Notes

The Dance is an exquisite indicator of intimacy and interiority – both of a private dwelling, and of the encounters and relationships represented in this painting of a seemingly briefly-captured moment. George Pemba renders a fleeting and vibrant occurrence – a shared dance – with deftness and surety, while still gently drawing out gestures, movement, and emotions. The space, almost a mise-en-scène, is populated by individuals rather than props on a stage, and this allows the reading of varying forms of presence as well as different iterations of movement in a body.

Pemba staged a play titled The Story of Nongqawuse, a visceral link to the painting, Nongqawuse’s Dream by Jack Lugg in this catalogue (Lot 90). This story circulated in a South African imaginary, and was not limited to its oral renditions as part of historical and contemporary Xhosa tradition. This story represents an accessible and shared tale that passes through the cultural and racial membranes of these two artists. Each represents an aspect of the story in their own means of communication, and in doing so, the story takes on an individual dialect, although remaining the same in its essence.

Provenance

Everard Read, Johannesburg.