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Simphiwe Ndzube

In Search of the Sacred Stone

2018

Acrylic, spray paint and collage on linen

Bronwyn Katz

Visiting the galleries was exciting as we saw new works and artists. We visited the Nolan Oswald Dennis 2019 exhibition titled: Option at the Goodman Gallery which discussed the idea of mapping from colonial times to the present day.  Many of his artworks are textured drawings,diagrams and mapping.These drawings have what appear to be tentacles,or worms traversing the page in all directs. Essentially these works are maps of various spaces, such as political, psychological and economic spaces.The Goodman gallery space I found welcoming light and easy, an excellent showcase for the work. However negotiating the entire building took time as it is really big,I found this spatially disorienting.

In the tutorial we discussed the the symbolism in the exhibition for example the long till slip which represents a political court case. The letters B and F which were typed repeatedly on the till slip stands for Steve Biko and Franz Fanon(Figures of Black Consciousness).

A further example is the work where synonyms of words forming a large spiral on one of the gallery walls that gives a non linear perspective of history. Another effective symbol of European colonial thinking is the blacked Globe(European view).It could represent the world colonialism. There was two exhibitions in the Goodman Gallery but I only focused on one of them.

Nolan Oswald Dennis, Prop10 [prou(k)n], 2018, Graphite,washi tape and , Goodman Gallery.

Simphiwe Ndzube’s UNCHARTED LANDS AND TRACKLESS SEAS is an exhibition which I have seen and I enjoyed it again. Simphiwe uses Magical Realism, which is a fictional reality, to create a different world full of mysticism and history. Where he criticises the artworld and the wider society and yet have the creative freedom to play. His works a mix ture of texture(fabric) and bright paint colours. In his paintings there are figures with no faces or with colourful tentacles. The mounds of soils extracted from the earth which are placed on the gallery floor are symbols of mining and grave digging.           

There are recurring motifs such as the gloves which represent labour. The umbrella could mean protection or objects  by the colonial powers. His work has a confrontational quality as some of the figures stare at the viewer. The tendrils(cattle whips) suggest cattle herding.

The pictures look out as if they are either trying to escape their frames or go inside(escapism). There are fingerprints which look like their trying to go into the narrative.

The gloves could be used for protection or for surgical reasons.The gloves  which are either painted on or stuck on are thick, mainly used to washing up gloves or for garden work. It represents the working class.

The figures are wearing work outfits or festive clothing for special occasions which very colourful and bold prints. It could also refer to the working class,

The sculptures look life like yet they are proportionally smaller and therefore disconcerting for the viewers.The faces are covered as if there identity has been removed or some have a mask like quality with no eyes or mouth.

Ndzube refers to his work as Afrofuturist as he created his own words and languages for his exhibition.

Afrofuturist:’Seekers of Light’(2018) from Simphiwe Ndube’s solo exhibition.

The first gallery that we visited was BlankProjects where we saw Bronwyn Katz’s ‘/ // ! ǂ’  audience installation which was a simple exhibition with a deep meaning. She discussed the four clicks which she interpreted in her own language and style. Using metal structures which created a metallic sound which were hard to interpret  although they were connected to the exhibition title. The themes of forced removals was also discussed because of  industrialisation. .Her exhibition talked about the four languages, Zulu, Khosa,Sutho, KhoiKhoi which has almost disappeared because of colonialism. How most of our understand of the language is first translated into English.

Although we had a short time to visit and explore the three galleries it was enough time to realise the themes that the artists were trying to convey. We discussed it in more details in Rowans Tutorial where we discussed the similarities between the exhibitions of decolonial history,sculptural elements and two dimensional elements, which was a thematic similarities in all three exhibitions. All three exhibitions consisted of both two dimensional and three dimensional works.  While also allowing the viewers to have their own interpretations of their works.

Our gallery visit day was filled with exciting new work that held a similar focus on exploration of land and origin in relation to the ideologies of colonialism. Stevenson gallery exhibited Simphiwe Ndzube’s work which was particularly rooted in this theme. Through his work Simphiwe created a new world which he titled “Mine Moon”. In this world there are four toed and purple haired beings that have created a culture and society for themselves. Interestingly enough their world follows similar ideologies to our own but in a more primitive way. For example there are characters known as The Overseer, The Grave Digger and The Dictator. These all resemble our society and the overarching themes our governments present. This perhaps suggests that all worlds, no matter how different in appearance, all hold a similar sense of over arching ideologies. There is also a form of religion or spirituality that is convey through the presence of The Spirit People and The Goddess. Something that I found particularly intriguing was that how The Goddess was the only being that wasn't clothed. She was also the only being representing the female form. I wondered if this was to show a sign of fertility like so many of our primal cultures created or perhaps a form of sexualization of her form. I suppose in every culture there will be elements of sexualization and its acceptance as the norm, it just depends on whether it stems from celebortory lust or a form of dominance.

