Commissions and History

Often artists find commissions to be limiting and somewhat restrictive, but I have found the contrary to be true in many instances. Admittedly there is always the chance that one might be required to paint something that does not translate into a satisfying painting, but sharing the experiences of others has lead me to paint a great variety of subject matter: boats and buildings; teddy bears, birds and horses; portraits, landscapes and seascapes. These commissions, while challenging me out of my comfort zones, have allowed me to be part of other people’s experiences and sharing their stories have all enriched me in some way.

Such was the commission by Sam and Louise Campbell in 2005, to paint a picture at “Willow Bank” the property on the north side of the Umhlanga Lagoon. When I received a call asking me to paint a property between Umhlanga and Umhloti, I was unprepared for what was to come. Having just painted a national monument, I was thinking architecture – and especially in this highly developed area.

After looking at photographs, I requested to visit the sight in person. Walking along the path with Sam and his family, I captured a glimpse of childhood memories, changing seasons, of the moods of the sea and coastal forest and stories of the early days told over generations. We felt that a view through the trees - the view from where the original homestead had once stood – best captured the sense of seclusion, unspoilt coastal forest and rich history of this amazing place so close to some of the greatest property development in the area.

A casual mention of the commission to a colleague at work led to an interesting development some months later. I received a very excited phone call one evening from a friend who shares a passion for books with her husband. Tony and Madeleine were looking through books when Tony discovered a book by Roy Campbell called “Light on a Dark Horse”, which had much to say on the early days in Durban. Madeleine quickly linked the descriptions in the book to the area I had described. Two chapters in the book refer specifically to the early days in the area. Roy Campbell writes: “One of the places I loved best as a child was the Umhlanga Lagoon …We had an old ramshackle cottage in the middle of the forest … At night it was lit by electric blue thunderflashes from the rolling breakers which shook the house and made the candles tremble with every crash … illuminating the twisted boughs of a giant milkwood tree which over – arched the house.” Fascinating stories continue of interesting characters, the haunt of a terrible old mamba, interesting visitors and boating on the lagoon.

As I pass the property on the north side of the Umhlanga Lagoon on my frequent trips to Durban, I am so much more aware of its natural beauty and rich history. It was a privilege as an artist to capture just a little of the story.

“Memorabilia”- Aidon Westcott

Concluding my short series of articles on art on the fringe at this year’s Grahamstown Festival, Aidon Westcott’s mixed media work was refreshing, sincere and deeply rooted in the artist’s own experience.

Growing up in the East London area, Aidon is no stranger to the Nahoon Mouth and surrounding area and it is from this ongoing experience that he has developed both knowledge and love of the aquatic world.

His exhibition this year was called “Memorabilia” and took place at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. He uses a combination of found objects from yesteryear, which he sees as fragments of a former culture and combines them with photomontage, painting and sculpture.

Aidon sees the objects that he chooses as deeply rooted in human consciousness. For him, fish symbolise the identification of a person’s true “self”. “They are a metaphor for the aesthetic and spiritual significance hidden in nature and human beings.”

Aidon received a degree from the former East London Technical College. He specialized in painting, sculpture and ceramics. While at the college, he achieved a number of accolades: in 2001 he was awarded the best all round student, in 2002, the best ceramic student, in 2003, the best fourth year student. In 2004 he held his first solo exhibition called “Symbiosis” at the Grahamstown Festival. In 2005 he held a similar exhibition called “The Fish Chronicles”. His work can also be seen at the Morgan Bay art gallery in East London.

Certainly, this year’s exhibition, “Meborabilia” was both interesting and thought provoking. In the piece, “The Spirit of the Transkei Fishermen” the memorabilia salutes the people, fishing with hand and line and passing on their knowledge from one generation to the next. In “The Enthusiast”, the memorabilia creates an environment of sacred objects treasured by one who is passionate about a hobby and who allows time for reflection. “Genesis” celebrates the birth of life through the depiction of the six stages of life inside an egg. This is seen as a metaphor for spiritual growth and new beginnings.

Working in mixed media enables Aidon to showcase his considerable talent in both painting and sculpture – a thought-provoking exhibition by a very talented young artist.

Kim Berman at Bayside Gallery

When I received an invitation from Sue Greenberg to attend the opening of ”Collection 2006”, at Bayside Gallery at the Bat Centre, Durban my expectations were fairly vague. Knowing that prints by Kim Berman were to feature strongly in the collection did little to dispel my preconceived ideas. Kim Berman, however, takes print – making to a new level. As senior lecturer and head of printmaking at The University of Johannesburg and director of Art Print Studios, she is an obvious leader in her field.

