AN INVESTIGATION OF CULTURAL DISLOCATION IN THE WORK OF SELECTED ARTISTS JETTEKE DE VRIES DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY DURBAN SOUTH AFRICA AUGUST 2015 1 “Do not ask me who I am and do not tell me to remain the same”. (Michel Foucault 1967) 2 AN INVESTIGATION OF CULTURAL DISLOCATION IN THE WORK OF SELECTED ARTISTS Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Technology: Fine Art in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Durban University of Technology JETTEKE DE VRIES AUGUST 2015 3 DECLARATION I declare that this dissertation is my own work and has not been submitted previously for any degree or examination through any other institution. JETTEKE DE VRIES AUGUST 2015 APPROVED FOR FINAL SUBMISSION Supervisor: Date: A Starkey Co-supervisor:_ Date: J Roome 4 ABSTRACT This dissertation sets out to investigate cultural dislocation in the work of Leora Farber (1964), Viviane Sassen (1972), George Alamidis (1954) and my art practice. The paper begins by highlighting the importance of this study and defines terminology for the purpose of this research. In addition an explanation of the research methodology used is provided. The study is contextualised through a discussion of writings by Stuart Hall (1997), Edward Said (1987), Heidi Armbruster (2010), Chloe Sells (2011), Katheryn Woodward (1997), Michel Foucault (1967), Leora Farber (2012) and Lorin Friesen (2013). An analysis of the selected artists’ work reveals an investigation of cultural dislocation within diverse cultural contexts. Farber investigates her position as a second generation Jewish woman in post- colonial, post-Apartheid South Africa through the use of three protagonists. She does this in an attempt to create a lasting Jewish / South African hybrid identity. She explores not only her Jewish heritage and its connotations, but also the changing notions of white identity in post 1994 South Africa. Sassen, in her photographic depiction of obscured African subjects, challenges the viewer’s perceptions of Africa and positions herself as being ‘in-between’ Africa and the Netherlands, where she “will always be the stranger … and will never be part of the culture” (Sassen in Jaeger 2010). Alamidis’ work explores cultural dislocation in the context of migration, eloquently expressed through the use of the identity cards of 1950s Greek immigrants as visual metaphors for the loss of identity. I explore cultural dislocation through the history of three female protagonists (my grandmother, mother and myself) and their migration between the Netherlands and Southern Africa. The protagonists’ cultural narratives provide an historical context for a discussion of my art practice in the form of an exhibition titled Discovering Home. 5 The conclusion outlines the research findings and identifies possible areas of future research. The main research finding reveals that the formation of a new subject identity, post migration, is dependent on a specific (historical) time and (geographical and psychological) space. An area of possible future research, in the context of cultural dislocation, is the use of Foucault’s (1967) theory of heterotopias to explore the idea of the ‘third space’ functioning as a personal heterotopia. 6 DEDICATION I dedicate this paper to the memory of my grandmother and to my mother. 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisors Mr. Anthony Starkey and Dr. John Roome for their unwavering support and dedication in guiding me with my research. I would like to thank Mr. Hendrik Stroebel for his support, knowledge and enthusiasm in guiding me with my practical work. Thank you to my parents and my brother for their love and their patience with my elation and despair while writing this dissertation. Thank you to all the friends that read this paper and graciously gave me feedback. For this, a special thank you to Linda Bakker-Zwakhals. I acknowledge and thank the Durban University of Technology Research Management Office for funding provided towards this research. 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1: Leora Farber. Aloerosa: Transplant. 2006-7. 135.8cm x 102cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art Paper, 315 gsm Figure 2: Leora Farber. Aloerosa: Induction. 2004-7. 65 x 65 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art Paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9/ Figure 3: Leora Farber. Aloerosa: Maturation II. 2006-7. 90 x 120 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315gm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 4: Leora Farber. Aloerosa: Supplantation 2006-7. 90 x 120 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 5: Leora Farber. Ties that Bind Her: Preservation. 2006-7. 