Willie Bester - The Chair

For my Grade 12s ........

Theme 3: Socio-political art - including resistance art

of the 1970s and 1980s

Bester expresses his intentions ........

"What I try to get behind is why it is so difficult for people to change from their old ways. It hasn't worked out the way I imagined. People who thought they were superior before haven't really changed. I try to find out through studying history what gives people the right to think that way. I try to find a solution, not to be disappointed, to reach an understanding." (ArtThrob)

http://www.artthrob.co.za/99aug/artbio.html

Another link ....... Biography

Critics have found his work to be 'preachy' and 'tritely literal' - what do you think?

You may use the link below for a reminder of our discussion in class.

Link to discussion (with more photos)

Create an infographic on Bester's work below.
Some guidelines:

• Work with loose paper 'chunks' - don't glue them down - Prestik them.
• Use full sentences and explain well.
• Writing should be in black and bigger than usual - print!
• Aim for about 300 words in total.
• You may work digitally - share a Google Slides presentation with your teacher.
• At the end - organize your work and glue down the chunks. 
• Add some headings suggestions:
• Data & context
• International influences
• Symbolism - metaphors and meanings (lots of mini-chunks)
• Integrative principles

The Chair - installation from the 1990s
 - Durban Art Gallery

Inside the seat .....

Bester's self-built house in Kuils River   

Bester would have been aware of the past use of assemblage as an art form. For example, assemblage as an installation became very important in the USA in the 1960’s. Rauschenberg used urban ‘found objects’ to comment on the world around him - often politically. First Jump Landing (1961) (above) shows his use of tires as 'junk' sculpture.

LINK to Rauschenberg