Small Thoughts.

I often have them. Nothing deep, or witty, or brilliant necessarily. Just small thoughts.

Small Thoughts I (collage, stitching, pen and ink drawing, found object)

Small Thoughts II (collage, stitching, pen and ink drawing, found object)

Small Thoughts III (collage, stitching, pen and ink drawing, found object)

The Persistence of Memory.

It was a privilege to be part of The Persistence of Memory exhibition at Untitled Studios, for which I submitted my three Marikana canvases and papier mâché bowls.

(Photographs: L'Usband, Colleen Ross)

Atypical History.

Atypical History I(collage, paint, knitting and stitching on canvas)

Atypical History II (collage, paint, knitting and stitching on canvas)

Atypical History III (collage, paint, knitting and stitching on canvas)

Atypical History IV (collage, paint, knitting and stitching on canvas)

Remember Marikana - installation.

A simple installation I did today to Remember Marikana. The names of those who died are written on cotton strips and tied to a fence overlooking the sea.

Remember Marikana 16/08/2012.

Today is the 3rd commemoration of the events at Marikana. 34 miners were killed by police on this day, and another 11 people died in the period immediately before and after the 16th.

Remember Marikana I (mixed media canvas with dry point etching, paint, ink, cotton gauze and stitching, with papier mache bowl and printed photographs)

Remember Marikana II (mixed media canvas with dry point etching, paint, cotton gauze and stitching, with papier mache bowl and printed photographs)

Remember Marikana III (mixed media canvas with dry point etching, paint, cotton gauze and stitching, with papier mache bowl and printed photographs)

"The Marikana massacre is about a fundamental failure of leadership from the lowest to the highest echelons of our leadership structures, starting with the labour movements, the mining houses and our instruments of democratic administration as well as a blatant shirking of political accountability at the highest levels."

Prof.  Tinyiko Maluleke 

Freedom Is Within You.

Today is Freedom Day. Colleen Ross and I did an installation between Fish Hoek and Glencairn:

(Last photo by Colleen Ross)

You breathe like me - you bleed like me.

As part of City Walks last Saturday a group of African artists staged a powerful performance / intervention to protest against the horrific xenophobia which is once again sweeping our country (remember 2008 ...). They are arranged around a woman posed like a statue with raised arms. The placard below her reads: "You breathe like me - you bleed like me", The viewers are invited to hug the statue - "Hug an African". It was an incredibly moving experience. We have the people, the skills, and the resources to be the greatest continent on Earth. Somehow we have to make it work.