MATRIC
VISUAL
CULTURE
STUDIES
NOTES:
(These notes are for an IEB syllabus for matric
visual culture studies, these are intended as
supplementary notes to the school notes you
are given.)
PLEASE NOTE THAT VISUAL CULTURE STUDIES ALLOWS FOR ANY
ARTWORKS IN THE SPECIFIC ERAS AND MOVEMNETS AND WILL
THEREFORE MEAN THAT SOME ATWORKS IN THIS DOCUMENT
WILL NOT BE IN LINE WITH THE ARTWORKS YOUR SCHOOL MAY
TEACH, HOWEVER ALL OF THE ARTWORKS ARE VALID FOR THE
MATRIC IEB SYLLABUS AND ARE ACCEPTED IN THE FINAL IEB
EXAMINATION.
,Contents
Western International: ....................................................................................................................... 2
Dada: ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Surrealism: .................................................................................................................................... 3
Abstract Expressionism:................................................................................................................. 4
Pop art: ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Conceptual art: .................................................................................................................................. 6
Art as consumerism (readymade) .................................................................................................. 6
Art as controversy (taxidermy pig): ................................................................................................ 7
Text as art (LED sculptural installation work):................................................................................. 8
Art as photography (socially critical photography): ........................................................................ 9
Pure conceptual mode: ................................................................................................................ 10
Land Art:...................................................................................................................................... 10
Polly street ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Kumalo ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Rorkes Drift: ................................................................................................................................... 12
Muafangejo: ................................................................................................................................ 12
Resistance Art: ................................................................................................................................ 13
Jane Alexander: ........................................................................................................................... 13
Paul Stopforth: ............................................................................................................................ 14
Penny Siopis: ............................................................................................................................... 15
Helen Sebidi: ............................................................................................................................... 15
Contemporary South African Art: .................................................................................................... 16
Willem Boshoff: ........................................................................................................................... 16
Minette Vari: ............................................................................................................................... 17
Nicholas Hlobo: ........................................................................................................................... 18
Mohua Modisakeng: .................................................................................................................... 19
Berni Searle: ................................................................................................................................ 19
Mary Sibande: ............................................................................................................................. 20
Diane victor: ................................................................................................................................ 20
1
, Western International:
Dada:
Stylistic characteristics:
- the dada movement rejected traditional art forms, logic, contemporary academic art values,
intellectualism, aesthetics and appeals to sensibility.
- They did this in order to reject everything that had led them up to the war with these mass
senseless killings.
- The dada movement was a revolt against everything traditional as a way to express
themselves and how they want to reject the war and everything that has led them up to it.
- Dada is an international cultural movement concerned with psychology and philosophy.
- The movement relied solely on irony, irrationality, and shock effect of literary provocations.
- The term “dada” means “hobbyhorse” it becomes a form of baby talk.
- Disgusted by all the bourgeois conventions and at the war mongering of the politicians.
- The movement calls the viewer to question their entire value system by shocking public
opinion, education, institutions, museums, good taste – in short, the whole prevailing order.
Dada embraced:
- Anarchy and irrationality.
- Anti-art forms
- Anti-intellectualism
- Aesthetics were not important.
- No meaning in dada art.
- Based on life and life’s attitude.
- Juxtaposition
• Marcel Duchamp
➢ Discards traditional art mediums and tools and replaces them with a mass-produced
readymade object. (Objects that lacked innovation and uniqueness.)
➢ His works are conceptual exercises.
➢ He believed artists could now use anything to create an artistic statement.
➢ He places his works in art museums which raises their status to that of art, even
though they abandoned all traditional forms of art.
➢ The juxtaposition and dissociation create new meaning of what art is.
• “Fountain” (porcelain urinal readymade, with the signature “R. Mutt”)
1. The title recontextualises the urinal as the viewer pictures a beautiful fountain in
a garden and is rather met with a juxtaposing idea of a urinal found in a male’s
bathroom.
2. The setting of the gallery also recontextualises the artwork by raising its status
to that of art.
3. He abandoned traditional are mediums and instead used a readymade
functional item, he was questioning “what is art?”
