Mary Corrigall | University of Johannesburg, South Africa (original) (raw)
Papers by Mary Corrigall
de arte, 2011
To address issues around liminality within South African visual culture, James Sey instigated a c... more To address issues around liminality within South African visual culture, James Sey instigated a colloquium titled 'Space, ritual, absence : liminality in South African visual art'. He involved the University of Johannesburg and invited cultural critic and artist, Mieke Bal, and author and lecturer, Ashraf Jamal, as keynote speakers. The colloquium was held from 9-11 March 2011 at the Research Centre : Visual Identities in Art and Design (VIAD), Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
Image & Text : a Journal for Design, 2011
When Moshekwa Langa's eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed... more When Moshekwa Langa's eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as turning point in South African art as it appeared to mark the entry of the first black South African artist working within a neo-conceptualist rubric. Untrained and hailing from a rural locale, years earlier Langa's art would most likely have been deemed unprogressive or "traditional". Borrowing from Arnold van Gennep's (cited by Turner 1969) notion of 'reaggregation' - the final phase of a rite of passage, where the subject transcends the liminal phase, in this article I explore the shifts that facilitated Langa's provisional inclusion, while unpacking the manner in which his identity paradoxically served to ensure his liminal status. Olu Oguibe (2004) suggests that African artists can resist this position through acts of self-definition. Langa avoided this route; he was complicit in constructing his liminal identity. He challenged reaggregation via an ...
The "pointure" theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida's (2009 [1978]) appropriation ... more The "pointure" theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida's (2009 [1978]) appropriation of this term, speaks not only of fusion but also of the interrelationship between two entities that are conjoined, though they may be in conflict with each other. This could be read as a form of intertextuality - Derrida's text is indebted to Martin Heidegger's essay, titled "The origin of painting" (2008 [1950, 1957, 1960]), though he works at critiquing and subverting its content. The process of intertextuality is one that informs dandyism, a mode of strategic dress where the wearer is forced to operate with an existing or dominant sartorial syntax. In this way, the dandy's mode echoes Derrida's proverbial "rereading" of Heidegger's text "against the grain". For this reason, dandyism is characterised as a product of what Sima Godfrey (1982:28) terms 'intertextual polyphony', involving a tricky renegotiation between a dominant sa...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02560046 2015 1039202, May 13, 2015
Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic wo... more Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic worker-cum-Victorian garment associated with her has grown in scale, becoming excessive. These exaggerated style codes or adaptations work at liberating the domestic worker from her lowly position in society. Empowerment, or the fantasy of what that may entail, is therefore enacted through dress and the ‘excess’ attached to it that visualises a desire for social mobility. This article presents a critical analysis of the notion of ‘sartorial excess’, employing dandyism as a theoretical tool to access the mechanics of dress as an art form that feeds off and challenges fashion and consumerism. Drawing from fashion theories advanced by Thorstein Veblen and Jean Baudrillard, the article demonstrates how democratising forces allowed fashion to become a tool of mobility – and the illusion of it. This will contribute towards a multifarious definition of sartorial excess that is both inherent to fashion, but as in Sibande’s practice, is also a form of asserting difference and dislocating from the status quo.
Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic wo... more Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the
domestic worker-cum-Victorian garment associated with her has grown in scale, becoming
excessive. These exaggerated style codes or adaptations work at liberating the domestic
worker from her lowly position in society. Empowerment, or the fantasy of what that may
entail, is therefore enacted through dress and the ‘excess’ attached to it that visualises a
desire for social mobility. This article presents a critical analysis of the notion of ‘sartorial
excess’, employing dandyism as a theoretical tool to access the mechanics of dress as
an art form that feeds off and challenges fashion and consumerism. Drawing from fashion
theories advanced by Thorstein Veblen and Jean Baudrillard, the article demonstrates how
democratising forces allowed fashion to become a tool of mobility – and the illusion of it.
This will contribute towards a multifarious definition of sartorial excess that is both inherent
to fashion, but as in Sibande’s practice, is also a form of asserting difference and dislocating
from the status quo.
The “pointure” theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida’s (2009 [1978]) appropriation of this term, ... more The “pointure” theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida’s (2009 [1978]) appropriation
of this term, speaks not only of fusion but also of the interrelationship between
two entities that are conjoined, though they may be in conflict with each other.
