Andrew Verster - Odd Conversations

The KZNSA hosted a show of works by Andrew Verster titled Odd Conversations. He is a veteran artist who lives and works in Durban. He has held over fifty solo exhibitions, which shows that he is experienced in the field of arts. His works explores cultural identity and history; he says, "In each work I write my own history which in turn is entangled with everyone else's" (http://www.andrewverster.co.za/profile.html). In his work he appropriates images from Western, Asian and African culture and these images form part of the human figure in that they are inscribed on the human figure and somehow become a part of it. His work varies from flat backgrounds to areas of focus where he pays special attention to detail.




Wrestle I & ll; Collector's Room l & ll [Installation view]
2008
Oil on canvas
Wrestle: 180 x 180cm
Collector's Room: 180 x 220 cm

In Wrestler I and II he uses a dark background where figures appear and there seems to be a struggle between the figures. He uses a very subjective colour orange, and within the figure he tattoos the form with imagery of recognisable symbols from western sculptures and uses imagery of Chinese geisha. He chooses to work in a more decorative and patterned style. In Wrestler II the forms become more abstract and there seem to be more intimacy between the two figures. I think the figures are both male because he has used a very masculine approach in portraying them.



Wrestle I [detail]
2008
Oil on canvas
180 x 180cm

One may ask if Andrew Vesters works challenge contemporary discourses, with its decorative patterns of cultural aesthetics. Many have argued that his works are too decorative and belong in the area of decorative art. When I first saw the works I must say that I shared these sentiments, but further investigations into the work I realise that the formal aspects of the work lead to conceptual arguments. I felt that the artist uses the decorative aspects to pull the viewer in, and in the body art that he layers into the isolated limbs he starts to appropriate imagery from many cultures i.e. western and Asian. He says, "Images from the beginning of time mingle, Africa and India, Europe and America, the serious and the trivial, things buried in my mind surface at a moment unexpectedly, and marry." (http://www.andrewverster.co.za/profile.html). In his works he tries to marry other cultures into his own life and at the same time he questions human relations. This leads me to questioning his choice to title the exhibition, Odd Conversation. A conversation is talk between two or more people; it is how human beings relate to each other. In Wrestler we see two 'men' in a very intimate conversation, a physical conversation. Whether they are in conflict or celebration that for the viewer to decide, but I think it a very celebratory conversation. Because of the happy orange that he uses and the flat black background does not give a sober feel to the image but enhances the celebratory mood. I think he is talking about the celebration of relationships, "odd..." relationships. The ones that society at large doesn’t accept and are cast out as being "not normal". It is still uncomfortable for many people to accept that a man can assume a very intimate conversation with another man. Society wants to see men taking a position of domination and being tough towards each other (wrestle) instead of cuddling with another man. So by appropriating and touching on human relations he does challenge a contemporary argument.

Another question that I want to raise is that does a work have to raise a contemporary issue in order for it to be valuable enough to be considered high art. Shouldn't the viewer be the one to decide the worthiness of the work and place it there?

Nomcebo Sithole