Notes

Alongside his diverse human and animal sculptures from the 1960s and 70s, Sydney Kumalo also produced a number of bronzes that placed his two key subjects in conversation. Kumalo's approach to form in these works was confident and expressive. His figures are effortlessly shaped and wilfully distorted. This sculpture's drama and distinction resides in its height. Many of Kumalo's studies of humans astride animals were compact. In a far smaller bronze, similarly titled Mythological Rider, an oversized human figure straddles a diminutive animal. The power relation in that work, and others depicting men seated on bulls and horse-like creatures, is self-evident: the animals are beasts of burden.

This work suggests independence as well as harmony between the two animal forms. Kumalo's approach to modelling further underscores this commonality. Eyes and mouths are evoked with the same elementary flourish. Both the animal and human components feature the same striated surface texture. The pronounced grooves on the human figure's abdomen bears noting. The same surface forms are discernable in Congolese "power figures", or nkisi, representing heroic ancestors. There are also affinities between Kumalo's overall approach to his human figure and the male guardian figures produced by Senufo and Northern Fang carvers. Johannesburg art dealer Egon Guenther, with whom Kumalo was closely associated, had these figures in his formidable collection of African art. Kumalo held his debut solo exhibition with Guenther in 1962. Guenther greatly aided in Kumalo's early public reception, notably by showing him under the Amadlozi banner with artists Giuseppe Cattaneo, Cecily Sash, Cecil Skotnes and Edoardo Villa from 1963. Kumalo's mature style emerged out of this association. In later years Kumalo was represented by the Goodman Gallery, which sold an artist's proof of the present work to the Commonwealth Development Corporation on behalf of the artist's widow, Esther Kumalo. Neil Dundas of the Goodman Gallery elaborates: "The artist's proof was made for the family, at Sydney's express wish, and from the original mould, but was cast after his death, in the 1990s. Only the first edition was ever cast with him at Vignali Foundry, but he did leave the rights to Esther to cast the full seven editions of the work, and wanted her to have his proof. The terracotta, made in 1970, intended for moulding and casting, was broken after the edition was made, and the mould destroyed, but two to seven were cast after his death."

Literature

cf. Julia Charlton. (ed.) (2009) Signature Pieces: The Standard Bank Corporate Art Collection, Vlaeberg: Bell Roberts. A similar example illustrated in colour on page 184.