This could be read as a form of intertextuality – Derrida’s text is indebted to
Martin Heidegger’s essay, titled "The origin of painting" (2008 [1950, 1957, 1960]),
though he works at critiquing and subverting its content. The process of
intertextuality is one that informs dandyism, a mode of strategic dress where the
wearer is forced to operate with an existing or dominant sartorial syntax. In this
way, the dandy’s mode echoes Derrida’s proverbial “rereading” of Heidegger’s
text “against the grain”. For this reason, dandyism is characterised as a product
of what Sima Godfrey (1982:28) terms ‘intertextual polyphony’, involving a tricky renegotiation between a dominant sartorial syntax and a subversion of it. AthiPatra Ruga’s artistic practice evokes the dandyist mode; not only does he work with a sartorial vocabulary but pushes it to its logical limit, affecting a subversion thereof. However, is it possible to interweave a discourse between his performance works, dubbed The Future White Woman of Azania (2010-2013), the form of intertexual polyphony inherent to dandyism and the subject matter and mode of Derrida’s text on pointure? Or will the form of definitional crisis attached to each of these ideas, bodies of work or texts prevent a smooth dialogue? Does the act of pointure that Derrida advances inherently bring about a definitional crisis?
When Moshekwa Langa’s eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as ... more When Moshekwa Langa’s eponymous solo exhibition
opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as turning
point in South African art as it appeared to mark the
entry of the first black South African artist working
within a neo-conceptualist rubric. Untrained and hailing
from a rural locale, years earlier Langa’s art would most
likely have been deemed unprogressive or “traditional”.
Borrowing from Arnold van Gennep’s (cited by
Turner 1969) notion of ‘reaggregation’ – the final
phase of a rite of passage, where the subject transcends
the liminal phase, in this article I explore the shifts that
facilitated Langa’s provisional inclusion, while unpacking
the manner in which his identity paradoxically
served to ensure his liminal status. Olu Oguibe (2004)
suggests that African artists can resist this position
through acts of self-definition. Langa avoided this
route; he was complicit in constructing his liminal
identity. He challenged reaggregation via an ironic reenaction
of reintegration as a universalist subject in a
photographic body of work that responded to the
skewed reception of his 1995 exhibition.
Meditating on this landmark moment in South African
art history, I demonstrate how terms and labels used to
“elevate” or culturally position Langa’s art, such as the
neo-conceptualist tag, were fundamental to his art being
reaggregated by the predominately white artworld,
although it was to some degree an uneasy fit. Other
theoretical frameworks used to usher his work into the
canon of the contemporary, such as a notion of African
conceptualism, as proposed by Salah Hassan and Oguibe
(2001) are explored. So, too, are the intricacies and
flaws involved in “inclusionary” or corrective processes
instigated by the same authorities that played a role
in determining exclusionary paradigms.
Van Gennep and Victor Turner’s theory of liminality
proves useful in mapping the mechanics of aggregation
and the position of the liminal subject, but, as I demonstrate
in this article, it cannot sufficiently contextualise
imposed notions of liminality as ascribed to African artists
by Eurocentric writers who privilege inclusion into
occidental canons above others.
Critical Arts, 2010
... stance articulates the ambiguous position of the white subject, while demystifying and confus... more ... stance articulates the ambiguous position of the white subject, while demystifying and confusing ... in Lemaoana's art;4 however, in this artwork he has utilised visual motifs extrapolated ... that sport has played in establishing South Africa's national identity should not be overlooked. ...
Books by Mary Corrigall
de arte, 2011
To address issues around liminality within South African visual culture, James Sey instigated a c... more To address issues around liminality within South African visual culture, James Sey instigated a colloquium titled 'Space, ritual, absence : liminality in South African visual art'. He involved the University of Johannesburg and invited cultural critic and artist, Mieke Bal, and author and lecturer, Ashraf Jamal, as keynote speakers. The colloquium was held from 9-11 March 2011 at the Research Centre : Visual Identities in Art and Design (VIAD), Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
Image & Text : a Journal for Design, 2011
When Moshekwa Langa's eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed... more When Moshekwa Langa's eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as turning point in South African art as it appeared to mark the entry of the first black South African artist working within a neo-conceptualist rubric. Untrained and hailing from a rural locale, years earlier Langa's art would most likely have been deemed unprogressive or "traditional". Borrowing from Arnold van Gennep's (cited by Turner 1969) notion of 'reaggregation' - the final phase of a rite of passage, where the subject transcends the liminal phase, in this article I explore the shifts that facilitated Langa's provisional inclusion, while unpacking the manner in which his identity paradoxically served to ensure his liminal status. Olu Oguibe (2004) suggests that African artists can resist this position through acts of self-definition. Langa avoided this route; he was complicit in constructing his liminal identity. He challenged reaggregation via an ...