Three series of prints were chosen for the exhibition: The first a series of lithographs on fire and smoke entitled: “Through the wire, Lowveld fire”, the second, the mine dump series, consisting of a combination of monoprint and etching and the third, “Red ribbons on a pond” a series exploring a new and previously unexplored element. I found myself fascinated by the technical effects created by the combinations of printing techniques. The series “Through the wire, Lowveld fire” seemed to me more reminiscent of pastel painting and not printing at all.

Chatting to Kim was equally fascinating: She explained how the elements of earth and fire had been used as metaphors for social issues in her work. She had first explored fire as a metaphor for cleansing and purging during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Her minescapes in the mine dump series, represent the paradox of the land: wealth and poverty, despair and hope, past and present - they explore a search for hope and healing in destruction. In the third series, flame tree blossoms like red ribbons on a pond, symbolize the senseless death of people through Aids.

Kim received a degree in Fine Art from Wits University in 1981 and a Master of Fine Arts in the USA in 1989. She has been involved in a number of community projects, such as the founding of a community printmaking centre in Newtown in 1992, the Paper Prayers campaign and a natural poverty alleviation campaign called Phumani Paper.

Kim has lectured and exhibited in South Africa and internationally. She has held solo exhibitions in Johannesburg, Belgium and the USA and is currently registered at Wits University for a PHD on the role of the visual arts in social change in South Africa.

“Collection 2006”, which includes work by ceramicists such as Karen Kotze, Hennie Meyer, John Newdigate, Karen Sinovich, Clive Sithole and Martha Zettler as well as fabric work by Zimeleni and handcrafted jewellery by Durban designers will be at Bayside Gallery until mid-January and is well worth a visit.

“The Wiles Gallery”, Bathurst

I have long been an admirer of Lucy Wiles’s fresh watercolours of South Africa’s people, so you can well imagine my delight at discovering the Wiles Gallery at Bathurst on my recent visit to Grahamstown. Bathurst is a quaint little town just outside Grahamstown, where time has stood still and well known by students for the legendary “Pig and Whistle”, where many a Rhodes student has stopped off to quench his or her thirst.

The “Wiles Gallery” is a relatively new addition to the area, having been built only seven months ago. This was an obvious stop for me and I was not disappointed. Jane Wiles, owner of the gallery and daughter of Lucy Wiles was in the gallery herself as it was the week of the Festival. Jane is a highly recognized artist in her own right and the gallery boasts a number of her magnificent seascapes. Her interest lies in light, nature and water and so it is no surprise that Jane sees the sea as her “most nurturing subject”. Jane chatted warmly with us and spoke nostalgically of her time on the Kwazulu Natal coast. Based in Mtunzini for some years, she lectured in literature at the University of Zululand. Only when I arrived home did I remember having received an invitation to one of her exhibitions many years ago and made the connection.

Jane is the fourth generation of artists. Henry Wiles was one of the youngest gold medallists of the Royal Academy at the University of Cambridge. He was a sculptor who studied in Rome and Naples. His son, Walter was best known for his interpretations of the seashore, so it is no wonder that Jane shares a love of the sea and coastline. Walter’s son, Brian was determined to be a writer. He, too, became a renowned South African artist and married Lucy Mullins – now so well known to us as Lucy Wiles. Lucy studied under Nils Anderson. So with both parents being artists Jane’s decision to open a gallery and her desire to spend time painting, which she describes as “doing what she wants to do” is hardly surprising.

Her mother still lives in Knysna, but will be moving to Port Alfred shortly. In her eighties, she is still painting to supply the gallery and if her most recent flower painting is anything to go by, the standard of her work continues to amaze.



Certainly, my discovery of the “Wiles Gallery” at Bathurst was a memorable highlight of a week spent at the Grahamstown Festival.

Sculptor Maureen Quin

Maureen Quin is no stranger to the Grahamstown Arts Festival, having started exhibiting at Rennie Hall in the Albany Museum in 1992. What is, however, very refreshing about Maureen’s approach is the interactive nature of her Festival exhibitions. As she puts it: “I wanted to break away from the stereotype of exhibitions which are basically empty, silent and intimidating spaces for viewing art.” Her approach is to encourage interaction, communication and participation.

So it is that one enters Rennie Hall with a sense of anticipation. We found Maureen busy working on a portrait of a friend. She had taken numerous photographs of the model and these were displayed on a board in front of where she was working. She was deeply involved, building up the form with small pieces of clay. Viewing the original bronzes on display, however, made one instantly aware that what was happening was far more than just capturing the physical features of her model, for Maureen has a rare ability to capture the essence and spirit of her subject. Her bronzes have a presence that stays with you and leave an indelible impression on your mind.



