Notes

Andries Botha’s exhibition, Human Structures, at the Natal Society of Arts in Durban in 1984, consisted largely of gigantic, dramatic, and surreal figures made of thatch, wattle, wire and rubber, a noticeable break from traditional sculptural techniques and mediums. In 1991, however, he produced several small-scale works, realised in naturalistic figuration, and cast in bronze: the present lot, Thoughts on Loneliness, is a typical example. A dancing couple seems to be moving closer to a table on which is laid bare a large snail. The snail could be seen as pre-empting a sacrificial ritual, or it could be construed as a symbol of seduction. The couple featured again at the Standard Bank Gallery in 1995, but rendered yet again as a gigantic sculpture, the title: The Dance, prominently displayed in the foyer of the Gallery.

Literature

Elizabeth Rankin and Adam Small (1991) Standard Bank Young Artist Award: Andries Botha, Standard Bank, another cast from the edition illustrated in colour on page 8.