The Bottom Line
Pros
- Showcases emerging and established artists as well as the 15 art writers who made the selection
- A glossy, comprehensive art survey of international standard in its approach and quality of printing
- Interesting essays on the selection process and complexities of making the compilation
Cons
- Some of the writing is heavy-going "art speak" or art history/appreciation jargon
- Inevitably video/conceptual art suffers from being reduced to a few photos, but you get the gist
- Includes artists now living and working outside South Africa
Description
- Publisher: Bell-Roberts Publishing www.bell-roberts.com in association with Struik www.struik.co.za
- ISBN standard edition: 1868729877 (also available in subscribers and collectors editions)
- 448 pages, large format (240x280mm/9.5x11”) hardback
- Arranged from A--Z, with each artist having four pages
- Edited by Sophie Perryer
- Writers: Emma Bedford, David Brodie, Thembinkosi Goniwe, Khwezi Gule, Sharlene Khan, David Koloane
- Writers: Andrew Lamprecht, Moleleki Frank Ledimo, Virginia Mackenny, Sipho Mdanda
- Writers: Tumelo Mosaka, Tracy Murinik, Colin Richards, Karyn Smith, Sue Williamson
Guide Review - 10 Years 100 Artists: Art in a Democratic South Africa
"10 Years 100 Artists" is a showcase of what South African art looks like after a decade of democracy and the country's reintegration into the international community. The talent and variety presented should silence any critic who thinks South African artists can't hold their own ground in the international art world (and as writer Andrew Lampdrecht comments, will probably be used by curators as a "finding aid").
Each artist has four pages: the first has an essay on the artist and the works shown, plus a list of their exhibitions/publications; the other three have photos of their work. A little like party appetizers, this sometimes leaves you hungry and at other times wishing you hadn't bitten into it. But that's one of the delights of a compilation like this, it introduces you to artists you may not otherwise encounter and doesn't overwhelm you with the work of any one artist, so if you don't like something you're quickly onto someone else.
At the back there's a timeline of key developments in the run-up to democracy (1989 to 1993), the end of the cultural boycott, and the 10 years of democracy (1994 to 2004) during which the country once again became part of the international art world.
Everyone interested in contemporary art and seeing art history develop should read "10 Years 100 Artists" as should everyone who has their doubts that South Africa will not be able to work through and get beyond the legacy of apartheid.
