THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Bongiwe Madlala (soprano), Christopher Duigan (piano) with 'Beast' author Andy Capastagno
Friday 13 December 7:30 pm
Tatham Art Gallery
Tickets: R130 includes refreshments
Booking: Music Revival - WhatsApp or SMS Only 083 417 4473
or booking@musicrevival.co.za or chris@fotag.co.za
Secure parking
Pietermaritzburg-born soprano Bongiwe Madlala will be sharing the stage with MC Andy Capostagno and international concert-pianist Christopher Duigan at a Christmas Concert for Music Revival’s KZN Christmas offering. This delight of musicals treats is not to be missed! Music-lovers can look forward to an evening of songs, carols and seasonal music along with readings, anecdotes and stories, both entertaining and beautiful.
Pietermaritzburg-born Bongiwe Madlala has become a firm favourite with local audiences regularly appearing on stage with Christopher Duigan on the City Hall Pietermaritzburg and concerts at the Tatham Art Gallery. Madlala includes ’The Holy City’, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ 'Panis Angelicus' and 'O Holy Night' along with operatic highlights from Puccini and traditional songs. She will lead the audience in the singing of carols.
The evening also include readings, poems, short stories and other interludes by MC and TV personality Andy Capostagno. Well-known as a SuperSport commentator (on everything from netball to rugby) Andy is currently in the media spotlight as author of ‘Beast’, the biography of Sharks and Springbok rugby legend Tendai Mtawarira. He will be discussing the book and his experiences as author as part of this programme. Signed copies of the book will be available to purchase at this event.
Flowers in Art Workshop
Creative Flower Arranging for Beginners: a workshop with with Sue Akerman
Saturday 02 November 2019, from 09h30 to 12h30 Cost: R150
Sue Akerman, an artist, botanist and floral arranging specialist, will teach you basic tricks and techniques that will allow you to create unique flower arrangements. Join this workshop for a morning of fun! This experience will take place in the Lorna Ferguson Room, where you'll be provided with all the materials required. Enquiries/Bookings reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
Children’s Holiday Workshop
Hand Embroidery
Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 December 09h30 – 12h00
Cost : R90 for three days
All ages welcome. Booking is essential.
Students will learn basic stitches, colour theory, and how to apply ornaments to fabric.
Facilitators: Sue Akerman, Corina Lemmer and Annette McMaster, who will be exhibiting in the Schreiner Gallery.
Enquiries:pinky.nkabinde@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2811
reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
Workshop
(Please note REVISED dates.)
A few places available for ...
The Botanic Art Workshop dates have been changed (from Monday and Tuesday) to Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 October.
Botanic Art Workshop at the Tatham Art Gallery
Tuesday 15 October and Wednesday 16 October 2019
Facilitators: Elsa Pooley and Gillian Condy
Educational Activity:To explore and observe plants and to spend time illustrating them. This short course will focus on drawing, composition and the use of watercolour
Workshops Times: 09h00 to 15h30
Cost of Workshops: R 1200 per person for 2
Enquiries/Bookings:Reena.Bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 3922 823
A TATHAM CELEBRATION: Women in Song
Featuring Emma Farquharson, Erin Fourie, Audrey Mbuyazi and Nozuko Teto
Friday 20 September 2019 7:30 pm
Tatham Art Gallery
Secure parking
Tickets : R150 includes refreshments
Booking : Bryony 033 392 2825 (mornings only) or email at Bryony.Clark@msunduzi.gov.za from 10 September
In September the Tatham Art Gallery, The Friends of the Tatham Art Gallery and Music Revival present a gala concert not to be missed! A special occasion featuring four 'Women in Song’!
The star-studded line-up includes local residents Emma Farquharson singing classical songs, Hilton’s favourite pop singer Erin Fourie, Midlands-based jazz and blues singer Audrey Mbuyazi and internationally acclaimed operatic soprano Nozuko Teto.
