Exhibitions of resistance posters : contested values between art and the archive
Date
2017
Authors
Erasmus, Jarrett
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Abstract
This research report has followed three periods in the history of the political struggle for
freedom in South Africa, from the height of the Anti-apartheid struggle in the 1980s to the
present day by way of exploring three exhibitions of resistance posters as case studies. It is
located in the realm of political and art history. Looking at the positioning of the resistance
poster in South African art history, the intension is to highlight how these exhibitions have
used display strategies to construct values reflected in the resistance poster. The three
selected exhibitions are as follows: firstly, Thami Mnyele and Medu Art Ensemble
Retrospective (2008), Second is the exhibition Images of Defiance: South African poster of the
1980’s (2004). And the third exhibition Interruptions: Posters from the Community Arts Project
Archive (2014).
Description
A Research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree
Masters in History of Arts
at the
University of Witwatersrand, 2017