Ph.D. (Art History) / By applying Panofsky's method of iconological analysis to Maggie Laubser's interpretation of motifs I could ascertain the following: * Christian Science played a decisive role in the development of her symbolic language; * the great mother archetype, as defined by Erich Neumann, features dominantly in her art; 'k Laubser's use of light is not purely painterly, but has symbolical and mythical implications; * the scenes depicting harvesting at the Cape or in the Orange Free State have besides historical also religious and symbolic connotations.Christian Science discerns the threefold character of ·God as the Fathe~ as the Son and as; the Mother. In analyzing Laubser's interpretation of the shepherd image, the aged shepherd, who corresponds to Saturn or Father Time, is the father who disposes of life and death. The young shepherd corresponds to the Good Shepherd though he has no physical contact with the sheep in his fold. The motherhood of God is demonstated by using an African woman in the untraditional working situ~tion of herding sheep. By juxtaposing the woman, with a child on her back, and a hut the image of provision which corresponds to the image of God as Mother is procured. Laubser explores the different phases of womanhood which embraces not only motherhood but also the possibility of rebirth through woman as goddess. In portraying the divine union where earth and heaven are united in the hieros gamos, Laubser explores the different implications of light. Her use of light motifs is not restricted to the depiction of either the sun or the moon. Buddha, the Enlightened Being and symbol of radiant light is incorporated instill lives so that the sun is brought within the eonfines of the interior. The ca t , ancanLmaLias socLa ted wi th the moon, later on substitutes the statuette of Buddha in still lives. In this way one can discern between work belonging to a sun period and work belonging to a moon period. Though harvesting signifies the end of a cycle and the reaper is seen as a symbol of death, Laubser uses cloud and child motifs to symbolize regeneration...

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.

This thesis aims to contextualise my curation of 'Tretchikoff: The People's Painter' at the Iziko South African National Gallery by outlining the process by which I came to embark on this project and to examine the concepts of mass art and kitsch in relation to the painter. Mass art, in Noel Carroll's explication of the term, is art that utilises industrial processes of replication. Carroll argues that this leads to specific formal and structural tendencies in this art which have much in common with the pejorative concept of kitsch, or art that is lacking in taste or effuses excessive emotion. The latter term was and continues to be applied to Tretchikoff. Although some have attempted to 'reclaim' the word as a positive concept the negative associations that link this term to Tretchikoff are strong. Interrogating these concepts led me to decide to curate TretchikofPs retrospective by focusing on his painting and not including the prints for which he was so well known. Awareness of the complex associations and 'received knowledge' that his prints engender has influenced several curatorial decisions that I have taken. I consider the intellectual underpinnings of my curatorial strategy and argue for an 'open' exhibition which gives the viewer the opportunity to assess his work and legacy in an objective manner, free from as much curatorial mediation and didacticsm as possible. There are no answers to be offered in my curation of Tretchikxiff the People's Painter, rather I have aimed to set up dialogues, discussions, confrontations and challenges; I have offered simple relationships rather than complex juxtapositions I have aimed to position the artwork as the centre of the engagement relative to the viewer.

When he opened the 24th annual exhibition of students' work on the 1st July, 1927, Professor F.W. Armstrong gave the following account of the beginnings of the Grahamstown School of Art: ... The appointment of a master was the responsibility of Sir Langham Dale, the Superintendent General of Education in the Cape Colony. His choice for the first art master of the Grahamstown School of Art was Mr.W. H. Simpson. Simpson had studied at the South Kensington Museum then at the Royal Academy. During the 1870's he had exhibited in the Royal Academy, at other exhibitions in London, and in the provinces. Intro. p. 1.