Emma Farquharson completed a BA Honours at Rhodes University and staged two successful shows at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival including 'Opera Found’, winning a 2017 Standard Bank Encore Ovation Award. Emma currently resides in Hilton where she is working on a number of concerts with Lara Kirsten, Ilse Myburgh, David Orr, Jacques Heynes & others. She is now furthering her vocal development with Margaret Clay-Bowen.
Soprano Nozuko Teto was born in Bizana, Eastern Cape. She studied at University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Cape Town as a student of Kamal Khan and Virginia Davids. Thanks to a scholarship from the Nicolai Ghiaurov Foundation she was able to study with the renowned soprano Mirella Freni at her CUBEC Academy. In past years in Italy she sang in numerous concerts at the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti in Modena with the Puccini Festival Orchestra, in Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with the Rotterdam Symphony. Nozuko he made her debut as Mimi in La Bohème in South Africa while in December 2012 she sang the role of the Countess in 'Le Nozze di Figaro' in Italy.
Audrey Mbuyazi has shared a stage with Hugh Masekela and Joseph Clark amongst others. She has performed in Norway accompanied by the Stavanger Gospel Company and toured South Africa in March 2012 with sold out concerts in Johannesburg, Soweto and Cape Town at the Baxter Theatre. Audrey has also performed in Lusaka-Zambia, Harare-Zimbabwe and London-UK. Her original music offers something for everyone, with a pleasing blend of African ballad, soul, jazz and classical.
Erin Fourie is a South African singer best known as a Top 16 contestant on the seventh season of the M-Net reality competition Idols, in 2011. Erin’s audition got four “yes” votes from the idols judges in Durban. Erin who hails from a family of accomplished musicians has been playing guitar since she was 13 and is one of Hilton’s busiest and best-loved vocalists.
The vocalists will be accompanied by pianist Ilse Myburgh, cellist Nigel Fish and guitarists James Grace who is making a fleeting visit to the city. Also to be heard at the piano is pianist Christopher Duigan who co-ordinates the programme.
Guest will be offered a glass of wine and soft drinks on arrival, served before the concert, and coffee and other refreshments at interval.
Booking for this gala event is essential and places are limited. Advance payment will be expected by EFT. Those attending are invited to dress in accordance with the splendour of the evening. To book contact with Bryony 033 392 2825 (mornings only) or email at Bryony.Clark@msunduzi.gov.za Tickets are R150 including refreshments.
Workshops
Discussions and Workshops Discussions (Open to the public)
On Friday 21 June 2019 from 11h00 - 12h00 the KZN Fibre Group will discuss the Standard Bank Exhibition.
On Friday 28 June 2019 from 14h00 - 15h00 Jaap Jacobs will discuss Creative Art Making
Workshops
(Booking essential) Jaap Jacobs: Creative Art Making - 3 day workshop Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 2 to 4 July 2019 (09h30 - 12h30). Cost: R150 per artist per day
Hermine Spies: Over-drawing in search of identity and significance - 2 day workshop
Tuesdays 7 and 21 August (09h30 - 12h30). Cost: R150 per artist per day
Enquiries/Bookings
reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
The Tatham Art Gallery are saddened to hear of the recent passing of Eshowe-based artist Diamond Bozas, a long-time supporter and friend of the gallery. The Tatham Art Gallery honoured Bozas with a retrospective exhibition in 2013.
DIAMOND BOZAS (1923-2019)
TRIBUTE DELIVERED AT HIS FUNERAL 15 JULY 2019
Brendan Bell
It is an honour for me to focus on his art making and his contribution to nurturing the visual arts in KwaZulu-Natal, and Zululand in particular.
But…. I want to start with Diamond’s interest and pursuit of floral art, because I think that much of what came later in his art work began when he was challenged to make a flower arrangement for the Zululand Show by a local lady whose arrangement he had recently criticised.
That criticism revolved around Diamond’s belief that a flower arrangement should be constructed with floral material AND breathing space ………. “in which the butterflies could flit from bloom to bloom”. His first show entry was a “table decoration”. He told me that he didn’t quite understand what that really meant, so he did quite a nice loose arrangement placed on a table. The judge’s comment was: “This is lovey and loose, and satisfying, too large for a dinner table decoration, but please exhibit again”.
