(EN) Negation, in its many shapes and forms, is an integral part of the history of twentieth-century art. If we look at the world through the dialectical logic of the ever-changing struggle between theses and antitheses, art too comes out as a result of the clash of two inseparable counterparts. Creation is destruction, just like destruction is creation. This diploma thesis tries to explore the broad topic of negation by defining two main interests, which are the topics of destruction and dropping out of the art scene. It sees both cases as a way of revolting against the position of the artist and art in the consumer society of the West. The text handles the phenomenon of destruction in art through multiple examples of artistic movements and the social context after the Second World War and especially during the 1960s, when many artists tried to work with the potential of destruction in art. In the final part devoted to leaving the artistic milieu, the possibility of simultaneously being and not being part of the world of art and the (im)possible future of art in times of climate crisis is explored with the help of the example of Slovak post-practice artist Radim Labuda. Key words: negation in art, destruction art, anti-art, dematerialisation, 20th century art, contemporary art, political art,...

This is a monograph on the South African artist Diek Grobler. The aim is to contextualise the artist‟s oeuvre up to 2009 and to explore the visual metaphors in his art. Grobler has a fascination for stories. He blends tales of traditional Western mythology, African mythology, Christian religion, folklore and magical realism into narrative artworks. Through visual metaphors the artist comments on the everyday human dramas that surround him – be they political, social, psychological or cultural. Furthermore, he adds an element of surprise to his sketches of human drama, by infusing them with irony and humour. My research reflects the diverse nature of Grobler‟s oeuvre as it investigates works from various artistic genres such as painting, sculpture, illustration, performance art, avant-garde theatre and animation. It also examines a blend of different artistic media such as ceramics, oil paint, gouache, pastels, scraperboard, earthenware, 2D computer animation, puppetry, and stop-motion animation. / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / M.A. (Art History)

L’interès d’aquesta investigació s’ha centrat en dos aspectes complementaris de l’obra de Joan Miró, del període de 1939 a 1945. Un és la producció artística i l’altre és el procés auto reflexiu. El període de la trajectòria vital i professional objecte d’anàlisi, el de major tensió emocional per a l’artista i la seva família, està marcat per inflexions significatives, però també per continuïtats. Miró fou capaç de superar l’opressió d’un ambient hostil gràcies a una severa auto disciplina en el treball, una recapitulació sobre el propi llenguatge artístic i un inèdit procés d’auto reflexió escrit. Pel que fa a la producció, hem destacat amb una especial significació dues sèries: Constellations (1940-41) i la Sèrie Barcelona (1941-1944). L’obra realitzada en aquest període és un dels exemples més interessants de com les característiques evasives, de l’absurd o tocades pel seu particular humour grotesc, suposen un contrapès al carregat ambient que l’envolta / El interés de nuestra investigación se ha centrado en dos aspectos complementarios de la obra de Joan Miró, comprendida entre el período 1939 y 1945. Uno es la producción artística y el otro es el proceso autoreflexivo. El período de la trayectoria vital y profesional objeto de análisis, el de mayor tensión emocional para el artista y su familia, está marcado por inflexiones significativas, pero también por continuidades. Miró fue capaz de superar la opresión de un ambiente hostil gracias a una severa autodisciplina en el trabajo, una recapitulación sobre el propio lenguaje artístico y un inédito proceso de auto reflexión escrito. Por lo que se refiere a la producción, hemos destacado con una especial significación dos series: Constellations (1940-41) y la Sèrie Barcelona (1941-1944). La obra realizada en este período es uno de los ejemplos más interesantes de como las características evasivas, del absurdo o tocadas por su particular humour grotesco, suponen un contrapeso al cargado ambiente que le rodea / The interest of our research is located in two complain aspects of Joan Miró’s work, between 1939 and 1945. One aspect is the artistic production and the other one is the self reflexive process. This vital and professional period is the most emotional tension for the artist and his family, and it is distinguished by important changes but also by continuities. Miró was into the most strict anonymous. He was able to overcome the oppression of a hostile atmosphere because he impose himself a hard auto discipline of work, a recapitulation about his artistic language, and an unpublished process of written reflection. In concerning the artistic production, we have studied two series because its special signification: Constellations (1940-41) and the Sèrie Barcelona (1941-44). The works made in this period of time are one of the most interesting examples of evasive trends, absurd or with a particular and grotesque humour. This attributes were the counter balance to the loaded climate

Focusing on Cyrene and Serima art workshops under the tutelage of Paterson and Groeber, respectively, the study acknowledges the foundational importance of Christian art (from the late 1930s up to the 1960s) in the rise of prominent first generation artists in Zimbabwe such as Mukomberanwa, Ndandarika, Khumalo, Songo, Sambo and many others. It rejects perceptions of African modernism as inauthentic imitations of artistic innovations that originated with European art. While accepting that there was a deliberate fusion of traditional art into mission mainstream education to produce Christian art forms with a strong Africanised identity, the study reveals missionaries’ conservatism and restrictions on artistic freedom. It, therefore, locates the formation of modern art in Zimbabwe largely within a broader spectrum of Africans’ encounter with colonialism or western culture which induced artists to invent new artistic expressions reflecting their own emergent political and socio-economic circumstances. The novelty and outright rejection of missionary impact are, therefore, alien to the natural synthesis that informed artistic modernism in Zimbabwe. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Art History)

This is a monograph on the South African artist Diek Grobler. The aim is to contextualise the artist‟s oeuvre up to 2009 and to explore the visual metaphors in his art. Grobler has a fascination for stories. He blends tales of traditional Western mythology, African mythology, Christian religion, folklore and magical realism into narrative artworks. Through visual metaphors the artist comments on the everyday human dramas that surround him – be they political, social, psychological or cultural. Furthermore, he adds an element of surprise to his sketches of human drama, by infusing them with irony and humour. My research reflects the diverse nature of Grobler‟s oeuvre as it investigates works from various artistic genres such as painting, sculpture, illustration, performance art, avant-garde theatre and animation. It also examines a blend of different artistic media such as ceramics, oil paint, gouache, pastels, scraperboard, earthenware, 2D computer animation, puppetry, and stop-motion animation. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Art History)

An overview of global statistics on violence, country to country and worldwide, indicates that men are the main perpetrators of violence in our societies. Furthermore, the behavioural traits of risk-taking and self-harm are also associated with men. It is my contention that the formative processes involved in gender identity are at the root of these dysfunctions. In an attempt to present a positive alternative, I focus on a group I name the X- Men: white South African Generation X males. Drawing on Judith Butler‟s theory of performativity and its allowance for agency and resistance, I argue that they are not necessarily trapped by how their gender identities were formed through Apartheid‟s gendered institutions. These included schools, sport and the military. I posit that within the institution of art, self-aware artists may present visual representations of resistance and transformation. Acknowledging art as signifying text, the X-Men situate signs differently in an effort to accomplish a social and intersubjective raising-of-awareness. Additionally, this new identity and its associated positive performance have the potential to undermine certain stereotypical perceptions harboured by the broader society as a result of problematic behaviour associated with men. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.V.A.