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Abstract This research paper examines the ways in which the autobiographical impulse is constructed in selected artworks of Tracey Emin (b1963-) and Claudette Schreuders (b1973-). It is situated within contemporary discourses around notions of the self, namely postmodernist, feminist and post colonialist frameworks. This critical discussion of notions of the self, as evidenced in these selected artworks, leads into discourses of Authenticity, of Histories, personal and collective and of the role Identity formation plays in the performing self. In conducting this research I have drawn on a wide range of theoretical frameworks including philosophy, psychoanalysis and literary theory, including magical realism. The first part of my study presents the theoretical frameworks of Authenticity, History and Identity regarding the autobiographical impulse. The second section of this paper examines the selected works of Emin and Schreuders. I chose these two artists because of their different strategies in performing themselves rather than their similarities, which allows for an interrogation of a broader framework of contemporary artistic practices. The concluding chapter examines my practical artwork during the period of my Masters degree. My work comes from an autobiographical base and I create a ‘self-portrait’ through my accumulation, production and display of objects. My exhibition took the form of an installation whereby I created an uncomfortable atmosphere through various methods including stimulating the olfactory sense in a predominant way.

In a contemporary South African context of artistic production and exhibition, there are few spaces or arenas dedicated to the development and presentation of experimental and/or non-commercial practices – a void that has become increasingly evident amidst the growing interest in participatory art and social aesthetics. However, and as the central thesis of this study suggests, in response to the lack of infrastructure for open-ended, idea-rich and socially focused praxis, artists have adopted a do-it-yourself approach to ‘filling the void’. That is, artists have taken it upon themselves to address the absence of experimental and/or laboratory ‘space’ by creating autonomous, self-directed initiatives, through a variety of non-traditional and context-specific methodologies. Using a meta-analytical approach, this research project tracks the rise of the artist-run initiative (ARI) in South Africa. It is suggested that ARIs that utilise participative methodologies such as open-source sharing, collaborative economies (trade, bartering, collectivism, etc.) and/or user-generated organisational approaches offer generative alternatives for the development and presentation of experimental and/or non-commercial projects within a South African context – arguably a new New-Institutionalism. Critically, I explore a number of potential paradoxes inherent within this approach, including issues around the artist operating as a ‘double agent’, as well as various problematics associated with employing a collaborative economy within a wider capitalistic system. I conclude, however, that despite these concerns, artist-run participative initiatives suggest radical new possibilities, not only in terms of alternative forms of institution-building, but also regarding a critical re-imagining of authorship, ‘collectivity’, economic democracy, and inclusivity within artistic production. As the first sustained and discursive engagement on artist-run initiatives in South Africa, or more particularly artist-run participative initiatives, the research is intended to fill a significant gap in the literature, and provide a resource for further research and practice. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka / Visual Arts / PhD / Unrestricted

The current cultural climate is stimulating an increasing interest in, and need for, collaboration throughout many fields of practice. Collaborative methods of art production are evident across a range of contemporary visual art practices and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration are becoming more available for artists, particularly those working beyond the gallery context. However, there is currently a lack of literature critically addressing collaborative processes in relation to visual arts practice. This research investigates strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration, which require different approaches than traditional, individual models of art practice. A visual artist (the researcher) adopts a practice-led, naturalistic methodology to investigate qualities and characteristics of the collaborative process and to develop and evaluate strategies for engaging successful interdisciplinary collaborations with practitioners from a variety of fields. A contextual review undertakes a broad review of literature and examples of practice addressing collaboration from the visual arts and other fields (including organisational and management theory). Key issues and approaches to collaboration are addressed in relation to instances of collaboration evident in the visual arts (collaboration between artists, collaboration in contemporary Public Art practices and interdisciplinary collaboration), and two main approaches to collaboration are identified: as a tacit method of practice and as an explicit methodology of practice. Three strands of inquiry are undertaken: collaboration in practice, collaboration in education, and case examples of collaboration. The researcher develops and evaluates strategies for engaging interdisciplinary collaboration with different collaborators in five exploratory research projects. Two projects are developed in an educational context to evaluate undergraduate Fine Art students’ experiences of collaboration. Three interviews with different visual art practitioners are undertaken to address their experiences of collaboration in professional arts contexts. A qualitative definition of collaboration, and a description of the main characteristics and key qualities of a collaborative process are obtained through a systematic, cross-comparative analysis of the research data (detailed project reports, pre-interview questionnaire forms and interview transcripts). These outcomes inform the development of a critical framework, which presents interpretative and evaluative criteria for identifying, describing and evaluating four distinct models of collaboration. The critical framework is primarily intended for use by visual artists as a tool for developing and evaluating their individual experiences of collaborative practice. The research contributes a new critical understanding of the ‘more complex’ model of interdisciplinary collaboration and addresses the implications of approaching interdisciplinary collaboration as a viable methodology of practice for visual artists, in relation to both professional and educational visual art contexts.

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Faculty of humanities School of Arts 9407481e justine.ol@absamail.co.za / This research report involves an evaluation of a street children art programme delivered by Imbali Visual Literacy Project a non-governmental organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Little attention has been given to evaluating art programmes aimed at ‘marginalised youth’. This marks a gap in current theorising in the area. The programme is presented in terms of the “progressive” and “liberal democratic” ethos that is identified as informing Imbali’s approach. This approach is critiqued by drawing on Grant Kester’s ideas of ‘dialogical aesthetics’. A new participatory and collaborative model for initiating art programmes aimed at marginalised youth is proposed. This model draws on Kester’s ideas as well as the value Imbali places on art-making processes. It is advocated that participants on such programmes should be encouraged to play an active role in taking responsibility for their own development through both art-making and dialogue. If programmes are conceived of in this way it is claimed that there is more of a chance they can effect sustainable change and development.

This study sought to investigate the way in which young children respond to and make aesthetic judgements about art works made by their peers. Grounded Theory was deemed to be an appropriate research methodology enabling a scrutiny of serendipitous experiences as well as structured investigation generated from those experiences. A total of 296 seven-year-old children were interviewed in small groups of three or four and asked to respond to visual art materials. These subjects were drawn from schools in the states of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Results indicated that two factors associated with the appraisal of art works seemed to exist: a function of making aesthetic judgements and a function of gathering and interpreting information about the art works. The study found that children utilized a three-phase process in making aesthetic judgements. The first phase seemed to be pre-figured; the second and third phase seemed to occur as a outcome of prompting. This three-phase process was designated as an Aesthetic Response Model.