101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century

September 24, 2019 - December 31, 2020

            Public and private collections stem from a variety of catalytic impulses and are assembled and generally held in trust to educate, enchant and amaze. They are also representative of the time and period in which they are collected and historically significant in their manner of collection. They contain a wealth of material and information to explore and interpret particularly from a post-colonial and contemporary perspective.


            The Javett-UP has brought together examples of artworks drawn from such collections across the country and further afield selected in conversation with the curators and owners. Lists representing those works nominated as being of particular significance were submitted with over 300 suggested. A selection of 101 of these has been made following criteria guidelines set from the inception of the collective curatorial process.


            These categories include works of historical importance in that they play formative role in an artistic movement, context or era.



            Works which symbolise the artistic movement from which they arise in, works which they tell us something about the times in which they were created.


            Works which represent a stylistic imperative demonstrating a unique art style, and or excellent/master technical skill of the medium.


            Works which have a resonance /message and/or subject matter that made a significant contribution to research, knowledge and society’s perspective and impact on public opinion - a general broad influence.


            Work with an enigmatic story - interesting back story of the work, artists background or history of the artists journey.



            The title, 101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century, speaks to the process of mining public and private collections for their signature works, following a discourse with the curators and owners. Most significantly, this will continue throughout the exhibition's six months with ongoing conversations with visitors to the Javett -UP about their experiences of the exhibition.


            These conversations will be elicited and monitored through public and education programs which includes a selfie campaign. We invite responses to the works on exhibition and trace the significance of the individual pieces. This engagement will form the basis of a catalogue which will be developed throughout the exhibition's run, after which it will be produced as an educational resource. The time span of the century is between 1920 and 2020 and covers the period within which the artworks represented on the exhibition have been drawn.


            In addition to their representational function, the works should also be evocative and transcend what they depict into some larger context. Images tend to grow in stature as time passes by, much like an artist who becomes publicly identified through his or her sheer body of work.


            Following this process, the themes that were identified from the works were; politics, religious, cultural and traditional values, urbanisation and landscape and identity.


            The aim of this opening exhibition is to launch the Javett-UP’s objectives to demystify the gallery and museum experience becoming a place of education, collaboration and contemplation, a space where the Art of Africa will be explored and celebrated.

            Moonlight Quarry

            Noel Hodnett

            Moonlight Quarry

            Hostel Monument for the Migrant Worker

            Michael Goldberg

            Hostel Monument for the Migrant Worker

            The Triple Gates of Hell

            Robert Hodgins

            The Triple Gates of Hell

            Cry Havoc

            Mary Sibande

            Cry Havoc

            Black Christ

            Ronald Harrison

            Black Christ

            Stompie

            Tyrone Appollis

            Stompie

            Maquette for the Gandhi Memorial, Pietermaritzburg

            Anton Momberg

            Maquette for the Gandhi Memorial, Pietermaritzburg

            Cells

            David Goldblatt

            Cells

            Patience on a Monument

            Penny Siopis

            Patience on a Monument

            Blue and Red Mary

            Justin Dingwall

            Blue and Red Mary

            Scene 22: Always Face the Sun

            Kemang Wa Lehulere

            Scene 22: Always Face the Sun

            Letters to God

            Sfiso Ka-Mkame

            Letters to God

            Mantis Man

            Walter Battiss

            Mantis Man

            Passive Resistance

            Reshada Crouse

            Passive Resistance

            Legend

            Helmut Starcke

            Legend

            An Incident

            Peter Schutz

            An Incident

            Crucible

            Neels Coetzee

            Crucible

            Nicole and Karyn

            Heather Gourlay-Conyngham

            Nicole and Karyn

            Namib

            Brian Bradshaw

            Namib

            Jan Plat

            Pippa Skotnes

            Jan Plat

            Black Subjects III

            Serge Nitegeka

            Black Subjects III

            Release

            Marco Cianfanelli

            Release

            African Maquette

            Brett Murray

            African Maquette

            PW Botha's Dog

            Willie Bester

            PW Botha's Dog

            Chandelier

            Steven Cohen

            Chandelier

            Monument

            Diane Victor

            Monument

            The Man Who Sang and the Woman Who Kept Silent

            Judith Mason

            The Man Who Sang and the Woman Who Kept Silent

            Untitled

            Dumisani Mabaso

            Untitled

            Meidjie

            Moses Kottler

            Meidjie

            The Cry of Man

            Stanley Pinker

            The Cry of Man

            Girl at Window

            Eleanor Frances Esmond-White

            Girl at Window

            There's a storm on the bosses farm

            Norman Catherine

            There's a storm on the bosses farm

            Untitled

            Peet Pienaar

            Untitled

            Say! If you speak ENGLISH, we must be getting near CIVILIZATION!

            Anton Kannemeyer

            Say! If you speak ENGLISH, we must be getting near CIVILIZATION!