A discussion of the concept of worldview shows that how an artist conceives the world in his images is governed by his worldview - an amalgam of the worldview of the group of which he is a part modified by his own ideas, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and upbringing. The author proposes that studying an artist's work can reveal his, and hence his group's, worldview and thus the attitudes prevalent when the work was produced. A brief historical sketch of the Eastern Cape to 1834 introduces the various settlers in the area. Though no known examples of Black, Boer or Khoi pictorial art are extant, both the Bushmen and the British left such records. A short analysis of rock art shows how the worldview of the Bushman is inherent in their images which reflect man's world as seen with the "inner" eye of the spirit. In white settler art, the author submits that spatial relationships changed in response to a growing confidence as the "savage" land was "civilised" and that the position, pose and size of figures - and the inclusion or exclusion of certain groups - reflect socio-political changes. The two foremost nineteenth-century Eastern Cape artists, Thomas Baines and Frederick I'Ons, succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Frontier life but are shown to interpret their surroundings through the rose-tinted spectacles of British Romanticism. They also reveal individuality in approach - Baines preferring expansive views while I'Ons's landscapes tend to be "closed-in", strictly following the coulisse scheme of Picturesque painting. Perhaps, the author postulates, such differences result from the very different environments, i.e. Norfolk and London, in which the two grew up. I'Ons is shown typically to use generalised landscapes as backdrops for his foreground figures, while comparing Baines's scenes with modern photographs shows that he adjusted the spacial elements of the topography as well as the temporal sequence of events to suit aesthetic considerations. Lithographed reports of his work contain even further adjustments. The author concludes that the use of Africana art as historical records must be treated with great caution.

By researching the life and work of Thomas Baines (1820 - 1875) in relation to a broader discourse of painting and the lived experience of being a 'white' male in a post-apartheid South Africa, I explore the ways in which this figure from the past has provoked the three series of artworks I have produced for my Master of Fine Art exhibition. This study has been divided into two parts, represented by the two chapters contained herein. Chapter One includes a critical retelling of Baines' biography and a discussion of the primary ways in which I have engaged with both the life and the working practice of this artist. I also address my own personal complicity in the constructions of 'the figure of Baines' as I have framed him both visually and textually during my work for this degree. Chapter Two describes some of the practicalities of my working process as a visual artist, including how I understand the theoretical and conceptual concerns which I raise in Chapter One to be visually manifest in my work. In this chapter, I also discuss my work in relation to the work of the contemporary South African artists William Kentridge and Johannes Phokela. The artistic practice of one artist imitating another artist's work is also explored as a central conceptual thread which could be seen to weave my verbal and visual production together.

This dissertation is a study of selected works of the South African landscape painter Amy Bertha Everard (l 873-1965) with the emphasis on discovering relevant means of interpreting her use of landscape as metaphor. In Chapter One Bertha 's family history and background is traced. This includes developments in her work from the earliest known sketches and paintings, her travels, experiences and artistic training. Chapter Two examines Bertha 's relationships with family and friends, with a section at the end that discusses the candidate 's interpretation of some of the letters that have been made available for this research by the Tatham Art Gallery. This is in order to establish some character traits that may be relevant to the subsequent interpretation of landscape as metaphor in the final chapter. Chapter Three discusses selected paintings with reference to the analysis of their subject matter, composition and technique. Criticism of selected work is made with some reference to Frieda Harmsen 's observations in The Women of Bonnefoi (1980), while some references are made to what appears to be previously undocumented works, discovered during this research. Exhibitions and reception of much of Bertha's work is also covered in this chapter. This is done in order to trace the development of her work within the context of her life experience with regard to her travels and relationships. Chapter Four examines the influences of faith and religion on her life and possibly her art. As a self-appointed Anglican missionary and teacher to labourers on her farms, a great deal of time and energy was spent in this practice. Reference is made to some prevailing religious and social ideologies in southern Africa that may have influenced her activities or that may have been motivating factors in her desire to participate in this field. Chapter Five discusses some of the possible discourses that may have affected Bertha's perception ofart and her decision to pursue this as a career. In the absence of much factual knowledge about the early period of her life in England, it is acknowledged that this interpretation is speculative. A survey of art practices and art institutions in Victorian England is made in an attempt to establish the prevailing conditions in the art world during her youth. Some reference is made to conditions in South Africa that may have influenced Bertha 's perception of art and her decision to pursue this as a career. Chapter Six discusses, in greater detail, aspects of the South African context in which Bertha Everard lived for the greater part of her adult life. A survey is made of the establishment and development of some early art institutions and the people who constituted the art world at that time in South Africa This is in order to discover possible influences on her work and its reception as well as the socio-political and historical context that may have affected her life. As a counterpoint, the work of three of Bertha's contemporary female South African artists - Allerly Glossop, Maggie Laubser and Irma Stem - is discussed. Chapter Seven discusses possible interpretations of landscape as metaphor related to specific paintings. In this chapter, nationalistic and imperialistic ideologies in South Africa are discussed, comparing Bertha's painting with that of R Pierneef, and some possible interpretations of their use of landscape as metaphor. Appendix I comprises two sections . The Summary of Letters is an overview of the letters that were studied for the purpose of this research. Their contents have been divided into sub-headings , related to areas of interest to this research, namely: Bertha's relationship with Edith, Charles, her children and motherhood, relationships (in general) and issues of gender, politics and racism , mission work and faith, landscape and weather, illness, exhibitions and criticism , work and painting. The Everard Letters gives selected quotations from the letters researched, under the same sub-headings. Appendix 2 records an interview with Leonora Everard Haden, by the candidate, in which Everard Haden's written responses are recorded. Volume 2 contains illustrations of most of Bertha 's work that are referred to in the dissertation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