Goddess Nanana

2018

Acrylic, spray paint and collage on linen

200 x 241cm

Malandela and the Gravedigger

2018

Acrylic, spray paint, collage and found objects on linen

245 x 240 x 25cm

Blank Projects gallery presented a show by Bronwyn Katz titled “/ // ! ǂ” which also explored themes of origin, identity and colonization. The show centered around the KhoeKhoe culture and the clicks that the language consist of. Katz explored the ideas of a lost culture and a language that is quickly being forgotten as it is not one of South Africa’s official languages. Through minimalistic industrial sculptures and corresponding sound recordings of clicks, Katz was able to portray a feeling and presence of a once prominent culture in history.

Bronwyn Katz, ! (2019) 

 Steel, audio

During a visit to the Woodstock gallery’s the contemporary art school took a look at four galleries and the work they were exhibiting. I am going to briefly discuss the works Uncharted Lands and Trackless Seas by Simphiwe Ndzube and / // ǂ, by Bronwyn Katz. Both were solo shows.

Uncharted Lands and Trackless Seas, by Simphiwe Ndzube.

The exhibition takes place in a fictional environment called the ‘Mine Moon’. Ndzube calls this fictional narrative approach ‘magical realism’. Through this he aims to transcend worldly boundaries and associations and imply a coexisting realm. 

Above, Below and Beyond

2018

Acrylic, spray paint, collage, resin and found objects on linen

Diptych, 245 x 300 x 35cm

One of the ways this fictional element is made clear is through the bold use of colour. The figures have unnatural skin tones and the skies and landscapes are made up of colours such as pink, turquoise, ochre and pale blue. We also see floating yellow tumour-like shapes populating each piece and umbrella’s that appear organic, resembling giant mushrooms.

The magical land is inhabited by people known as the ‘spirit people’. They are depicted as having no eyes and no noses, so their only ability to sense would be through touch, hearing and taste. They appear somber and there is a general air about the works that suggest life on the Mine Moon drags on slowly. This is reinforced by the title of the work Gorogo: The Dictator Returns from the Dead. 

Gorogo: The Dictator Returns from the Dead

2018

Mixed media

173 x 222 x 133cm

A dictator maintains total rule over the country in their power. It suggests a totalitarian state, which is cause for suppression and general unhappiness. It is mentioned that the Gorogo has died and returned, which suggests an uncomfortable cycle between suppression and liberation. It hints at the immortality of corruption and degradation.

Portrait II: The Spirit People

2018

Acrylic and spray paint on linen

61 x 45.5cm

The primary occupation on the Mine Moon has become grave digging. The grave diggers dress in light, flowing, decorative fabrics and shirts. They have long tendrils for arms, with saturated luminescent orange tips. The fact that there is a need for grave diggers implies that the people on Mine Moon are dying. It is ambiguous as to why that is happening and we could imagine many dark realities centring around the dictator, a struggle for power, possibly even suicide or illness. 

The people on Mine Moon all lie in wait of something that will transcend them to a higher existence. This work could have an allegorical link to how the liberation of apartheid was met with ongoing inequality within South Africa. Something that lingers and gives rise to an air of uncertainty. Johannesburg, in South Africa, is strongly associated with mining, which further suggests this link as it ties into the name of the world that Ndzube has created.

 / // ! ǂ, by Bronwyn Katz.

Bronwyn Katz, / // ! ǂ (2019) | Installation view, blank projects

This show centres around an imagined language. It is a creole language, meaning it made up from a mixture of other languages. The title of the exhibition derives its name from four clicks unique to Khoekhoe and other South African languages. Katz uses a combination of steel wool and metal sculpture with sound design and performance to create a work that engages us through phonic, visual and tactile means.

Bronwyn Katz, ! (2019) | Steel, audio; 103 x 21 x 49 cm link to audio: https://soundcloud.com/blank-projects/sv9z2ibsyilx/s-x2SV3

My favourite works at the exhibition were four steel sculptures mounted to the wall that ‘spoke’ through concealed speakers below them. The speakers played continuous loops of different sound performance pieces resembling pieces of metal being tapped or scratched, and chain link moving around. The piece drew parallels to the act of listening without understanding. This can be similar when a listener does not understand a language that they hear. It becomes an abstract series of phonetics and sounds that they try to decipher. Katz perfectly captures this element, depicting the systematic, coded nature of language.

Bronwyn Katz, kx (i) (2019) | Wire, string, approx. 400 x 180 x 40 cm

Rowans Tutorial

Arriving at the BLANK gallery, upon entry I felt the cold cool atmosphere, and experienced  the sounds I heard coming from different walls in the room.

At BLANK a mix of sound and installation and he’d been used to fill the large empty space. We moved on to the Stevenson, where I was immediately engulfed by the psychedelic and dream like work of Simphiwe Ndzube in his “Uncharterd Lands and. Trackless Seas” series.

 BLANK were showing the work of Bronwyn Katz in “ / // ! ± “,  however I found this show difficult to engage with at first as it lacked the use of defined symbolic visuals and abstract metaphor that I generally gravitate towards. 

Bronwyn Katz

//

2019

Steel and audio

Katz’s work shared the notion of the disappearance of the language of the Khoekohe, through her work she addressed topics such as slavery and colonialism as well as commented on cultural practices.