            The Garden of Delights

            Christo Coetzee

            The Garden of Delights

            He Went to Jerusalem

            Azaria Mbatha

            He Went to Jerusalem

            Rustenburgse Kloof

            J.H Pierneef

            Rustenburgse Kloof

            Open Cast Coal Mines, Newcastle

            Alan Crump

            Open Cast Coal Mines, Newcastle

            Temples

            Kiren Thathiah

            Temples

            Moonbride and Sunbride

            Dan Rakgoathe

            Moonbride and Sunbride

            Untitled

            Tito Zungu

            Untitled

            Inside Out

            Deborah Bell

            Inside Out

            The Elephant

            Fred Page

            The Elephant

            African Guernica

            Keiskamma Tapestry

            African Guernica

            Large Crucifix

            Jackson Hlungwani

            Large Crucifix

            Dromedaris, Donder en ander Dom Dinge

            Andries Botha

            Dromedaris, Donder en ander Dom Dinge

            Pain in the Mountains

            Trevor Makhoba

            Pain in the Mountains

            Trees and Trenches of Battlefield, Delville Wood

            Bertha Everard

            Trees and Trenches of Battlefield, Delville Wood

            Untitled

            Helen Sebidi

            Untitled

            Mai Mai Militia 2003, Near Beni, Eastern Drc: Portrait Vi

            Guy Tillim

            Mai Mai Militia 2003, Near Beni, Eastern Drc: Portrait Vi

            Stop Crying Mother He May Come

            Cyprian Shiloake

            Stop Crying Mother He May Come

            Smoky Cityscape II

            David Koloane

            Smoky Cityscape II

            South Africa 1959

            Albert Adams

            South Africa 1959

            Boxers in The Ring

            George Pemba

            Boxers in The Ring

            Black Photo Album / Look At Me,  1890 1950

            Santu Mofokeng

            Black Photo Album / Look At Me, 1890 1950

            Commune Suspension of Disbelief

            Wim Botha

            Commune Suspension of Disbelief

            Nkosi Sikelele

            Johannes Segogela

            Nkosi Sikelele

            Igqirha Lendlela

            Nicholas Hlobo

            Igqirha Lendlela

            Chocolat

            Johannes Phokela

            Chocolat

            Balandzeli

            Nandipha Mntambo

            Balandzeli

            Portrait of a man

            Maggie Laubser

            Portrait of a man

            Untitled 1, Ponte City

            Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse

            Untitled 1, Ponte City

            Hollywood Heights South East

            Leon Krige

            Hollywood Heights South East

            The Mendi

            Hilary Jackson Graham

            The Mendi

            Landscape

            Gladys Mgudlandlu

            Landscape

            The Wedding at Cana

            Ester Nxumalo

            The Wedding at Cana

            Portrait of Cookie Annie Mavata

            Dorothy Kay

            Portrait of Cookie Annie Mavata

            Voyage II

            David Brown

            Voyage II

            Inzilo

            Mohau Modisakeng

            Inzilo

            Vabvakura / People From Far Away

            Gerald Machona

            Vabvakura / People From Far Away

            The Good Cowherd

            Joachim Schönfeldt

            The Good Cowherd

            Truth Games

            Sue Williamson

            Truth Games

            It left him cold

            Sam Nhlengethwa

            It left him cold

            Discovery

            Alexis Preller

            Discovery

            A rich woman

            John Muafangejo

            A rich woman

            Black Leopard

            Sydney Kumalo

            Black Leopard

            Sun Man

            Lucky Sibiya

            Sun Man

            The Blue Bird

            Peter Clarke

            The Blue Bird

            Simthembile I, East London

            Zanele Muholi

            Simthembile I, East London

            Blind Alphabet B

            Willem Boshoff

            Blind Alphabet B

            Meeting of Two Cultures

            Sandile Goje

            Meeting of Two Cultures

            Shaka the King

            Cecil Skotnes

            Shaka the King

            Mass Funeral

            Peter Magubane

            Mass Funeral

            Head of a Child

            Andrew Motjuoadi

            Head of a Child

            African Guernica

            Dumile Feni

            African Guernica

            Sophiatown Corner Rey and Edward Street

            John K. Mohl

            Sophiatown Corner Rey and Edward Street

            Felix in Exile

            William Kentridge

            Felix in Exile

            The Knight of the Long Knives III

            Athi-Patra Ruga

            The Knight of the Long Knives III

            Page v Coetzee, two

            Dr Phuthuma Seoka

            Page v Coetzee, two

            Exiled King

            10

            Exiled King

            Gencor Commission

            Walter Oltmann

            Gencor Commission

            Untitled

            Bill Ainslie

            Untitled

            La Cicciolina

            Tracey Rose

            La Cicciolina

            Song of the Pick

            Gerard Sekoto

            Song of the Pick

            Three Boys

            Marianne Podlashuc

            Three Boys

            Jesus Walking on Water

            Johannes Maswanganyi

            Jesus Walking on Water

            Arab Priest

            Irma Stern

            Arab Priest