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Catalog Data

Maker:
Willie Bester, born 1956, South Africa  Search this
Medium:
Mixed media assemblage
Dimensions:
222 × 205 × 80 cm (87 3/8 × 80 11/16 × 31 1/2 in.)
Type:
Installation
Geography:
South Africa
Date:
1995
Description:
Immersive installation composed of found materials. A mechanical metal stool with a sign in Afrikaans (Streng privaat; “strictly private”) sits before half of a wooden table. This assemblage sits before a large rectangular easel form, supported by a white wooden stool, a metal bed frame with wheels interlaced with barbed wire, and a tube that ends in a metal washbasin, filled with further found materials. A wooden clipboard with English and Afrikaans-language magazines, as well as written descriptions of the work, sits on the floor beside the basin. The rectangular board that composes the center of the composition is treated in an allover composition with found materials and painted marks, symbols, numbers, and faces. Near the center of the board, an inset rectangular box contains seven carved and chained figures, each with a number and Afrikaans term (Blanke 00 “white”; Kaapse Kleurling 01 “Cape Coloured”; Maleiers 02 “Malay”; Grieking 03 “Griqua”; Sjinees 04 “Chinese”; Indier 05 “Indian”; Ander Asien 06 “Other Asian”). A series of tubes from this box leads to four IV-bags that hang above the composition alongside a lettered sign (“C-E-O-C-E-Y-5-3-6”) and a red-and-white-striped arrow pointing in one direction. Signed lower right of painted panel: “W Bester '95'”.
Provenance:
Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, 1995 (acquired from artist)
Acquired jointly by Jerome L. and Ellen Stern and Gilbert and Lila Silverman 1995-2017
Exhibition History:
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 16, 2019–October 3, 2021
African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (installed March 16, 2018–July 12, 2019)
Apartheid Laboratory, The Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, February 2007
Colours, Kunst aus Südafrika, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, May 1996
Published References:
Hug, Alfons. Colours: Kunst aus Südafrika. Berlin: Haus der Kulturen der Welt, 1996, 76.
House, Gloria. Apartheid Laboratory. Windsor, Ont.: Art Gallery of Windsor, 2007, fig. 4.
Williamson, Sue. South African Art Now. New York: Collins Design: HarperCollins, 2009, 92.
n.a., The South African Sale. London: Bonhams, 22 March 2017, lot 47.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Credit Line:
Gift of Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman and Jerome L. and Ellen Stern
Object number:
2017-15-1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1995 Willie Bester
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7528f4682-6990-4529-80f0-25d2a7a1c137
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_2017-15-1