Participating artists: Pierre Fouché, Robert Hamblin, Lawrence Lemaoana, Nicholas Hlobo, Mikhael Subotzky, Johan Thom, Kemang wa Lehulere
Curator: Jacki McInnes
Essays by: Clive Kellner, Kim Gurney
Gallery: Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), Johannesburg
Dates: 25 November 2007 – 24 February 2008
Website: (review) http://artthrob.co.za/08feb/reviews/jag.html
Pages: 43
South Africa may be a culturally diverse country, but its various groups nevertheless demonstrate a remarkably cross-cultural agreement on the subordinate status of women, leaving many women subject to their male Partners’ authority and control. Couple this with a South African environment in which poor standards of education, unemployment, fierce competition for scarce resources and high levels of alcohol abuse cause men to feel frustrated, emasculated and inadequate, and one is left with a highly volatile situation. Not surprisingly, since the vast majority of domestic violence is perpetrated by men, this topic has become almost exclusively the domain of women. But can attitudes and behaviours be changed if the male voice is all but ignored?
The seven male artists chosen for A Legacy of Men each engage with the ills of our society from a different perspective affording the viewer a more holistic view of the subject in question. In addition, through their exploration, not only of the outcome of the violence, but also of the physical environment and the psychological state of the people involved, a more meaningful backdrop is presented against which the topic can be negotiated.
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