Sights Unseen the current exhibition at the Sanlam Art Gallery in Bellville showcases new acquisitions to the collection on show for the first time and hidden “gems” not seen in the gallery for many years as these works have been in office environment for many years in accessible to the general public.
A new of acquisition of significance by young emerging artist from Johannesburg, Frans Thoka is a particularly striking rendition of a landscape of what appear to be ploughed land. Intriguing is the use of grey, “prison blanket” as the support enhancing the metaphoric import of combination of land and blanket. At more than 2 metres high and 3 m wide, the painting towers over the more sedate, conventional landscape on show by Thomas Baines and Hugo Naude. But this is just the beginning of an exnted art historical narrative of landscape painting in South Africa on exhibition.
Four large scale painting by Helmut Starcke cover three large walls of the gallery with impressive showcasing this much under appreciated artist’s talent to combine design, fantasy and reality into a potent mixture that tugs emotionally to one’s experience of colour and the transition of landscape from the craked mud dry river bed to an efflorescent composition of colours. Alongside these also hang significant early paintings by Nigel Mullins revealing how the idea of landscape can be manilupulated to represent a diversity of narrative in one space.
Little though matches the punchy colour and astute composition of a selection of early paintings by Maggie Laubser shown in series. The resonances of emotional content of the three paintings provide an insight into the inner life of a turn of the century women artist who was embarking on a very new adventure in art.
In stark contrast to these lyric and expressive pieces one is confronted with the optophonetic and concrete poetery of Willem Boshoff. A selection of four early, 1980s produced, Kykafrikaans prints were acquire in 2022. These visual and conceptual mind twisters require a little time to be appreciated. A little effort and closer looking will bring some enlightening revelations and to any conscientious viewer. A QR code on the label provide additional information on the artist and sound scape of the two of the poems performed.
Other works represented in the exhibition are by Karel Nel, Wayne Barker, Erkia Hibbert, Julio Tambellini, Walter Battiss, William Kentridge, Deborah Bell, Robert Hodgins, Pranas Domsaitis, Osiah Masekoameng, Günther van der Reis, Moses Kottler, Wim Blom, Blessing Ngobeni, Simon Lekgetho, Lyness Magwaza and Helen Sebidi.
The exhibition is rounded off on the mezzanine floor a selection of smaller figurative sculpture ranging from the delicate, tightly
George Ramagaga, Willem de Sanderes Hendrikz (L-R)
observed presentations by Anton van Wouw and Hendrik Nkhofe, Moses Kottler, through the expressive carvings of Lippy Lipschitz, George Ramagaga, Stanley Nkosi and Albert Dasheka, to the lyrical abstractions of Edoardo Villa, Bill Davis and Susan Ollemans.
Consisting of more than 2 000 artworks viewing the Sanlam Art Collection can take a very long time. Being spread across Sanlam’s office environments across the country also means one has to travel a bit. Although Bellville may be another country for the average Capetonian a visit to the only publicly accessible corporate art collection in the Western Cape may prove well worth a visit.
WHAT: Sights Unseen at Sanlam Art Gallery Bellville
WHERE: Sanlam Art Gallery, 2 Strand Road, Belville, Cape Town 7530
WHEN: 2 November 2022 – 2 February 2023 Viewing Mon to Fri 09:00 – 16:30 | For a unique experience of a selection of the best South African art call the Sanlam Art Gallery in Bellville 021 947 3359 or E sanlamart@sanlam.co.za and make your date.
INFO: T 021 947 3359 | E sanlamart@sanlam.co.za | Visit | PHOTO: works by Helen Sebidi, Julio Tambellini and Blessing Ngobeni (L – R)
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