South African Art Scene Confronts Politics and Loss in April 2014

The South African art community in April 2014 was marked by the death of artist Peter Clarke at age 84 on April 13 at his Ocean View home, where he had been forcibly relocated under apartheid. His printmaking and works on paper are now central to the national art canon. Concurrently, the political climate ahead of the May 7 election influenced artistic discourse, with ArtThrob reviewing Steven C Dubin's book 'Spearheading Debate', which analyzes post-apartheid culture wars. At Goodman Gallery Johannesburg, Hank Willis Thomas's exhibition 'History Doesn't Laugh' faced criticism from reviewer Michael Smith, who questioned whether its reworkings of apartheid imagery had become 'political kitsch'. Artist James Webb discussed his sound-based practice inspired by Luigi Russolo and his focus on Cape Town's marginalized communities in an interview. Daniella Mooney's exhibition 'Golden Age Rising' at Whatiftheworld gallery was reviewed by Amie Soudien, who noted its blend of scientific processes and religious symbolism. A 'spoil your vote' campaign led by anti-apartheid figures emerged as an electoral alternative.