The art historical foregrounding of pioneer and contemporary art of black South Africans during the last two decades of the 20th century has emphasised two-dimensional media. Given the dearth of biographies on black artists in general, it is the purpose of this dissertation to reposition the three-dimensional oeuvre of a pioneer sculptor in the context of the artistic creativity occurring within the educational and economic constraints of a segregated South Africa. While Michael Zondi's school education and vocational training was forged predominantly within a western mission context, the emergence of his talent remained largely independent of any art training initiatives or art-making institutions. This research study places a strong emphasis on Zondi's interface with a white elitist patronage base. As a member of an educated kholwa elite, Zondi's acculturation and intellectual exchange with his patrons regarding mores, belief systems and world views, centred on reciprocity, as the artist sought to redefine himself in terms of western paradigms initially imposed by colonialism. The exchange found consistent expression in Zondi's stance of reconciliation, which reflected the cross-cultural friendships under the aegis of a shared Christianity which the artist forged into a syncretism with his own received belief systems. Zondi's espousal of western cultural paradigms which facilitated the interface resulted in the public foregrounding of the work of this black artist, at a time in South African history when this was exceptional. From the 1960s the Lutheran mission enterprise in Natal provided a platform for liberation theology, challenging the suppression of indigenous belief systems as well as state autocracy and the reality of a segregated society. Given Zondi's acute political awareness, he was prompted to take up that challenge, albeit covertly, with visual texts addressing moral issues and voicing humanitarian concerns. With figurative genre sculptures frequently alluding to the artist's rootedness in his received Zulu traditions, the thematic content of some of Zondi's work shows an indigenisation of the Christian gospel as he drew on Biblically inspired imagery, making his art function as a vehicle for the articulation of his dissent. This study traces Zondi's stylistic development from representational naturalism of his early work to an espousal of a modernist visual language embracing some experimentation with his preferred medium, South African hardwoods. Within his essentially figurative representational style, and in part as a result of the intervention of his supporters, Zondi made use of expressive surface textures and distortion. His pronounced use of faceting in the later 1960s was consolidated after a short sojourn in Paris in the mid-1970s, when, for a short time, he created more conceptual human forms in a cubist manner. This represented his most marked departure from his recognizable figurative style of representational carving. While some of Zondi's pieces in private and public collections were included in group exhibitions during the 1980s and 1990s (1), research has not yet revealed pieces postdating 1987. It is probable that ill-health forced Zondi to consider his retirement from sculpting by the early 1990s. (1) "The Neglected Tradition", 1988; "Images of Wood", 1989; "Land and Lives", 1997. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Fine Art (Sculpture), Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / This dissertation examines the influences and interventions affecting five selected woodcarvers working in the Northern Province over a period of fifteen years. Chapter Orneis divided into three sections. The first section explores the emergence of the woodcarving tradition through the watershed exhibition of Tributaries (1985), which claimed the 'discovery' of the master woodcarvers from the region. Shortly following on from this was the Neglected TradihmD exhibition (1988) whose role defined a turning point in the exhibiting and documentation of black artists within a changing art historical perspective. / M

Italian artists working in eighteenth-century Britain played a significant role in the country's developing interest in the fine arts. The contributions of artists arriving before mid-century, including Pellegrini, Ricci, and Canaletto, have been noted, but the presence of a larger number of Italians from mid-century is seldom acknowledged. Increasing British wealth and attention to the arts meant more customers for immigrant Italian artists. Bringing with them the skills for which they were renowned throughout Europe, their talents were valued in Britain. Many stayed for prolonged periods, raising families and becoming active members in the artistic community. In a thriving economy, they found opportunities to produce innovative works for a new clientele, devising histories, landscapes, portraits, and prints to entice buyers. The most successful were accomplished networkers, maintaining cordial relationships with British artists and cultivating a variety of patrons. They influenced others through teaching, through formal and informal exchanges with colleagues, and through exhibition of their works that could be studied and emulated.

