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THE Sa t u r d a y -Su n d a y , WEEKENDER May 2 -3 20 0 9 THE ARTS WEEKEND REVIEW 13 Encounters with cowhide

Nandipha Mntambo finds interesting ways of bringing life to dead material, writes HILARY PRENDINI TOFFOLI

OOGLE “cowhide sc ulptures” and you’ll find only two artists in the world creating G them. One is Zhang Huan, who has a Damien Hirst- style factory in Shanghai with about 100 craftsmen producing colossal cowhide-and-foam figures for galleries such as New Yo r k ’s PaceWildenstein. The other is Nandipha Mntambo, a Swazi artist who tans her cowhides herself with an assistant in her Salt River studio in Cape Town and creates large, beautiful, hairy female torsos in her own image. They have been exhibited to acclaim in galleries in Italy, Spain and the US during the four years TABOO TERRAIN: since she had her first show in Nandipha Mntambo’s Cape Town at the Michael Steven- first performance son Gallery. piece explores the art Her second has just opened of being a matador there. Its central installation is and incorporates her what she calls her Army, a ghost- cowhides. Below, the like floating battalion of 24 head- piece called Emabutfo less cowhide figures moulded on takes its title from the her body. An extraordinary and name for traditional curiously unsettling sight. Swazi regiments. “Being confronted with hairy, life-size women that are not incarnations all over the studio, she’s a horned — horny? — ideas and took interest in your necessarily unequivocally repul- some waiting for the next phase of bisexual Narcissus. work, and each piece you have sive causes various reactions, production and some for the next But it’s her cowhide sculptures come up with amazes me…” which have encouraged some show. A chandelier, rich with that have made the real effect. Mntambo is candid about the viewers to rethink their ideas of lustrous cowtails that went on She’s always been interested in reservations of her father, a the desirable,” the striking, exhibition in Berlin, now lies in a dead material. “I’m fascinated by Methodist priest. strong-minded 26-year-old says corner. Also here is the jacket how you can manipulate things “He kind of freaks out. It’s not with a wry gleam. decorated with cascading cows’ with chemicals. I studied science what he imagined I’d be doing. I “I’ve always been fascinated by hooves that she wore when for a year at UCT, art was a hobby think my family is probably afraid the way the forms of my cowhide making her bullfighter video for at that stage.” the y’ll be hurting my feelings if sculptures seduce people, while the current exhibition. Then she took a portfolio of her the y’re honest about their first the smell, and the idea that it is the It was her first foray into per- work to Michaelis School of Art at reactions to my work. But I’m residue of an animal, repel them.” formance art. In it she enacted a the University of Cape Town and successful at it. I’m not broke, so Raw cowhide is not an easy fantasy bullfight in the abandoned was accepted. In 2007 she while they’re not sure how to medium in anyone’s book. And Praça de Touros in Maputo where completed her Master’s degree in relate to the work, at the same Mntambo is a vegetarian. Fortu- black Mozambicans once fought Fine Art there. Jane Alexander, time they’re proud of me.” nately for all the media types who for the entertainment of the colo- creator of SA’s iconic Butcher Boys She points out that having find their way to her studio — and nial Portuguese. sculpture, was her supervisor. grown up in Joburg, she has no there are many who trek to this “I had never expected to find “T here’s some kind of synergy rural background, so the Nguni industrial part of town to film or anything like that bullring and I in the way we work. It’s not that cultural practices associated with interview the conceptual art was immediately drawn to it and she’s not squeamish, but she also cowhide imposed on her are world’s latest rising star — she started investigating bullfighting. has this interest in dead material. artificial, along with assumptions works in a vast railways ware- I was lucky enough to get invited Skulls, bones, feathers. We both about what it means to be a black house with a lot of windows. to exhibit in Spain, so while I was approach things quite intuitively.” female artist in contemporary SA. Still, the odour lingers. there, I job-shadowed a bullfighter Her imposing Nandikeshvara A vital cog in Mntambo’s “There are so many things that Mntambo says she doesn’t notice it in Portugal. figure has been bought, too, for technical wheel was George Esau, influence the way I work that I any more. Just as well, considering “His first question was why, as a R78 000. Rising up from a cascade the taxidermist at the South refuse to be located in one the long hours she labours here woman, I wanted to do this. He of cows’ hooves with arms out- African Museum. A different role particular identity. I exist between before returning to her flat a few didn’t even wonder about the fact I stretched, and positioned opposite was played by her mother, an HIV several worlds.” blocks away, where she’s lived for was South African. I was inte- the artist’s phantom army, it counsellor in Pretoria. Anyway she won’t be located in the past nine years. rested to see both continents have appears to be inciting the figures She took a lot of convincing Cape Town much longer. At the “I buy the hide as raw as the same clearly defined expecta- to war. Mntambo sees a connec- when Mntambo wanted to make a end of the year she’s moving to possible in order to engage fully tions of men and women.” tion with Nandi, the white bull the plaster cast of her body, also for a north Africa. She’s been invited to with the material. It arrives here The video is an off-the-wall Hindu god Shiva rode into battle. cowhide sculpture. Back in their exhibit in Algiers, and has a friend salted, with thick layers of dried concept but she pulls it off. She The concept of the cow as deity home country, cowhide is used for with a hotel in Marrakesh. fat which I have to power-tool my certainly looks the part. Red cape, is further explored in two the traditional skirts of married But before that there’s the way through, grinding it off. A white stockings, hair pulled back photographic reinterpretations of women, and to wrap the bodies of Basel Art Fair in June and a show nauseating procedure. into a kind of matador head Greek myths. They’re both Swazi monarchs such as the late at Brodie Stevenson in Joburg in “It ’s a long process — w ra p - covering, and on her feet the “I’m fascinated by how provocative transgender render- King Sobhuza. But she finally October — and a lot of dried fat to ping, hooking, washing, cleaning, nearest thing she could find to you can manipulate ings of classic artworks. agreed, and even attended power-tool her way through. before we can tan the hide so it’s matador shoes — dainty black In Mntambo’s version of Mn t a m b o ’s opening in Barcelona. soft enough to mould over a plas- pumps from the Salt River things with chemicals. Pi c a s s o ’s Minotaur caressing a She explains her response to ■ Nandipha Mntambo’s The ter cast of my body. The raw hides footwear emporium Shoe HQ. girl, she takes the role of both the her daughter’s work in a Michael Encounter is at Michael Stevenson are not expensive, between R12 She also exhibits the requisite I studied science for a bull Zeus and his female victim Stevenson catalogue: “At first I Gallery, Buchanan Building, 160 and R15 a kilogram. It’s the bullfighter arrogance of body and year at UCT, art was a Europa, while in her rendering of thought it was a bit strange, and Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape chemicals that cost a lot.” facial expression. The two-minute Caravag gio’s Narcissus gazing at did not understand what you were Town until the end of May, (021) Hides hang about in various video has already fetched R35 000. hobby at that stage” his own reflection in the pond, about. But I began to listen to your 462 -1500 First stop SA on Ataris’ world tour