100 x 133.2 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 6: Leora Farber. Ties that Bind Her: Reparation (detail). 2006-7. 42 x 56 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 7: Leora Farber. Ties that Bind Her: Regeneration (detail) 2006-7. 42 x 56 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 8: Leora Farber. A Room of Her Own: Generation. 2006-7. 100 x 133.2 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 9: Leora Farber. A Room of Her Own: Redemption. (detail) 2006-7. 102 x 135.8 cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 10: Leora Farber. A Room of Her Own: Generation. (detail) 2006-7. 56 x 75 cm cm. Archival pigment print on Soft Textured Fine Art paper, 315 gsm. Ed. 1/9. Figure 11: Viviane Sassen. Juice. 2010. C-Print. 125 x 100cm. Edition of 8 + 2AP Figure 12: Viviane Sassen. La Lutte #2. 2011. C-Print. 100 x 100cm. Edition of 8 + 2AP Figure 13: Viviane Sassen. Kine. 2011. -Print. 100 x 80cm. Edition of 3 + 2AP Figure 14: Viviane Sassen. Phoenix. 2008. C-Print. 100 x 125cm. Edition of 8 + 2AP Figure 15: Viviane Sassen. Fantome. 2010. C-Print. 125 x 100cm. Edition of 8 + 2AP 9 Figure 16: Viviane Sassen. Mauritanie. 2011. Archival ink on cotton rag paper. 116 x 96cm. Edition of 8 + 2AP Figure: 17: Viviane Sassen. Ayuel. 2010. C-Print. 150 x 120cm. Edition of 4 + 2AP Figure 18: George Alamidis. Identity Cards. 2004. Mixed Media. Various sizes Figure 19: George Alamidis. Identity Cards. 2004. Mixed Media. Various sizes. Figure 20: Jetteke de Vries. Boerinnetjes. 2010. White earthenware clay and French Dimension glaze. 15cm x 100cm Figure 21: Jetteke de Vries. Boerinnetjes (detail). 2010. White earthenware clay and French Dimension glaze. 15cm x 100cm Figure 22: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 23: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 24: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 25: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 26: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 2012-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 27: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 2012-13. 45cm radius White Earthenware, underglaze and Lucy Anne transparent glaze. Figure 28: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 29: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives. 20112-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 30: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives (detail). 2012-13. 45cm radius. White Earthenware, underglaze Lucy Anne transparent glaze and French dimension. Figure 31: Jetteke de Vries. Dislocated Relatives: Shard. 2012-13. 23cm x38cm x42cm.White Earthenware, Lucy Anne transparent glaze and smoke firing. 10 Figure 32: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood. 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 33: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood (detail). 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 34: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood. 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 35: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood. 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 36: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood (detail). 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 37: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood. 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 38: Jetteke de Vries. Into the Blood. 2013-14. 95cm x 125cm. Embroidered Calico. Figure 39: Jetteke de Vries. Alles was beter in Afrika. 2014. 32cm radius. Enamelled tin plate, bitumen and lace. Figure 40: Jetteke de Vries. Alles was beter in Afrika. 2014. 32cm radius. Enamelled tin plate and bitumen. Figure 41: Jetteke de Vries. In Holland staat een huis. 2014. 17.5cm x11cm x 7cm. Material One cast Dutch canal houses. Figure 42: Jetteke de Vries. In Holland staat een huis. 2014. 17.5cm x11cm x 7cm. Material One cast Dutch canal houses. Figure 43: Jetteke de Vries. Shifting Identities. 2014. 95cm radius. Mixed media. Figure 44: Jetteke de Vries. Shifting Identities. 2014. 95cm radius. Mixed media. The photographs of the artworks do not reflect the layout of the exhibition titled Discovering Home. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………… 1 CHAPTER ONE: Cultural identity and cultural dislocation…….……...…... 5 CHAPTER TWO: Cultural dislocation in the work of selected artists...…… 29 Leora Farber (1964 - ) Dis-Location/Re-Location 2006-2008…........ 29 Viviane Sassen (1972 - ) Parasomnia 2012………………………..... 40 George Alamidis (1954) Embark – Disembark: an exploration of 47 cultural dislocation 2004…..…………………………..……………….. CHAPTER THREE: A (family) history of dislocation….........…………..…… 51 Hendrika Aartje Johanna van Kranen - Koopmans (1934 – 2005)..