Scratching the Surface

An evolution of the Eastern Cape landscape, seen through the lens of its best-known artists

Against the background of Strauss & Co’s online auction Eastern Cape Echoes: Storms River to Port St Johns, Art Club Cape Town hosts the panel discussion, Scratching the Surface: An evolution of the Eastern Cape landscape, seen through the lens of its best-known artists.

The discussion is facilitated by Jo Voysey (Art Education Specialist), bringing together Ian Hunter (Senior Art Specialist) and Christopher Till (Museum Director and Curator) to trace the aesthetic lineage of the Grahamstown Group (or Eastern Cape artists) and their fundamental engagement with the painted surface.

They will touch on the influence of Brian Bradshaw, whose arrival at Rhodes University sparked a departure from traditional representation. Under his instruction, the young artists began to explore the physicality of the painted surface, treating the canvas as a site of material experimentation. This radical (for the time) approach moved the artists to develop their individual visual languages that continued to evolve over time.

The viewing is curated by world renowned interiors and furniture designer, Justin van Breda.

Text and images courtesy of Strauss & co