2
VISUAL
CULTURE
STUDIES
NOTES:
(These notes are for an IEB syllabus for matric
visual culture studies, these are intended as
supplementary notes to the school notes you
are given.)
PLEASE NOTE THAT VISUAL CULTURE STUDIES ALLOWS FOR ANY
ARTWORKS IN THE SPECIFIC ERAS AND MOVEMNETS AND WILL
THEREFORE MEAN THAT SOME ATWORKS IN THIS DOCUMENT
WILL NOT BE IN LINE WITH THE ARTWORKS YOUR SCHOOL MAY
TEACH, HOWEVER ALL OF THE ARTWORKS ARE VALID FOR THE
MATRIC IEB SYLLABUS AND ARE ACCEPTED IN THE FINAL IEB
EXAMINATION.
,Contents
Western International: ....................................................................................................................... 2
Dada: ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Surrealism: .................................................................................................................................... 3
Abstract Expressionism:................................................................................................................. 4
Pop art: ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Conceptual art: .................................................................................................................................. 6
Art as consumerism (readymade) .................................................................................................. 6
Art as controversy (taxidermy pig): ................................................................................................ 7
Text as art (LED sculptural installation work):................................................................................. 8
Art as photography (socially critical photography): ........................................................................ 9
Pure conceptual mode: ................................................................................................................ 10
Land Art:...................................................................................................................................... 10
Polly street ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Kumalo ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Rorkes Drift: ................................................................................................................................... 12
Muafangejo: ................................................................................................................................ 12
Resistance Art: ................................................................................................................................ 13
Jane Alexander: ........................................................................................................................... 13
Paul Stopforth: ............................................................................................................................ 14
Penny Siopis: ............................................................................................................................... 15
Helen Sebidi: ............................................................................................................................... 15
Contemporary South African Art: .................................................................................................... 16
Willem Boshoff: ........................................................................................................................... 16
Minette Vari: ............................................................................................................................... 17
Nicholas Hlobo: ........................................................................................................................... 18
Mohua Modisakeng: .................................................................................................................... 19
Berni Searle: ................................................................................................................................ 19
Mary Sibande: ............................................................................................................................. 20
Diane victor: ................................................................................................................................ 20
1
, Western International:
Dada:
Stylistic characteristics:
- the dada movement rejected traditional art forms, logic, contemporary academic art values,
intellectualism, aesthetics and appeals to sensibility.
- They did this in order to reject everything that had led them up to the war with these mass
senseless killings.
- The dada movement was a revolt against everything traditional as a way to express
themselves and how they want to reject the war and everything that has led them up to it.
- Dada is an international cultural movement concerned with psychology and philosophy.
- The movement relied solely on irony, irrationality, and shock effect of literary provocations.
- The term “dada” means “hobbyhorse” it becomes a form of baby talk.
- Disgusted by all the bourgeois conventions and at the war mongering of the politicians.
- The movement calls the viewer to question their entire value system by shocking public
opinion, education, institutions, museums, good taste – in short, the whole prevailing order.
Dada embraced:
- Anarchy and irrationality.
- Anti-art forms
- Anti-intellectualism
- Aesthetics were not important.
- No meaning in dada art.
- Based on life and life’s attitude.
- Juxtaposition
• Marcel Duchamp
➢ Discards traditional art mediums and tools and replaces them with a mass-produced
readymade object. (Objects that lacked innovation and uniqueness.)
➢ His works are conceptual exercises.
➢ He believed artists could now use anything to create an artistic statement.
➢ He places his works in art museums which raises their status to that of art, even
though they abandoned all traditional forms of art.
➢ The juxtaposition and dissociation create new meaning of what art is.
• “Fountain” (porcelain urinal readymade, with the signature “R. Mutt”)
1. The title recontextualises the urinal as the viewer pictures a beautiful fountain in
a garden and is rather met with a juxtaposing idea of a urinal found in a male’s
bathroom.
2. The setting of the gallery also recontextualises the artwork by raising its status
to that of art.
3. He abandoned traditional are mediums and instead used a readymade
functional item, he was questioning “what is art?”
2