Orientador: Iara Lis Franco Schiavinatto / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T20:50:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ferrante_RoselenedeSouza_M.pdf: 9510528 bytes, checksum: 95280e4b6a8d1824700b011e2d599b55 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Esta dissertação aborda a produção artística de Pasquale De Chirico em Salvador, Bahia, no período de 1906 a 1944. A pesquisa encadeia fontes documentais inéditas, quer a respeito de sua trajetória biográfica, quer no tocante às suas obras, destinadas tanto ao âmbito público quanto privado. Aqui, há um mapeamento da inserção dos monumentos escultóricos na malha urbana de Salvador, a exemplo de Castro Alves ¿ obra que marcou a consagração do artista. De modo paralelo à produção de monumentos públicos, Pasquale De Chirico elaborou um amplo conjunto de registros em papel e bronze de "tipos humanos", em especial de afrodescendentes; são homens e mulheres mergulhados em seu anonimato sob cânones acadêmicos que configuram uma iconografia de negros / Abstract: This dissertation approaches the artistic work by Pasquale De Chirico in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, within the period from 1906 to 1944. The research links unpublished documentary sources, either about his biographical path or regarding his works, aimed both at the public and private spheres. Here, there is a mapping of the insertion of sculptural monuments in the urban area of Salvador, such as Castro Alves ¿ work that marked the artist¿s consecration. Parallel to the production of public monuments, Pasquale De Chirico prepared a wide range of records in paper and bronze of "human types", especially of Afro-descendants; they are men and women immersed in their anonymity under academic canons that set an iconography of black people / Mestrado / Politica, Memoria e Cidade / Mestra em História

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Helen Martins devoted approximately the last thirty years of her life to converting her family home into a unique fantasy world which she named the Owl House. Since her death in 1976 the Owl House has become a national monument and museum in South Africa. Throughout her life Helen was considered by most of the surrounding villagers to have been strange, and she withdrew increasingly from society. However, she appeared to have contained a desire for human connection. There are several instances in which she expressed this desire, such as through the numerous letters which she wrote to fellow artists. The existing body of literature on Helen illustrates the complex nature of her personality; however the question of which personality style she best typifies has remained unanswered. In order to answer this question a psychobiography was conducted on Helen. Psychobiographies entail a biographical representation of a person's life history to which a psychological theory is applied. The psychological theory utilised within the current study was Millon's (1969/1996) Biosocial- Learning Theory. Thus, the chief objective of this study was to describe and interpret Helen's personality style through the use of Millon's (1969/1996) Biosocial-Learning Theory. Alexander's model of data extraction and Miles and Huberman's three step approach were implemented in order to reduce, organise and analyse the data. The findings of this study reflected that Helen deteriorated from one of Millon's (1969/1996) proposed personality styles to another as she aged. The current findings may illuminate Helen's motives for obsessively devoting her life to the creation of her fantasy world.

Post-war sculpture created by members of the Royal Academy of Arts was seemingly marginalised by Keynesian state patronage which privileged a new generation of avant-garde sculptors. This thesis considers whether selected Academicians (Siegfried Charoux, Frank Dobson, Maurice Lambert, Alfred Machin, John Skeaping and Charles Wheeler) variously engaged with pedagogy, community, exhibition practice and sculpture for the state, to access ascendant state patronage. Chapter One, The Post-war Expansion of State Patronage , investigates the existing and shifting parameters of patronage of the visual arts and specifically analyses how this was manifest through innovative temporary sculpture exhibitions. Chapter Two, The Royal Academy Sculpture School , examines the reasons why the Academicians maintained a conventional fine arts programme of study, in contrast to that of industrial design imposed by Government upon state art institutions for reasons of economic contribution. This chapter also analyses the role of the art-Master including the influence of émigré teachers, prospects for women sculpture students and the post-war scarcity of resources which inspired the use of new materials and techniques. Chapter Three, The Royal Academy as Community , traces the socialisation of London-based art societies whose memberships helped to identify sculptors for potential election to the Royal Academy; it then considers the gifting of elected Academicians Diploma Works. The empirical mapping of sponsorship for elected sculptors is investigated to determine how the organic profile of the Royal Academy s membership began to accommodate more modern sculptors and identifies a petition for change which may have influenced Munnings s speech (1949). Chapter Four, The Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions , explores the preparatory rituals of the Selection and Hanging Committees, processes for the selection of amateurs works, exhibit genres and critical reception. Moreover it contrasts the Summer Exhibitions with the Arts Council s Sculpture in the Home exhibition series to identify potential duplications. Chapter Five, Sculpture for the State , considers three diverse conduits facilitating the acquisition of sculpture for the state: The Chantrey Collection administered by the Royal Academy and exhibited at the Tate Gallery; the commissioning of Charles Wheeler s Earth and Water (1951 1953) for the new Ministry of Defence, London; and the selection of Siegfried Charoux s The Neighbours (1959) for London County Council s Patronage of the Arts Scheme . For these sculptures, complex expressions of Britishness are considered. In summary this thesis argues that unfettered by their allegiance to the Royal Academy of Arts its sculptors sought ways in which they might participate in the unprecedented opportunities that an expanded model of state patronage presented.

