Category Archives: Artistically inclined

Whittling a creative new life in SA

ROGER Bongolomba was very young when he learned to how to craft simple toys, figurines and other objects from wood. Growing up in Kinshasa on the southern bank of the Congo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he watched his … Continue reading

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Art – what drives taste?

THE art-loving engineer does not miss a beat when I ask him what he believes drives taste in art. “Tradition, of course,” he responds curtly. “Think back about 250 000 years to when I believe the first archaic human in … Continue reading

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From curio to collectible, from craft to art?

CURIO, collectible, craft and art. Is there a difference? For many, the distinction is as blurred and biased as a room buzzing with artistic interpretation. Even widely respected experts, with exceptional understanding of art and its value, have contrary views … Continue reading

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Spotting a fake artwork

THE hullaballoo that erupted in 2009 regarding the authenticity of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s Lost Orchid, which was sold for a record R3.2-million at the Brett Kebble auction in May that year, reminded people once again about the worrying phenomenon of forged … Continue reading

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Jan Neethling – emerging artist or late bloomer

LATE bloomer? Indeed, you might think that that is a fair description of someone who, on the cusp of 70, held his debut solo art exhibition. (To be precise, his 70th birthday took place on 6 November 2008, the day … Continue reading

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From photojournalist to fine art photographer

IT is generally accepted that art collectors are constantly looking to be surprised and thrilled by things they did not know about. These days however, it emerges that collectors are increasingly excited by images they saw first in last week’s … Continue reading

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Home is where the art is

ROWS and rows of identical little blockhouses with flat tin roofs stretch back to meet the horizon. Layer upon layer of dreary apartment buildings unravel across the edges of cities. Street after street of duplicated face brick dwellings – fastened … Continue reading

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An artist’s life: Marlise Keith

THE first thing I notice about Marlise Keith, as she greets me warmly at the gate of her charming Victorian-styled Kalk Bay home and studio, is the cat that stands proudly and proprietarily at her side. As self-assured and satisfied … Continue reading

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The artist at home

Bright, bold colours, simple line drawing and a mischievous, sometimes downright rude sense of humour characterise Richard Scott’s work. But, as I found out on a visit to his home, there are even more colours on the artist’s palette than … Continue reading

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From menu to masterpiece

IN 2001, Clint Strydom – whose art, up until that point, had consisted primarily of charcoal drawings and a short, unsatisfying foray into graphic design (it was “too restrictive”) – photographed a set of cutlery for the menu of the … Continue reading

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