Holy Bible
Provenance : This work has been kindly donated by the artist
Exhibited :
Literature :
Notes : Willie Bester (b. 1956, South Africa) is cited globally as one of South Africa's most important resistance artists. He incorporates recycled material into his paintings, assemblages and sculpture, creating powerful artworks that speak against political, social and economic injustice. Mixed-media acts as the line between reality and imagination, in the sense of bringing an idea or a narrative that was repressed back to life. Abruptly this interchange between the two ‘worlds’ becomes the relationship that is very much dependent on each other. Resulting in the gap between the unconscious and conscious mind becoming blurred. Holy Bible incorporates two childhood shoes juxtaposed with a broken typewriter. Bester uses the fragility of nostalgia as a signifier of the fragility of the mind of a child and the dangers of complacency in accepting without interrogation. The glass and frame that fastened this composition is labelled as the Holy Bible. By using the nostalgia of an object and its historical significance, Bester challenges the viewer to query memories and understandings that are assumed.
Condition_report : Structure: The work is executed with a variety of repurposed materials. Surface: The surface of the work is stable.