South African photographer Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko and South African painter Tracy Payne explore different ways of communicating African realities. The visual imagery of these two artists focuses a lot on movement, challenging the rigidity of boundaries set by Western social constructs. In their work, Veleko and Payne critique the limitations of terms such as “authenticity.” It is extremely difficult to portray shifting notions of contemporary African identity in light of the stain of colonial philosophies which have, in times past, exoticised and appropriated the African body and ascribed conventions of “authenticity” to African representations. Undermining the burden of Western boundaries1, Veleko and Payne redefine what it means to operate in Africa today. Veleko seeks additional cultural realities to complicate her identity as a woman living in Africa while Payne uses concepts of movement to question the validity of structures which advocate an either/ or binary such as “East” and “West” and “masculinity” and “femininity”. By subtly merging aspects of these binaries in their representations, Veleko and Payne bring transnational possibilities to light by undermining the restrictions inscribed in the social and political history of (South) Africa with regard to collective and individual identities. Constructs of gender have contributed to a heightened sense of “African” “masculinity,” forming a stereotype of the African body which is difficult to break free from. Considering the notion of transnationalism and the issue of moving beyond boundaries, borrowing aspects of different cultures in attempt to better define a sense of self, Veleko and Payne engage in the sampling of different lifestyles and perspectives to better define their individualities. This thesis seeks to provide an analysis of the visual language used by Veleko and Payne to promote fluid “African” identities.

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)

The title of this thesis 'South African History Painting : Reinterpretation By Women Artists' indicated that the focus was to be on South African history painting. As the research progressed, however, it became apparent that the initial title did not encompass a broad enough spectrum. Therefore a more suitable title for this dissertation is 'A Visual Reinterpretation Of Aspects Of South African History By Women Artists: Penelope Siopis and Philippa Skotnes'. It is the intention of this dissertation to examine the way in which two contemporary South African women artists namely, Penelope Siopis (1953-) and Philippa Skotnes (1957) visually challenge in their paintings and prints respectively the conventional depictions of recorded South African history. Poststructuralism, deconstruction, new historicism and Postmodernism are among the theoretical currents upon which this research is based. It is from a Postmodern standpoint that selected works by Siopis and Skotnes will be analysed. The intention of this analysis is to examine their attempts to access the Postcolonial condition in South Africa through their visual presentations. The work of Siopis and Skotnes reflectects an interest in Postcoloniality. Furthernore, their visual imagery addresses questions of culture and power in South African visual representation. Works such as those created by Siopis and Skotnes can be seen as uncovering some of the contradictions within the process of decolonization. Nederveen, Pieterse and Parekh (1995 ) describe decolonization in the following way: 'Decolonization is a process of emancipation through mirroring, a mix of defiance and mimesis. Like colonialism itself, it is deeply preoccupied with boundaries - boundaries of territory and identity, borders of nation and state. (Nederveen, Pieterse and Parekh 1995: 11)' The focus in this dissertation is on the works of Siopis and Skotnes and their use of specific deconstructive methods to undermine prejudicial historical imagery and question established perceptions within South African history. In other words, the visual presentation of these two artists explores the boundaries or margins of established history. Both Siopis and Skotnes confront in visual terms the prejudicial representations of women and/or ethnic groups who have been subjugated by what they perceive as white, middle class, patriarchal history. The primary concern of the research is the visual imagery produced by these two artists and the effect of deconstruction on their respective art works. In the first chapter selected works from Siopis's 'History Painting' (1980s) series are to be analysed. In the second chapter the focus is on Skotnes's etchings in 'Sound From The Thinking Strings' (1993) exhibition. The investigation then moves to a project entitled 'Miscast' (1996). Skotnes was the curator of the 'Miscast' exhibition. It does not contain original art works by Skotnes. It is however an extension of the ideas which her prints embody and is therefore relevant to this dissertation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.