Richard Mudariki (Zimbabwean, born 1985) The Battle of Cape Town (framed)
Procedencia : Provenance Acquired from Johans Borman Gallery, South Africa, 2013; A private collection. In communicating the social and historical issues relevant to his life, Richard Mudariki creates bright, lively and animated works in a modernist sense. In depiction, Mudariki recalls theatrical techniques used by European Old Masters to present dramatized scenes. Incorporated to evoke satire, Mudariki uses a heavy symbolism to direct a narrative that is engaged with current affairs. Conversely, Mudariki also uses his work to challenge the dated notions of art history and uses his art to criticise the vacuum and canonicity of a seemingly singular art historical narrative. This high energy of The Battle of Cape Town epitomises the talent of Richard Mudariki. In composition, the present work resonates with J.R. Skeltons 1909 depiction of the event, General Janssens at the Battle of Blaauwberg. General Janssens led the defence of the Dutch colonials on the Cape against the British during the Napoleonic war. It could be said that Mudariki takes a surreal approach to the scene by conflating the soldiers with animals, therefore dehumanising and also dramatizing their roles. Indeed, given the bodies of two people on the floor of the work, the artist criticises the colonial history of the Cape and the animalistic inhumane atrocities that occurred.
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