All is not well in the Owl House
Have you heard of the OWL HOUSE? The amazing artistic property that that “crazy old white artist and her coloured groundsman (SIES!) ” built and decorated by hand? The OWL HOUSE is an incredible artistic feat built by Helen Martins – it’s a must-see tourist puller in the town of Nieu Bethesda – not too far from Grahamstown if you’re wondering where Nieu Bethesda is. This arti…cle from the UK Guardian by journalist Rory Carroll tells us that not all is well in the artists haven of NIeu Bethesda…sound familiar? 11 years on, battles of apartheid still rage For the white South Africans who trickled to this valley idyll in the Karoo desert, an oasis of willow trees and picket fences, the village of Nieu Bethesda promised a good life. Potters, painters and writers snapped up handsome century-old houses and made the village an artists’ retreat, a tiny community free from crime and pollution, with a night skyscape of gleaming stars. The Owl House of the late Helen Martins, an avant garde artist who filled her home with mosaics and sculptures, became a national heritage site. The playwright Athol Fugard immortalised her in a celebrated play, The Road to Mecca. With a population of just 70, Nieu Bethesda seemed to embody the imagination and creativity of a South Africa reborn after apartheid. But now another South Africa, one of poverty and inequality, has crashed into it, exposing segregation, racial tension and government neglect. Black families from Pienaarsig, a nearby township of 1,000 people, are abandoning their overcrowded settlement and moving down the valley in donkey carts to build a new township beside the village. The self-styled “invaders” are erecting tin shacks on the municipal land that fringes Nieu Bethesda. Six families have moved in recent weeks and dozens more are expected. “We are fed up being poked around. We need space to live,” said Isaac Kasper, 63, as he lined the floor and walls of his new home with cardboard. The migration has shattered the illusion of tolerance. At ill-tempered public meetings the prospect of hundreds of shack dwellers on the doorstep of a nearly all-white village has been rejected as an eyesore that will bring social problems. Some white residents want the site turned into a conservation area for flora and fauna, citing the “possibility that the [endangered] riverine rabbit has been sighted in this area”. They say medicinal plants such as Sutherlandia, which can be used to treat HIV-related illnesses, flourish locally. The black community has responded angrily, claiming conservation is a pretext to perpetuate segregation and turn a blind eye to inequality. The dispute, touching nerves...
MUST SEE – another hot young Jozi-born talent
He’s only turning 30 next year. But Pieter Hugo’s star has already risen and crossed the sky three times in a twisted up revolution… We say “ola mf’ethu” to a Jozi born photographer whose art makes us so proud and the western world gasp for air… Pieter seems to have a thing for digging into the quirky and mysterious side of Africa. Do yourselves a favour and check out hi…s phenomenal Photo Essay on Albino’s – BREATH KNOCKING STEALING SHAKING stuff. Remember the story of the Nigerian debt collectors and their Hyena’s??? Well talk about broken telephone – he hung out with some Nigerian minstrels and their pet Hyena’s, baboons and pythons for ten days – not only is he brimming in talent but he’s bloody brave too. Here’s his biog from his site – click on it to go there. Pieter Hugo Pieter Hugo was born in 1976 in Johannesburg, South Africa. His photograpic work focuses on global social issues with an emphasis on Africa and other developing countries. He has worked for numerous print publications, including Adbusters, Colors, Dazed & Confused, The New Yorker and Sunday Times (London), producing visual essays on issues ranging from tuberculosis in Malawi to slavery in Sudan, slums in Brazil to old age communities in South Africa. In 2002/3 he participated in a residency at Fabrica, Benetton’s Research and Communications Centre in Italy. His work has been exhibited widely, including solo exhibitions at Michael Stevenson Contemporary (Cape Town), the Museum of Modern Art (Rome), and Fabrica Features (Lisbon). His work has been selected for the touring exhibition ReGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025, at the Musýe de l’Elysýe in Lausanne (23 June – 23 October 2005). The exhibition will travel to New York in 2006 to inaugurate the opening of Aperture magazine’s new gallery space. Aperture, in conjunction with Thames & Hudson, will issue a book to coincide with the exhibitions....