That encouragement started Diamond on a journey which saw him become a member of the floral art judging panel, entering competitions locally and nationally, giving workshops, and participating in international floral art shows in England, Australia, and Russia.
Floral art is a worthy relation to visual art, and many of the basic elements: composition, tone, colour, shape and line underpin Diamond’s paintings as they did his floral art compositions. Also, in his floral arrangements Diamond was adventurous and bold, often creating very large compositions.
In the early 1990s Diamond began painting floral compositions. These also tend to be large, adventurous and monumental in effect, as was his own garden. More importantly, they are underpinned by a solid knowledge and understanding of how best to translate three dimensional reality onto two dimensional surfaces.
Although he flirted briefly with abstraction, Diamond’s style is grounded in realism. His subject matter is largely still life, landscapes, and portraits. His style developed out of an admiration for the simple arrangement of domestic objects and foodstuffs he noted in the paintings of Chardin. To this he added something of the spatial complexity he observed in the paintings of Cézanne. His chosen media were oil on board, and watercolour, both of which he applied with thought and consideration.
Diamond had great respect for tradition. Whilst his paintings may appear “traditional”, they are informed by a highly developed aesthetic sense which gives them a unique solidity and grandeur. Yes, the subject matter is important, but ultimately it is the sound composition and masterful execution which gives them a satisfying beauty. They appeal to our sense of order in an otherwise chaotic world. In addition, his use of items of traditional Zulu domesticity helped widen an appreciation for this important part of our collective heritage.
Diamond’s involvement with the visual arts was not only confined to his own art production. From experience he knew all too well the isolation felt by aspiring artists, and set out to provide himself and others with opportunities for engagement beyond the confines of individual at making. For many artists his weekly art classes became an important part of many local artists’ lives. At their insistence these classes continued up until the weeks before his death.
Diamond was a member of the Natal Society of Arts from the early 1940s, eventually as a committee member. He participated in many of the society’s exhibitions. He founded the Zululand Society of Arts which allowed local artists the opportunity to participate and exhibit as a community. In 1984 he was a founding member of the Natal Arts Trust, whose aims are to foster the growth of art museums in the province, and to assist acquiring works for the its public art collections. He was pivotal in establishing the Empangeni art and history museum.
In 1991 he began motivating for the care of the Vukani Association’s collection of Zulu basketry and other traditional craft items. This led ultimately to the opening of the Vukani Museum here in Eshowe.
We all know that Diamond loved talking, and that he had an incredible memory up until the end. His final retrospective exhibition (one of many) would not have been such a success but for the long and fascinating conversations I had with him about all aspects of his life and work. I feel really honoured to have been part of that process, and to know that the detailed catalogue of that show pleased him immensely, and stands as a testimony to him. The catalogue is available at the Tatham Art Gallery shop.
I also know that Diamond could be a tartar of note at home. He could be very grouchy, and demanding of his family. The loss of his life-long love, Tasia, was a huge blow. But she was no walk-over, and created the environment and support which allowed Diamond to flourish.
For much of his earlier life Diamond was forced to bow to his family’s wishes in respect of career. He was determined not to burden his children with the same treatment. He freed himself from the bakery in order to follow his vision, and h
as allowed his children to follow their own paths. That is love in action.
Ultimately Diamond was embracing of all those he encountered. He was interested in and generous to all. It would be too simplistic to refer to him as a great man. He was more that. He was a wholesome, huggable and loving human being. And for me, that is more important than any of his public achievements. Alex, Arthur, and Despina, thank you for allowing me to share the love of your father – and for accepting me as part of your family.
