DIALOGUES ACROSS TIME AND SPACE: A NOISY HISTORY OF AFRICAN ART
Sinazo Chiya, Associate Director, Stevenson Gallery
Thursday 19–Friday 20 January
3.00 pm
COURSE FEES R220
This course will look at the dynamic interplay of influences between European art and African art, and will trace links between modern African artists and contemporary art practitioners, moving from general theory to specific works by key artists.
The first lecture will discuss the dialogue between canonical European modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi and Henry Matisse and African art, ranging from ceremonial, traditional objects to artworks. The works of African modernists such as Nigeria’s Ben Enwonwu and Sudan’s Ibrahim El-Salahi will be looked at closely, followed by South Africa’s Ernest Mancoba and Gladys Mgudlandlu.
The second lecture focuses on the influence of black South African modern artists such as Mancoba and Gerard Sekoto on the contemporary artists. Beyond the idea of visual legacies, this lecture will also show how younger black South African artists are reclaiming indigenous visual practices, breaking with modernist traditions and forging new directions in local art history.
Lecture titles
1. African and European modernisms: a conversation
2. From the modern to the contemporary: talking ruptures