Rudzani Nemasetoni, born 1962, South Africa Search this
Medium:
Etching on paper
Dimensions:
Frame: 40.6 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm (16 x 16 x 2 in.)
Type:
Print
Geography:
South Africa
Date:
1995
Series:
5/25
Label Text:
"Apartheid Scrolls, pages 22-23 (Additional Particulars)" was inspired by Nemasetoni's father's passbook, the official identification document that black South Africans had to carry. It was used to restrict their movement within the country, particularly in urban areas where they were allowed to work but not reside. Nemasetoni saw the irony of the passbook, which had beautifully decorated pages but was used for the ugliest of purposes. These works join those of a number of South African artists, working after the fall of apartheid, that use physical objects (be they posters, passbooks or newspapers) to come to terms both visually and psychologically with this history of violence and oppression.
Description:
Etching on paper of a worn and tattered passbook with very little of the original document visible, except for a stamp.
Exhibition History:
Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, May 9- August 26, 2007; Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, October 14, 2007-February 17, 2008
Claiming Art / Reclaiming Space: Post Apartheid Art from South Africa, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 21-September 26, 1999
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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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/
