Exposition/ Exhibition

Jeudi 30 Octobre / Thursday 30 October

A partir de 19h / From 7pm

Alliance Française de Prétoria 99 Rivier Street, Sunnyside « Beautiful People, African ethos » Celebrating traditional people of South Africa with :

››Liane Cox - The Excitable Eye

The people of Baganda have many names for the Creator. One of these diverse terms is Liisoddene : the Great Eye. I often think of Lianne Cox as a tremendous eye. Some people are born with the gift of seeing a little more than the information placed in their path.

Her early career as a stills photographer fresh out of the National School of Arts, via Shahn Rowe’s studio did much to sharpen her vision. The same would be true for her first films and videos of local musicians such as Boom Shaka and Magic Cactus, Arthur Mafokate amongst many others.

What interested me about Lianne was her impeccable sense of what looked good through a lens. I never liked it when she used other DOPs. Her black and white stuff always looked cool and found the right moments, revealing the vulnerable side more often than not ; of some fairly tough, arrogant entertainers.

This quality aside, Lianne would insist on keeping little diaries and scrapbooks populated with cut-up stills. These crude photographic collages became an informal body of work which since 1995, played second fiddle to the pressing work of styling and filming music videos of the the biggest names in Kwaito. Lianne will not want me to say openly that her stylings and wardrobe choices, set colouring and approach to editing, were crucial in shaping the inimitable look and feel of Kwaito visually. But shape it she did.

Energy and the fields and forces we are surrounded by, are not easily assimilated by the relatively slow (if not somewhat inert) human senses. Some things go unseen in the universe, non ?

The collages and observations of Lianne Cox may seem overtly optimistic ora tad commercial for some of the more convoluted among us, or not as superbly crafted as much fine art is these days. My belief is that the pieces are mini-eruptions of energy that are made with affection and respect for the continent of Africa and her people. Lianne’s portraits of the San people, if viewed as a body of formal portraits, would put National Geographic to shame, such is the nature of her ability to knit and bond with whomever is before her gaze. People count in this world.

››Madala Kunene

Very known artist from Durban, one of the top zulu Maskanda musician.

››Melt 2000 - Music

A record label that recorded some of the top traditional musicians in Southern Africa, and crossed over fusing third world music with first world technology.

››Crosby - Solar ovens project

From each large artwork sold, proceeds are given to the community in the artwork, either through a solar oven or finances. The reason for the solar oven is to safe the amount of fire wood that is cut in areas for cooking. Crosby will be there with a display of solar ovens. www.sunfire.co.za