FAREWELL CONCERT
A SONG TO REMEMBER - FEDERICO FRESCHI (baritone) & CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN
SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 11:30 am
TATHAM ART GALLERY, Pietermaritzburg
A Song to Remember brings together beautiful melodies from the world of popular song, classic musicals and the world’s concert stages. Included are selections from Noel Coward, Cole Porter, Richard Strauss, Gabriel Faure along with Freschi’s popular renditions ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Granada’ and Figaro’s aria from Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’. Freschi. who has been an integral part of Music Revival concerts over the last 25 years, appearing in a solo capacity and also joining to great public acclaim with sopranos Angela Gilbert and Bronwen Forbay, will be leaving South Africa in September to take up an academic position in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Tickets: R80 Secure Parking
Booking is preferred : booking@musicrevival.co.za or MUSIC REVIVAL 083 417 4473 (sms or WhatsApp only)
Make a day of it and enjoy coffee or lunch at Cafe Tatham open from 10 am and for lunch. Booking for lunch is essential - Call Cafe Tatham 033 342 8327.
A FOTAG Fund Raising Event!
Please join us for our QUIZ EVENING!
THE FAMOUS ANNUAL FOTAG QUIZ
Friday 23 AUGUST at 7:00 pm
Tickets: R140 pp
Includes a delicious meal from Cafe Tatham.
Tables up to 8 persons.
Cash Bar
AS USUAL, FABULOUS PRIZES TO BE WON!
PLEASE BOOK EARLY - Bryony 033 392 2825 (mornings only) or Bryony.Clark@msunduzi.gov.za
A FOTAG Fund Raising Event.
We are thrilled to have TV sport commentator, art aficionado, music trivia fanatic, general knowledge genius and qualified chef, Andy Capostagno (@cappyZN) once again as our quizmaster! Certainly a good start for any quiz evening! Expect a barage of varied questions on politics, arts, culture, 'live music' and the famous gallery scramble plus a suitably nourishing selection of dishes for dinner from Cafe Tatham.
Lectures, Talks and Workshops
From time to time the Gallery arranges lectures, talks and creative workshops or master classes for artists by highly skilled teachers and speakers. Please contact Reena to add your name to the list of interested participants, and she will let you know when the next opportunity arrives or join the FOTAG email list Enquiries/ Bookings reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
Discussions (Open to the public)
On Friday 21 June 2019 from 11h00 - 12h00 the KZN Fibre Group will discuss the Standard Bank Exhibition
On Friday 28 June 2019 from 14h00 - 15h00 Jaap Jacobs will discuss Creative Art Making
Workshops
Jaap Jacobs: Creative Art Making - 3 day workshop Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 2 to 4 July 2019 (09h30 - 12h30). Cost: R150 per artist per day
Hermine Spies: Over-drawing in search of identity and significance - 2 day workshop
Tuesdays 7 and 21 August (09h30 - 12h30). Cost: R150 per artist per day
Enquiries/Bookings
reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
THOUGHTS
SOME THOUGHTS ON REVEALING THE SACRED IN EVERYDAY LIFE Alleyn Diesel
TATHAM INSTALLATIONS 2019
IGSHAAN ADAMS STANDARD BANK YOUNG ARTIST: WHEN DUST SETTLES (Main Gallery)
JAAP JACOBS: RECENT WORK (Schreiner Gallery)
These two exhibitions, or installations, as perhaps they should more accurately be viewed, display much in common, as the artists grapple with the complex issue of their own sense of identity, and the construction of significance from their backgrounds and experiences of cultural, racial, religious and sexual orientation. How the various, disparate, everyday materials, perceptions and interpretations of life’s encounters, are brought together to weave a rich tapestry which fosters our search for meaning. Spaces and experiences become significant, even sanctified, by how we choose to interact with them.
Paul Klee, teacher at the Bauhaus school from 1920 to 1933, crucially claimed: “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather it makes visible.”
This prompts us not to expect art simply to mirror what is seen, but to recognise that the true artist will penetrate beneath the surface of the viewed experience, unveiling a deeper essence or alternative perception in what she or he creates.
Such a vision comes very close to the experience of the religious mystic; one who experiences a direct awareness of a potency invisible to the eye, pervading all life. Seeking an encounter with something mysterious, a reality greater than the sum of its parts, capable of generating moments of self-transcendence.