Spaza gallery in Troyeville – so relaxing.
Admittedly we haven’t been there for a while, probably since last summer actually – but now the rays are back, treat yourselves to a relax there. The SPAZA gallery is the perfect place to just chill out, soak up some rays and check out some hippies, artists and wonderful colourful people of Joburg all in a non-snotty environment. Three words – or ph…rases – SPAZA = Down-to-earth, real and urban. We used to go every Sunday to catch the fine and more-ish vegetarian cooking of “mo’ fire” man Sandza (YFM DJ) but haven’t been for ages – we will be back sooner than later! We see the Sunday lunches are back – fabulous. Click here to check out the site. RIght now there’s a fabulous exhibition featuring the work of Jeff Lok who looks at FAH FEE symbolism CAPITALISM WITHOUT CONTENT (More is not enough…) Big Fire Number 31 Symbols in the Fah-Fee game. Recent paintings by Jeffrey Lok at the Spaza Gallery 19 Wilhelmina Street Troyeville Viewing Tues-Sat 10am- 5pm or by appointment. Tel 011-614-9354. October 23-Nov 13. LUNCH on Sundays in the backyard....
TAGUR – a cool concept in shoes
Thanks to Stoffel for the Heads up – there’s a new fashion shoe label kicking off in December called Tagýr, rumous have it there are South African’s behind it but we can’t substantiate that. Nice one! They’re not the first to do it but they’re doing it fabulously – they’re “tagging” shoes, shoes that come as a blank canvas with some …high impact pens and you get to “tag” (grafitti) your own shoes… So it’s URBAN art on your takkies! This is a distinctive new line of footwear that embraces urban art on quality products. Tagur fuses new school technologies with the classic cuts and details that made us love sneakers in the first place. The creators of Tagur saw the opportunity to develop a casual sneaker that allows the consumer to be the producer. They offer a smooth, clean leather surface for customisation. You are the artist. You are the Market. You deem what is...
Joburg centre is full of hidden gems
While wondering around the city centre in the warm sunshine of an Autumn day, we came across a strange sign for SOWETO ART GALLERY – in the middle of town! Trying to be an intrepid journalist and not wanting anything to slip by, I wandered into the foyer of Victory House and up two flights of dodgy stairs… hoping to make a magical discovery. I was not dissapointed. The Soweto… Art Gallery is a treasure. It’s not a gallery per se, in fact it is just three little rooms with various artifacts and artwork spread around – we were welcomed by the very friendly and warm artist and owner Peter Sibeko – who it turns out is an international artist whose work is loved by Thabo Mbeki …Apparently Winnie even had his work in her office!!! He has been running the gallery there since 1986 and says that he sells a lot of his work to tourists who are hungry for Soweto scenes… Peter Sibeko was born in 1940 in Orlando and has lived in Orlando East ever since – we also met his son Elias who is also an artist. Bra Peter is best known for his colourful abstract towhship scenes, which he often paints using dust from the Gold Mines surrounding Soweto – his work has been exhibited in the Uk, Australia, the States and all over SA. Martin Luther Kings wife Coletta even has a painting of Peters in the Memory of Martin Luther King collection. He has two huge flatbed filing cabinets, filled with township art depicting township and rural scenes – there is also some abstract work available. The price of the work ranges from R150 to R15 000 – there’s lots in the lower hundreds – all originals and all begging for a loving owner. Artists from Katlehong, Everton, Durban and Soweto bring their work to Bra Peter who holds exhibitions from time-to-time in Pretoria and Joburg. Besides the range of Bra Peter’s work available, other originals from artists such as Dabuku Ntuli, Solomon Sekhaolelo, David Mpele, Fanzile Masonbuku, Godfrey Ndaba and Knowledge Tlou were all available. Bra Peter and friends are also involved in the upliftment and training of young artists in Soweto and will soon be running a workshop guiding and helping out young people that want to be artists – interested parties can contact Peter Sibeko on 011 492 1109 for more information. I encourage ALL our REPRESENT readers, the next time you are in town, make a draai to the SOWETO ART GALLERY and buy yourselves an original SOWETO art piece – they will be worth a fortune one...
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