I have studied the Swedish artist formation ”1947 års män” with a sociological perspective based on the ideas of Pierre Bourdieu. I initially made a study of the group as a whole, and after that I chose to focus on the sculptors Liss Eriksson, Arne Jones and Knut-Erik Lindberg. I have examined why some of the artists in the formation became more successful than others. My results show that the ones who were versed in culture or came from an economically or intellectually stronger background also were considered to be the most pioneering artists. These artists also were the ones who became noticed by the art critics at their break-through exhibition in Stockholm in 1947. The art critics’ reviews likely had an impact on the future careers of the artists, as well as on the extent of which they came to be reminded today. / Jag har studerat konstnärsgruppen ”1947 års män” utifrån ett kultursociologiskt perspektiv. Jag gjorde först en studie av hela gruppen, för att sedan fokusera på gruppens skulptörer Liss Eriksson, Arne Jones och Knut-Erik Lindberg. Jag ville undersöka varför vissa av medlemmarna i gruppen blev framgångsrika konstnärer som än idag är ihågkomna, och varför andra inte blev det. Jag kom fram till att det var de konstnärer som hade goda sociala kontakter, var kulturellt och intellektuellt bevandrade eller kom från ekonomiskt starka hem som gjorde det som uppfattades som den mest banbrytande konsten och kom att av konstkritikerna tillskrivas som mest intressanta vid tiden för deras genombrottsutställning 1947. Denna reception lär sedan också ha påverkat även konstnärernas fortsatta karriärer i form av uppdrag, utställningar och inköp till viktiga konstsamlingar och kan även ha påverkat dagens beskrivning av vissa av konstnärerna i gruppen som mer framstående än andra.

This study is a consideration of the notion of the artist as a visionary. This perception of the artist is explored in relation to the work and ideas of three twentieth century artists; the American painter Jackson Pollock (1912-1952), the German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1983) and the South African artist Jackson Hlungwani (1918 -). The work and ideas of these artists is discussed primarily in terms of the similarities and differences between their art and ideas and those encountered in traditional shamanism and the visionary aspects of Romantic and Gothic art and culture as represented by the work and ideas of eighteenth century English poet and painter William Blake (1757-1827). Each of the twentieth century artists who are considered represents a different strain of the idea of the artist as a visionary. Pollock is discussed in terms of his implicit identification with the artist-shaman. This identification is revealed by the influence Jung's writings and Native American (Indian) art and culture had on his work. Beuys is considered in relation to his explicit adoption of a shaman-like persona. Hlungwani is a practising healer in a traditional community whose art explores an apocalyptic vision of redemption. The comparisons between the artists under investigation and the visionary aspects of traditional shamanism and Gothic and Romantic culture entail an analysis of pictorial elements, subject matter and content in the work of these artists. The intention was to explore those properties in the work and ideas of these artists which correspond to the notion of the artist as a visionary. / Thesis (M.A.F.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

I begin by describing Western culture in the way proposed by Fritjof Capra whose ideas remain seminal to my argument throughout this examination. I argue that Western value systems are in the midst of a major transformation, exhibiting an increasing Ecological awareness. I define Ecology as an all-encompassing phenomenon which includes the biological definition of the term as well as the practice of environmental, peace and feminist groups and movements. As such it is seen as a philosophy or approach to experiencing the world which has much in common with many spiritual traditions, contentions and intuitions. I concentrate especially on Buddhism and Taoism insofar as they articulate seminal aspects of Ecology. Situating this notion of cultural transformation and Ecology into a South African context, I interpret Waiter Oltmann's sculptures in relation to this, inherently and consciously embracing Ecological concepts and ideas and redressing cultural imbalances with his images and techniques. Andries Botha's work is likewise seen to question cultural imbalances and to pose questions about new and dynamic relationships within society and culture. His work is seen to relate very closely to Capra's ideas. Finally I discuss my own sculptures, noting how they relate to Botha's and Oltmann's works and how I consciously set out to address and articulate ideas pertaining to Ecology and my experience of the world in these terms. I discuss the origins of my images, techniques and materials and the construction of my works, describing how these relate intentionally and intuitively to the ideas which inform my work. My discussion of art making in terms of Ecology intends as much to offer a new interpretation of this art making as it does to illuminate and illustrate aspects of Ecology. In conclusion I situate this argument in the South African context, discussing how my discourse can be seen to enrich and compliment a particularly South African interpretation of these artists' works which could draw on traditional South African or Christian cultures and traditions. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1995.