9 October 2020 @ 12:00
Presented by:
- Gerard de Kamper (Curator UP Art and Ceramic Collections)
- Christopher Till (Curatorial Director: Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria)
Moderated by:
- Siseko Kumalo
Wooden sculptures, when defined by art institutions, are closely linked with culture, a move that devalues their artistic properties. In this conversation we consider how this framing of the wooden sculpture as low art delegitimizes this artistic medium. More importantly, we think seriously about changing this discourse by looking at how the African has historically always been depicted as the apprentice to the artistic genius, whose work is marked by abstraction and a lack of functionality.
This reframing facilitates a reclamation of this art form, to illustrate both its sophistication and creativity as practice.