Interview with artist Dan Halter, pt. 2
In December 2007, while on his honeymoon, Base partner Geoff Cook unexpectedly came across the work of Dan Halter. He was immediately taken by the combination of artistry, conceptualism and political commentary contained in the work. Two years later, we decided to check in on Halter to see how his work was progressing.
Base: The map pieces are quite striking. Can you talk a bit about them? (the nuances of each, etc)
Dan Halter: Two words that are useful in describing my maps are fabric and fabrication:
fab·ric (n)
1. cloth of any type made from thread or fibers, whether woven, knitted, or felted
2. the particular texture or quality of a kind of cloth
3. the fundamental structure or makeup of something
4. the material from which something is constructed, especially a building, or the physical structure of something
fab·ri·ca·tion (n)
1. the construction of something, or something that has been constructed or made
2. the invention of something that is not true
3. a fraudulent imitation of a signature or document
These words refer to both the fundamental structure of something, and yet can also mean a false statement. The cross-stitch I sometimes use to construct words and symbols on these maps allude to the classical concept of “X marking the spot”.
An example is Space of AIDS, 2007. This is made from a map of Zimbabwe interwoven with a 2006 Harare phone book. The words are a spoonerism of ‘ace of spades’. ‘Black as the ace of spades’ is expression denoting the epitome of blackness. The spade symbol on my map is only an outline, empty of its blackness. This void in the population is the terrible result of both the disease AIDS and the political situation there. Also any aid from the rest of the world has been sorely lacking.
Other maps are woven together with books such as George Orwell’s The Animal Farm or Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Zimbabwean bank notes and an online database of Rhodesians around the world. These woven maps often have an African proverb or well-known symbol stitched into the surface.
B: Do you enjoy working in a particular medium? Or do you prefer to mix it up? Why?
DH: Mix it up definitely. I like to choose materials that resonate for me, and working with different materials creates an interesting challenge in each instance.
B: What’s the art scene like in South Africa? Do you find you have valuable interaction with other artists?
DH: The art scene is quite small but vibrant here in South Africa. I do have valuable interactions with other artists.
B: Related question… as an artist, do you find it more interesting to be based from Cape Town or Jo’burg and why?
DH: Recently I have been spent some time in Joburg working on a project for an exhibition there. I find the city fascinating and inspirational and I have considered moving there. Also I believe people in general work harder in Joburg and that I would be more productive there. However I have an established network here in Cape Town and will probably stay here until after my next solo exhibition in June 2010.
B: How about the system of education as it pertains to art? Are there strong art schools? Or are most artists self-taught?
DH: South Africa has quite a high percentage of self-taught artists. Michaelis School of Fine Art (University of Cape Town) is a strong art school in my opinion.
B: You moved to Whatiftheworld gallery not so long ago. It seems to have a very progressive profile. Can you shed some light on your decision to move to them and why?
DH: I was unhappy with my previous gallery and Whatiftheworld appears to be a gallery that a young artist can grow with.
B: Do you feel that galleries in South Africa effectively support and guide the careers of their artists?
DH: In my limited experience I would say there are very few galleries in South Africa that do this.
B: What artists are you inspired by? What people are you inspired by?
DH: Many artists, many people.
B: What accent is the coolest: Scottish, Cockney, Australian, or South African and why?
DH: Cockney is probably the coolest because of the rhyming slang. Here in South Africa a popular expression for a friend is ‘china’ which originally comes from the Cockney ‘china plate’ which means mate.
B: What’s the “Space Invader” work about?
DH: I have been using the Space Invader motif from the popular computer game in conjunction with the cheap Chinese-made plastic-mesh bags that have become synonymous with refugees all over the world. Frequently named after a particular immigrant demographic, these bags are dubbed ‘Ghana must go’ bags in Nigeria, ‘Guyanese Samsonite’ in the Caribbean, ‘Bangladeshi Bag’ in the UK, and recently ‘Zimbabwe Bag’ in South Africa. These works refer to illegal aliens and the xenophobia that has been a result of an invasion of foreigners, specifically Zimbabweans in South Africa.
Space Invader (close-up)
B: Do you feel artists have the ability/power to affect change in South Africa?
DH: Yes I hope so.
B: Does the government allocate funds towards art and culture? Are there commissions for public art projects?
DH: There are some government funds for art and culture although these generally require a lot of paperwork and take a very long time to be approved.
Read part 1 of this interview.
For more information on Dan Halter, go to the Whatiftheworld website.
Loading ...
DEL.ICIO.US
DIGG
FACEBOOK
NEWSVINE
PERMALINKYou must be logged in to post a comment.