Living an artist’s life in Cape Town

Cape Town is home to many fine artists. Original artists such as the “San” artists have of course left their incredible rock paintings around the Cape. They abound particularly in areas like the Cedarberg, which is within 3 hours drive of Cape Town, but this article will deal particularly with some of the main Galleries and Art Institutions in and around Cape Town and the work that is currently on show there.

No visitor to this fantastic city can go without visiting the Iziko National Gallery. At present there is a magnificent beadwork exhibition on featuring the wonderful work of beaders of South Africa.

At the Association for Visual Arts there are some amazing new sculptures and works by Jacques Dhont on view. (see pic)

The Sanlam Art Gallery probably has a fairly representative collection of the best of South African Artists spanning the last century to the present day.

the Everard Read Gallery has an exhibition of contemporary works by Nick Botting starting today – these are lovely seascapes of the Arniston beach.

The Irma Stern Museum in Rosebank is an essential stop on your tour – for a true taste of “Old Cape Town’s” colonial past this magnificent house, once home to one of Cape Town’s most celebrated and eccentric woman artists, Irma Stern is a must-see.
Presently on view is:The Secret Adventures of Lady Anne Barnard”by Carine Zaayman which is based on Lady Anne Barnard’s stay at the Cape of Good Hope as the wife of the first British colonial secretary, Andrew Barnard, from 1797 – 1802. The exhibition aims to illuminate a part of the history of Cape Town and its environment by tracing the ways in which history has shaped contemporary life .

On display will be a series of digital prints consisting of photographs, drawings and texts from Lady Anne’s journal and newly discovered letters. A video installation dealing with her ascent of Table Mountain will also be shown.

Are you a struggling artist? Do you battle every day trying to keep your feet on the ground. Does your mind constantly tell you “not good enough”, etc. etc. Hopefully these few words of wisdom will help put you back on the path.
They are not my own – I wish they were, but like a good student I always acknowledge my sources. They are from that great book by Scott Peck, the “Road less travelled” whenever I am in a stuck place, a “fix” or whatever I just take a dip and I always get what I need – amazing!
Today I did that and I shall share these thoughts with you.
……To deal with the pain of problem solving …….. we must dedicate ourselves to the truth. For truth is reality. That which is false is unreal. The more clearly we see the reality of the world, the better equipped we are to deal with the world…”
To artists, this is such great advise when you are mired in your own self-deceptions – take a look outside your window – look at the sunlight on a tree, on a rock, on a building – what a gift we have to be able to see these things! then…… GO PAINT IT! Yes, paint what you see not what you know. It is amazing how that simple act of focus, concentration brings you back to what is real. Who cares how many or how few pictures you sold this month! is the joyous act of painting which feeds the soul. Enjoy, take heart, keep trying.