Speel-Speel, 1996
Jelutong wood, Jacaranda wood, Avocado wood, poplar wood and enamel paint
60 x 70 x 60cm (23 5/8 x 27 9/16 x 23 5/8in) (overall)
(in 6 pieces)

Footnotes

Provenance
A private collection.

Literature
Polly Savage, Making Art in Africa 1960-2010, (Surrey: Lund Humphries, 2014), pp. 214-216. (illustrated).

Criticising systematic and ingrained racism in society, Claudette Schreuders confronts the context she grew up in, observing not only society but also herself. Throughout her oeuvre, Schreuders informs her work through old master symbolism and style. Speel-Speel takes inspiration from Goya's 1792 depiction of a group of women playfully throwing a manakin on a blanket in The Straw Manakin. Indeed, the composition of the present work recounts this image, translated into the present socio-politically informed sculpture. Speaking to Polly Savage in 2010 on the work, Schreuders says:

"'Speel-Speel' is about identity...The fact that it's a little golliwog, a sort of Enid Blyton invention (we also grew up with 'Noddy' and all that), is about how you grow up, imagining innocently, but inheriting ingrained racist ideas. It's not specifically South African, even, but here it was all much more clear thank everywhere else. So to me it was a way of understanding all of that, about myself." (Claudette Schreuders in conversation with Polly Savage, Making Art in Africa 1960-2010, (Surrey: Lund Humphries, 2014), pp. 214-215.)

The present work has been created with the deliberate aim to enforce feelings of discomfort. It is a critical commentary not only on society but also a critical self reflection. The vacant robotic stares of the children implies the unquestioning naivety of their shocking actions. This is the result, as Schreuder's observes, of their cultural conditioning. As Schreuder's says, 'I wanted to make art that was challenging to myself, and other people; I didn't want to make stuff that was only beautiful.' (Claudette Schreuders in conversation with Polly Savage, Making Art in Africa 1960-2010, (Surrey: Lund Humphries, 2014), p. 217.)

The present work was started during the artist's residency at the Gasworks in 1996 and marks one of the first pieces completed by the artist at the beginning of a highly successful career.

Saleroom notices

Please note: the height of this work should read '52cm', not '60cm' as is incorrectly stated in the cataloguing.

Additional information

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