DANIEL FRIEDMAN chats about nostalgia with the US pop-punk band’s guitarist, Chris Swinney

NCE upon a time local “Perhaps, but Kris (Roe, the away from it. Everything is a my home country, and when they punks could only sit band’s vocalist) wanted to do it growing experience, and when we did they tried to cram new stuff O around dreaming about because it always reminded him of stop growing and taking risks it down my throat,” says Swinney. watching their favourite inter- spending summers at his grand- will be time to stop making music Not that the new stuff will be national acts play. mother's house in Florida. So we all together.” hard for existing fans to get into. But we are becoming an got permission to record it, and it According to Swinney, the “We feel that this album will strike increasingly integral stop on any came out really well and it spread album they are working on sees a chord with the most die-hard self-respecting punk act’s like wildfire.” Swinney says the the band attempt to “meld our old fans, as well as the haters.” itinerary. The latest is veteran US level of success was strange at first style with the sound of the last These haters would tell you The pop-punk band The Ataris. “but it has allowed us to reach record. This album is going to be a Ataris’ music, like the songs of The band is named after a more people. We are glad people classic Ataris album. It is a very massive pop-punk bands such as primitive gaming console I recall identified with it, and liked it. It straightforward rock record, but Green Day or Blink 182, is too using in my childhood, a fact became our gateway song.” our old attitude is still the same. happy, that the chord progressions which warms me to the band as it The Ataris’ most recent album, The band has sort of come full are too pop for the band to be truly ON THE ROAD: Named after a primitive gaming console, The Ataris, who have playing conjures up nostalgic memories. Welcome the Night, showcases a circle, back to basics.” punk. One does have to admit The since 1995, will take audiences back in time — but might throw in a few new songs. “Nostalgia is a great thing,” somewhat different side of the Will fans be able to hear any of Ataris have a talent for writing agrees guitarist Chris Swinney. band. The album is a bit less punk, this new music during any of The sing-along songs. “We all grew up have a booking agent and man- can. You can expect a new album “We love it when music takes you a bit more rock, and a bit more Ataris’ South African tour dates? loving punk rock, but also pop ager, but we still cover as much of this summer, and our world tour back in time.” earnest. I wonder, out loud, “We may sneak in a new song or songs. We love writing sing-along the band stuff as we can. I think begins with our stop in SA. We will The Ataris’ music certainly has whether this is a conscious deci- tw o , ” says Swinney, “but mainly it parts, because they allow us to some bands get complacent and also be hitting the US, Europe, the ability to do this — the band sion, and whether it is indicative will be a ‘greatest hits’ type of set. connect more with our audience.” let other people do their work.” Asia, Australia, Canada, South has been going since 1995. of a new path for the band. If you are a fan, our set will be very One thing truly punk about the After existing for nearly 15 America, Mexico — pretty much However, it was only in 2003, with Swinney isn’t too sure. “Ever y pleasing . We know what songs band, though, is their DIY years as a band, The Ataris don’t anywhere that has electricity.” the album So Long Astoria, which album has been different in a everyone wants to hear, and we are approach to promoting their know much else other than play- included the band’s “accidental different way. The last album was cool with that.” music. According to Swinney, even ing, recording, touring, so this is ■ The Ataris are at Zeplins Rock hit”, Boys of Summer, that The indicative of where Kris was in his While many bands complain after being signed to a major label, what they will continue to do. Bar in Wonderboom, Pretoria, on Ataris officially broke into the life. It was a bit darker because of about audiences who only want they still ran their own website, “We feel that as long as we are May 7; at Burn Nightclub in mains tream. some unpleasant things he was them to trot out a selection of their booked some of their own shows, having fun and people still care, Durban on May 8; at Klein Surely having a hit with a song going through. As a band, we hits, The Ataris understand that and have always talked to their we will carry on. Libertas Teatre in Stellenbosch on originally written by Don Henley always write the album that makes most want to hear familiar mate- fans on the internet.… We still do “Sure, we would love to have a May 9; and at Tempos Enter- of The Eagles is not entirely good us happy, and hopefully people rial. “I wouldhateitif Iwaited almost everything on our own. long-lasting career like Metallica tainment Park in Kya-Sands, for punk credibility? accept it and take something good forever for a band I liked to play “I mean, it is a business. We do or Green Day, and hopefully we Joburg, on May 10.