HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Elder statesman of art weaves personal in with history
El Anatsui is not a name that many South Africans would recognise. Insofar as we are generally quite ignorant about the continent that stretches to the north of the country, this applies particularly to African artists. Yet Anatsui is a major figure in global contemporary art — and his first solo exhibition in SA, Meyina, is a significant event. The work for which Anatsui has become best known is impressive in its dimensions: enormous metal "blankets", made out of thousands of flattened bottle caps and other recycled materials threaded together with copper wire, that can stretch over two or three storeys. Visitors to Meyina familiar with these portable sculptures will have a chance to observe the style up close and personal, but will have to adjust their expectations; the pieces displayed here, while still large enough to fill the gallery walls, have been produced on a much smaller scale.Indeed, there is a kind of intimacy to the exhibition. Along with the metal tapestries, curator ...
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