The following study is concerned with the influence of Westernization on the development of black South African art, culminating in a form of art referred to as urban black art. While the essential aim of this dissertation is to document selected twentieth century artists and their works prior to 1980, it is felt that a broader art historical context is required, placing contemporary black South African art within the evolution of black African art in general, and in relation to so-called traditional art of the African peoples in South Africa. For this reason, an outline is given in Chapter 1 of some changes in style, imagery, symbolism and form occurring in black African art as a result of contact with Western socio-economic and cultural models. Since Western art schools in Africa have played a major role in developments in twentieth century African art, a general survey of Western art schools in Africa ,their teachers and artistic products is presented. In South Africa the influence of art schools for black artists, in particular the Polly Street and Rorke's Drift schools discussed in Chapter 3, cannot be over emphasised. Providing a wider art historical context in which to place black South African art also required an outline of socalled traditional art forms, found essentially in figurative wood carving and mural painting, discussed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 looks at four black urban painters

The list of illustrative plates includes both photographic and photo-copied plates. All the plates are numbered consecutively within the same numerical sequence. The plates are divided into sections corresponding with the chapters dealing with 1) Westernization and change in African art, 2) Rural black South African art: figurative woodcarving and mural painting, 3) Early twentieth century urban black art in South Africa and 4) Urban black South African art 1960-1980. Sources of photographs of art works are given where the photographs were taken from literature or obtained from museums or galleries. Artworks reproduced from published photographs in literature are cross-referenced to the bibliography. All other photographs were taken by the candidate unless otherwise stated.

M.A. (Fine Art) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Tech. (Fine Art) / The Mobile City steel maquette, created by architects Lewis Levin, Paul Cawood and myself, an artist, was submitted for the 1998 Absa Bank Art Competition. My dissertation examines, through the design of a 2.5ton kinetic aluminium sculpture, three different but interrelated aspects of the work. Firstly, the practical realisation of the mobile; secondly, the gathering of research material and the maquettes; thirdly, the concept for the Mobile City sculpture. The dissertation explores the project's conceptual, collaborative and interdisciplinary nature from inception to completion. Through my investigation into corporate/art relationships I found no literature specific to corporate art projects from an artist's perspective. As an inside view of a specific public art project, this work is intended as an exploration as to how relationships between artists, corporate sponsors and professionals are mediated. It may be utilised by artists, educators and professionals. The work comprises text and a Companion CD-ROM (a Compact Disk attached to the dissertation), displaying artist's illustrations technical drawings and the methodology of structural engineers, mechanical engineers, architects, corporate officials, correspondence and contractual documents.

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the extent to which discourses of postfeminism and postcolonialism inform the reception of selected portrait photographs by Jodi Bieber and Zanele Muholi. The dissertation is interested in how cross-cultural and transnational formations complicate first world feminist notions of a singular, generalised identity of ‘woman’. I intend to explore whether theories of postcolonialism and postfeminism allow for more dynamic readings of their work, as well as how this is represented in the way they portray women. The dissertation will address the relevance of postcolonialism and postfeminism in photography and what this theory offers in terms of the way the images are read. In particular, it will address how the works of these two artists represent identities of women living outside of the West, and how this expression of identity can be positioned within postcolonial and postfeminist theory.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Fine Art (Painting), Technikon Natal / The financial assistance of the Centre for Science Development (HSRC, South Africa) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science Development. / M

The purpose of this essay is to examine the "rumblings in the belly of Leviathan from which we are able to diagnose his disease" (Comfort). Adopting a cyclical idea of art, it aims to point out that South African art has degenerated to a state where the much publicised so-called leaders of art are simply using charm techniques to woo the consent of a society whose metaphysics are derived from twentieth century collective materialism. The South African situation is examined, as is the Romantic principle underlying all genuine artistic activity. It is proposed that the cure lies in a reinstatement of this principle and in a readjustment of the concepts of reality and unreality. Finally, the Grahamstown Group is propounded as an embodiment of the Romantic principle with its implicit concept of artistic reality.

In an attempt to understand the multiple lives of an object - specifically a death inquest register from the year 1976 - this dissertation examines five moments in the objects life (referred to as the Ledger) that invest it with ‘capital’. They are; • The Cillié Commission of Inquiry. • Sam Nzima’s photograph of Hector Pieterson. • The destruction of apartheid documents in the early 1990’s. • Kendell Geers’ appropriation of the Ledger. • Museum Africa’s purchase of the Ledger. By applying a biographical methodology to this object, this dissertation examines how the shifts in the multiple lives of the Ledger address the different roles that the archive plays in the construction of memory in South Africa.

South African artists, d i ssatisfied with the staid environment in local circles, felt the need to travel abroad for fresh stimulation. This need allowed for a historical investigation into the results, beneficial or otherwise, of the influence of European modernism on early twentieth century South African painters. Because of the numerous practising artists in South Africa at the time, it was found necessary to give cohesion to the artists discussed and, therefore the most pertinent were grouped into artistic movements. Thus, H.Naude, R . G. Goodman and H.S. Caldecott are discussed in conjunction with Impressionism. B. Everard, R. Everard-Haden and J.H. Pierneef are compared to the post-Impressionists and finally, I.Stern and M. Laubser are equated with the Fauves and Expressionists. To ascertain the true effect of European stylistic influence, a comparative analysis of work executed before European visits and upon the artists' return was imperative. Simultaneously, as part of the analysis, reference was also made to any work executed by these artists while in Europe. European movements of the period are also reviewed, enabling precise grouping and better understanding of t he styles adopted by the chosen group of early twentieth century South African artists. Some attention is given to the impact these artists had on South African art upon their return, as this confirms the degree of European influence and facilitates the classification of styles adopted by the selected group. In conclusion, to establish the extent to which European art was influential, a brief synopsis shows the changes in local groups, once these artists had re-established themselves in South Africa.

No description available.