Mysticism also tends to focus on religious tolerance and empathy, rather than the observance of dogma.
Some would claim that the depth of the common is the holy; hallowed, worthy of reverence. The divisions often claimed between sacred and profane, natural and supernatural, dissolve, and the entire natural world is experienced as infused with vitality.
The mystic Meister Eckhart expressed this insight that “all blades of grass, wood and stone, all things are One.”
Also encapsulated by William Blake: “To see the world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower...”
Igshaan Adams’ experience of Sufi mysticism is hinted at in his inclusion of the rope, and the cotton twine weavings – symbolising the unifying web of life, overcoming barriers, encouraging tolerance, interlinking all aspects of experience; the apparently insignificant, broken pieces of linoleum and vinyl with their colourful geometric and swirling patterns, redolent of the simple essentials of family life - metamorphosed into a new, rich mosaic of unexpected, astonishing beauty.
Dust swirling and settling, stirring old memories both soothing and raw. Choosing to incorporate these into our being. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes - the eternal cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Dust we are, and to dust we shall return - we, too, are originally created from the natural elements, but ultimately nothing is ever lost.
Such intimations are present in Jaap Jacobs’ piece “Summer 2018-2019” (a visual diary kept over the period) constructed from paper which was soaked in water into which the detritus of daily living such as dust, dog hairs, shavings, has penetrated - remindful of the sea change undergone by daily objects, new matter emerging out of the decomposition of the old, transformed into something dissimilar, unique and evocative. Water, contained in its ecclesiastical stoup, a sanctified vessel, the biblical river of life, symbol of death and rebirth, nurturing and cataclysmic, speaking of the awe-inspiring power of the natural world.
Such art provides a path into fostering and expanding our capacity to appreciate and revere the smallest particular details, to find ecstasy and renewal in our response to the mystery of existence. This, in turn, is able to produce a kind cosmic consciousness, however fleeting, of being in harmony with this immense scheme, a oneness with the entire universe.
Our origins, and that of all things from the greatest to the most minuscule, reach back eons to the elements generated by the intense energy of a collapsing star. We come from star-stuff, and to stardust we return.
And so, for me, these stimulating exhibitions pose, yet again, the great questions of Who am I? and What is art? – complex and intertwined – offering illumination on our quest for meaning to our brief moments as self-aware beings in this infinite cosmos.
June 2019
Igshaan Adams:
Standard Bank Young Artist 2018
When Dust Settles
Main Gallery
Opens Sunday 09 June 2019 at 11h00
Closes Sunday 21 July 2019 at 17h00
Igshaan Adams (b 1982), the winner of the 2018 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art, presents a body of work titled When Dust Settles. Drawing upon the material and formal iconographies of Islam and coloured culture, Adams’s cross disciplinary practice is an ongoing investigation into hybrid identity, particularly in relation to race, religion, and sexuality. Adams presents an eclectic and multi-sensory large-scale installation, bringing together aspects of sculpture, textiles, found objects, furniture and performance to create an immersive environment.
Image: Detail of artwork by Igshaan Adams, The Path of the Upright, (2017), beads, rope twine, dye
Jaap Jacobs: Recent Work
Schreiner Gallery
Opens Friday 24 May 2019 at 09h00
Closes Sunday 14 July 2019 at 17h00
This exhibition consists of art works recently produced by Jaap Jacobs, some in fulfilment of his present Honours course in Fine Art at the Centre for Visual Art, University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. The artist is interested in the biographies of objects and their power as conveyors of personal history. He experiments with a variety of unusual materials and methods. At the same time he challenges the relevance of traditional methods of conservation in museum practice.
Education programmes around this exhibition include discussions and workshops.
