PW Botha's Dog

One of the most important works in the Goodman Gallery exhibition of the same name, this monumental sculpture combines the savagery of the metaphor of the dog with Bester’s signature use of RECYCLED materials.

The critique of the fascist militaristic idiom of the apartheid regime is clear here, as is the scathing opposition to militarism generally. The work bristles with metaphorical menace, made all the more chilling by Bester’s use of rough, bolted finishes and various ‘scrap-metal’ touches in the construction.

While Bester’s work is always doctrinaire, his consistent opposition to apartheid and the mastery of his material make this work very compelling. 

Artwork courtesy of South 32 Collection.