Simphiwe Ndzube in his debut solo exhibition at the Stevenson was by far my favourite exhibition we saw, I enjoyed everything from the distorted and “alien” subject matter to the way Ndzube uses mixed media to create his worlds.

Simphiwe Ndzube

Mpunguzo: Chief of the Spirit People

2018

Acrylic, spray paint, collage and objects on linen

Simphiwe Ndzube: Uncharted Lands and Trackless Seas, 2019 

Simphiwe’s show was fulled with colour. Initially i found it to be a sensory overload but the longer i lingered the more i started to find it really beautiful. Simphiwe uses a combination of 2D and attaches 3D works to the canvas. The artist uses characters to get his ideas across, and these characters at times appear to be looking at the viewer, creating an eerie feeling. He has created his own universe within this space. There is a repeated use of characters and patterns (i.e: dots, stripes) and a repeated use of objects such as gloves, pointy hats & tentacles as well as umbrellas. Each symbolic of something carried throughout the work. The use of colour is very bright and loud but when you look into it you do see a darker meaning behind the extreme use of colour. There is a sense of travelling in the work and each piece i portrayed as a scene from the ‘journey’ to these unchartered lands. The characters also all look very similar and seem to all carry an eerieness to them, the eeriness was added by the fact that there were piles of dirt all around the gallery space and hand marks on the walls. The piles of dirt seemed to represent a fresh grave. The exhibition spoke of allegory, dream states and mythology. 

Untitled (Gravedigger) 2018Acrylic, spray paint and collage on linen

160.5 x 120cm

Bronwyn Katz: // ! ǂ, 2019

Katz’s show appeared to be very minimalistic when you first walk in. There were sounds coming from the back of the gallery. The work grappled with the subject of the Khoi-Khoi tribe and the matter being that land has been taken from them & just how the western way has and is affecting the last of the origins of South Africa. Her work was made to resemble tribe tools and each had an audio that came with the sculpture, adding to the discomfort of the viewer. When i walked in I felt very uncomfortable in the space, especially when seeing the sculpture attatched below. I thought the show was beautifully curated but i could not stay in the space very long as the sounds got too much and made me feel very anxious and uncomfortable.

x (2019) | 

Steel wool, cardboard, 

audio; 

dimensions variable (153 cm height)

Uncharted Lands and Trackless Seas by Simphiwe Ndzube

this body of work was my favourite from the galleries we visited. my first impression of this particular body of work was positive. the bright colours, textures and patterns instantly drew me in. Ndzube uses a combination of techniques and medium through each work which I found extremely interesting and playful. without any research or information I instantly assumed the work was a depiction/representation of another world or possibly an alternate reality. in my opinion majority of the figures appear to be very human like but slightly distorted. I find the figures to be extremely ghostly because majority of them do not have eyes and in some cases the faces are completely covered almost creating a sense of lost identity or no identity at all. although the figures give an uneasy feel to the work the colours, textures and shapes used create a very etherial feeling to the work and space. gloves and fabric were attached to the pieces to form figures/shapes and clothing within the pieces but some of the works instead of using fabric and gloves directly they were painted in detail to appear identical to some of the actual fabrics and gloves. this created tension for the viewer between what they viewed as real (physical glove/ fabric) or not (representation of glove/fabric). that tension directly links to the concept of the work. the work is a representation of events a community went through after being colonised but is depicted in a dreamlike way. I feel this allows the viewer to observe and experience the work with no bias or context. I also feel the patterns and colour used gives power and energy back to the community it is depicting. despite their struggles their culture will never die. this work forces people to confront a reality many have forgotten and possibly distorted.

Above, Below and Beyond - (2018)

Simphiwe Ndzube


Acrylic, spray paint, collage, resin and found objects on linen
Diptych 

245 x 300 x 35cm

// ! ǂ by Bronwyn Katz

I honestly did not enjoy this body of work at all. when entering the gallery I could instantly hear the audio for the piece titled “x”. the audio was somewhat disturbing it sounded a lot like someone suffocating or choking. once I saw the elongated shapes in the centre of the gallery paired with the audio I felt even more uncomfortable. the shapes instantly reminded me of a fish (I do not currently remember the name of) that lives in sea beads sticking out of the sad much like the sculptures. because of the visual link I had the sounds became even more uncomfortable to listen to as I automatically linked the suffocating sounds to the thought of these fish now suffocating. the materials used to make the sculptures are all quite ruff and hard materials that I have weird connotations with because they make me uncomfortable. the made me feel even more uneasy and like the work even less. I now know the work has nothing to do with suffocation or dead fish which makes me feel a lot better. the piece is about the death and loss of languages and is meant to be a new type of visual/physical language. although I know the artist did not intend on making suffocation part of the work I can't help but link the death of language and silence of language to the physical experience of suffocating/having an asthma attack and not being able to speak. the word exist but its impossible and painful to get them out while in that state which I feel is a powerful link to the pain and struggle people face with language and the loss of it.

x - (2019) 

Steel wool, cardboard, audio