years with a variety given that this book is, in the end, about some of the best-known
of artists, Ferreira believes that artists generally, although not people – with some very bankable names – in the business.
always, value their privacy and prefer to stay out of the limelight Hylton Nel revealed the provenance of objects between
when they’re not exhibiting or doing media interviews. There are mouthfuls of chocolate cake and rosy strawberries as plump as a
exceptions, of course, Willem Boshoff and Beezy Bailey among putto’s buttocks served off one of his plates. Beezy and I sipped
them. Beezy’s home is always open and he enjoys the conversation Fernet Branca before heading off in Elton John’s Bentley for fresh
around his art and his home life, integrating sociability, family life prawns at a Portuguese workmen’s caff in Maitland. Kate and I
and the making of art into the same inclusive process. In its day-to- discovered similar backgrounds over divine coffee at her kitchen
day arrangements, his lifestyle brings to mind Picasso who, when table, while Johann Louw and I trailed off and up the mountainside
living in the south of France, was very accessible. Willem Boshoff to his studio with a bottle of warm white wine and no glasses.
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