Maureen was born and schooled in the Bloemfontein district. She studied sculpture in Durban and then went on to further her studies in London. She is a professional sculptor with numerous public and private commissions to her name and she has had more than 40 solo exhibitions and has participated in more than twenty group exhibitions. She is represented in most art collections in South Africa. She received the silver medal of the University of Pretoria for her outstanding contribution to art and the Premier’s award for promoting sculpture in the Eastern Province.

Maureen’s husband, Etienne, is obviously one of her greatest admirers and he was quick to engage in conversation and supply us with details of her working methods, past commissions and an extremely important project that she will be involved in the months ahead.

Maureen and Etienne live in Alexandria in the Eastern Cape and her sculptures are permanently on display to the public in the “Sculpture Garden” at her home. This would obviously be well worth a visit, but the exceptional quality of her work ensures that we will no doubt be hearing a great deal more about this extremely talented sculptor in the not too distant future.

Kwazunva (KZN Visual Arts) Assessment workshop

Entering the workshop venue at Danville Girl’s High, and seeing the interesting and extremely varied selection of artwork on display aroused one’s curiosity as to what was ahead. Having attended last year’s “Judge’s Workshop”, I knew already what standard to expect and I was not disappointed.

It seemed obvious to revisit the point method of judging that had been formulated at last year’s workshop early in the programme and to assess its effectiveness and the discussion that followed was such that it became apparent that there was a need for a separate workshop for selectors and judges to explore these issues in greater depth. A follow up workshop specifically for selectors and judges is planned for February of 2007.



A wide spectrum of the Durban Art industry was represented at the Assessment workshop, including representatives from art groups, galleries and art suppliers. This made for extremely interesting dialogue and the discussion benefited from input from a variety of viewpoints. Ingrid Smith was again the facilitator and she ensured that it was a very interactive workshop.
There were a number of very searching questions asked and John Smith, President of Kwazunva and well known Durban artist, who is also known for his strong views on many art related issues helped keep the discussion lively.

Participants were set a practical judging exercise – assessing three of the artworks on display. An unusual Adrian Boshoff landscape caused much interesting debate. The groups also tried their hand at report writing on an exhibition and we were surprised by the impressive talent amongst our number.

After lunch, topics such as: “The purpose of Art”, “Décor vs sales”, “How cheap imports will affect the art market?” and “How do we educate the public about cheap substitutes?” led us into some very interesting debate.

We left with a sense of having been greatly enriched by the interaction amongst participants. Thanks to John and Ingrid Smith for making this workshop possible.

The Arts and Culture Imbizo with Dr. Z Pallo Jordan

It is not often that one has the opportunity to address issues on the Visual Arts directly to the Minister of Arts and Culture, himself, but the Imbizo called by Dr. Pallo Jordan on 13 April at the Playhouse provided just such an opportunity. The Minister encouraged a direct and frank approach toward bringing the concerns of the artist in Kwazulu Natal before the government and he assured those present that their concerns would be taken seriously.

Representatives of the Arts addressed their questions to the Minister and his panel. A “Feedback Form” was given to those that did not get an opportunity to voice their concerns, giving them the opportunity to submit a written query to which they were assured of an answer.

After a request for more regular engagement with the government, the Minister explained that the Imbizo was only one such form of engagement and that the process is ongoing. Many committee meetings both at Municipal and National level are open meetings and the public are welcome to attend. He encouraged the representatives of Arts and Culture to familiarize themselves with the channels that are available to them. He also encouraged citizens to be involved in the making of policy and to address issues through these channels. Dr. Jordan drew attention to the Government website where one can find the government’s policy statements on these issues.

Questions from the floor clearly revealed unrealistic expectations of the government with regard to Arts and Culture – cries were heard for more theatres, grants for filmmakers and promotions for music and dance groups. Dr. Jordan set the record straight with directness and clarity: The government is not a promotion agency or an agency to create work for artists. Its role is rather to create an environment in which the artist can work. Artists must establish themselves by their own efforts and he encouraged them to “improve their bargaining power” by uniting and forming unions. Government has established many art centers throughout the province, but how they are used will depend upon communities.

On the matter of finance, Dr. Jordan was clear and practical: all money available for spending was public taxes. The demands on the government purse were from all sectors including basic needs such as clean water, hospitals, housing, roads etc. Obviously money had to be allocated according to priority.



Dr. Jordan admitted that many artists and craftspeople are being exploited and that government was seeking to address this issue. He disagreed that the visual arts was being sidelined and made reference to a number of exhibitions that the government has facilitated – including the recent Picasso exhibition. Apparently this is to be followed by an Egyptian exhibition, which is due to take place next year in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Why is it that these exhibitions are missing Durban? Come on, Durban, perhaps we should “muster some bargaining power” and ask the Minister.