Enquiries/Bookings
kobie.venter@msunduzi.gov.za 03 033 392 2819
Image: Jaap Jacobs, Postcards for my Mother, mixed media
AFTER THE FLOOD
Almost two years ago, on 26 May 2017, the Tatham Art Gallery experienced a devastating flood which damaged a substantial number of paintings in our collection. Many friends of the Gallery came forward to help turn around this tragedy, and today we can look back on a remarkable rescue and recovery operation. An overview of the events in the form of a documentary film and an illustrated talk by the painting restorer, Ekkehard Hans, was presented on 14 May 2014
Closed because of the Flood, a documentary film by Gabriel and Thomas Bullen. 24 min
Brothers Gabriel and Thomas Bullen, who happened to be in Pietermaritzburg at that time, documented the events and called the film Closed because of the Flood. The cameras caught the action of the moment, but the film makers also returned to capture elements of the restoration process. This film was selected as the opening film for the 2019 Milkbusch International Short Film Festival earlier this year.
Restoration, an illustrated talk by Ekkehard Hans.
Ekkehard Hans, who is a highly trained restorer, originally from Europe, has been working for weeks at a time on the restoration of paintings and frames ever since the flood in May 2017. He gave an illustrated talk about his work, and give insight into the guiding principles for a restorer of museum collections.A painting showing water damage :
1 & 2; After restoration: 3 & 4.
WORKSHOP
Siyabonga Ngubane - Workshop Linocut
Siyabonga will conduct two workshops on Tuesdays 07 & 14 May 2019 where he will share his printmaking skills and show participants that Linocut is an easy-to-learn method for making prints that requires only a small amount of space and just a few tools and materials. Once you've learned the basics you can easily do this at home. Join this fun printing workshop.
Booking essential. Contact . reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 392 2823
CONCERT
Suite 415
Tatham Art Gallery
Sunday 9 June 2019 12h00
Tickets R80 / R50 at the door.
Suite 415 comprises an affiliation of some of the province’s most accomplished and respected classical and Baroque musicians: Margrit Deppe (Baroque Oboe); Aristide du Plessis (Baroque Cello / Basso Continuo), David Smith (Harpsichord / Cembalo) and Evelien Ballantine (Baroque Flute / Traverso).
The programme features a carefully-chosen repertoire of beautiful works by leading Baroque composers GP Telemann; Pietro Locatelli, JS Bach and GB Sammartini.
The distinctive sound of the harpsichord creates an almost-immediate association with music from the Baroque era. Harpsichords were used extensively from the 15th until the 18th centuries and has found favour again in recent decades. Harpsicords are typically also ornately decorated and painted – often with historically-inspired flora and fauna; pastoral scenes; ornamental motifs and inspirational verse. Such decoration is very specific to this instrument and has become a respected and recognised art form with variants which differ over time and place.
ReRouting Arts Festival
Several events of the ReRouting Arts festival take place in the Tatham Art Gallery. Click on these images to see the full programme.
IN THE PRESS
An extensive report was published in ‘The Witness’ on Saturday 16 February 2019 by Arts Editor Estelle Sinkins detailing the restoration efforts after the flood of May 2017. (You can read a report on the flood here).
WORKSHOP
Litter Bin Design-and-Painting Workshop
with Jono Hornby
Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 March
09h00 to 15h00
Lorna Ferguson Room
As part of its Outreach Programme, the Tatham Art Gallery will invite a number of artists to participate in an exciting new project. In two three-day workshops in March, facilitated by designer Jono Hornby, energetic artists will design and paint images on large prepared litter bins for the city centre in the Lorna Ferguson Room.
Members of the public are welcome to observe the painting workshops while the Gallery is open (Tuesday to Sunday, 09h00 to 17h00).
Individuals who sponsor bins, and businesses who contribute to the cost, will be acknowledged. For contributions, contact vimla.moodley@msunduzi.gov.za.
Artists will get exposure, and a small honorarium if they so wish. All materials will be provided. With the assistance of the Municipality the bins will be placed in the Tatham Grounds in a campaign to draw attention to the litter problem in the city centre.
Interested artists need to complete application forms, available at the Gallery, if they wish to be placed on our list.
Contacts
Kobie.venter@msunduzi.gov.za or 033 3922 819/084 824 7217 (except Tuesdays)
Posters for our monthly concert presented on Sundays in association with Christopher Duigan’d MUSIC REVIVAL.