The "pointure" theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida's (2009 [1978]) appropriation ... more The "pointure" theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida's (2009 [1978]) appropriation of this term, speaks not only of fusion but also of the interrelationship between two entities that are conjoined, though they may be in conflict with each other. This could be read as a form of intertextuality - Derrida's text is indebted to Martin Heidegger's essay, titled "The origin of painting" (2008 [1950, 1957, 1960]), though he works at critiquing and subverting its content. The process of intertextuality is one that informs dandyism, a mode of strategic dress where the wearer is forced to operate with an existing or dominant sartorial syntax. In this way, the dandy's mode echoes Derrida's proverbial "rereading" of Heidegger's text "against the grain". For this reason, dandyism is characterised as a product of what Sima Godfrey (1982:28) terms 'intertextual polyphony', involving a tricky renegotiation between a dominant sa...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02560046 2015 1039202, May 13, 2015
Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic wo... more Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic worker-cum-Victorian garment associated with her has grown in scale, becoming excessive. These exaggerated style codes or adaptations work at liberating the domestic worker from her lowly position in society. Empowerment, or the fantasy of what that may entail, is therefore enacted through dress and the ‘excess’ attached to it that visualises a desire for social mobility. This article presents a critical analysis of the notion of ‘sartorial excess’, employing dandyism as a theoretical tool to access the mechanics of dress as an art form that feeds off and challenges fashion and consumerism. Drawing from fashion theories advanced by Thorstein Veblen and Jean Baudrillard, the article demonstrates how democratising forces allowed fashion to become a tool of mobility – and the illusion of it. This will contribute towards a multifarious definition of sartorial excess that is both inherent to fashion, but as in Sibande’s practice, is also a form of asserting difference and dislocating from the status quo.
Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the domestic wo... more Mary Sibande has evolved the Sophie character that has defined her art practice – the
domestic worker-cum-Victorian garment associated with her has grown in scale, becoming
excessive. These exaggerated style codes or adaptations work at liberating the domestic
worker from her lowly position in society. Empowerment, or the fantasy of what that may
entail, is therefore enacted through dress and the ‘excess’ attached to it that visualises a
desire for social mobility. This article presents a critical analysis of the notion of ‘sartorial
excess’, employing dandyism as a theoretical tool to access the mechanics of dress as
an art form that feeds off and challenges fashion and consumerism. Drawing from fashion
theories advanced by Thorstein Veblen and Jean Baudrillard, the article demonstrates how
democratising forces allowed fashion to become a tool of mobility – and the illusion of it.
This will contribute towards a multifarious definition of sartorial excess that is both inherent
to fashion, but as in Sibande’s practice, is also a form of asserting difference and dislocating
from the status quo.
The “pointure” theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida’s (2009 [1978]) appropriation of this term, ... more The “pointure” theme, as informed by Jacques Derrida’s (2009 [1978]) appropriation
of this term, speaks not only of fusion but also of the interrelationship between
two entities that are conjoined, though they may be in conflict with each other.
This could be read as a form of intertextuality – Derrida’s text is indebted to
Martin Heidegger’s essay, titled "The origin of painting" (2008 [1950, 1957, 1960]),
though he works at critiquing and subverting its content. The process of
intertextuality is one that informs dandyism, a mode of strategic dress where the
wearer is forced to operate with an existing or dominant sartorial syntax. In this
way, the dandy’s mode echoes Derrida’s proverbial “rereading” of Heidegger’s
text “against the grain”. For this reason, dandyism is characterised as a product
of what Sima Godfrey (1982:28) terms ‘intertextual polyphony’, involving a tricky renegotiation between a dominant sartorial syntax and a subversion of it. AthiPatra Ruga’s artistic practice evokes the dandyist mode; not only does he work with a sartorial vocabulary but pushes it to its logical limit, affecting a subversion thereof. However, is it possible to interweave a discourse between his performance works, dubbed The Future White Woman of Azania (2010-2013), the form of intertexual polyphony inherent to dandyism and the subject matter and mode of Derrida’s text on pointure? Or will the form of definitional crisis attached to each of these ideas, bodies of work or texts prevent a smooth dialogue? Does the act of pointure that Derrida advances inherently bring about a definitional crisis?
When Moshekwa Langa’s eponymous solo exhibition opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as ... more When Moshekwa Langa’s eponymous solo exhibition
opened in Johannesburg in 1995, it was hailed as turning
point in South African art as it appeared to mark the
entry of the first black South African artist working
within a neo-conceptualist rubric. Untrained and hailing
from a rural locale, years earlier Langa’s art would most
likely have been deemed unprogressive or “traditional”.
Borrowing from Arnold van Gennep’s (cited by
Turner 1969) notion of ‘reaggregation’ – the final
phase of a rite of passage, where the subject transcends
the liminal phase, in this article I explore the shifts that
facilitated Langa’s provisional inclusion, while unpacking
the manner in which his identity paradoxically
served to ensure his liminal status. Olu Oguibe (2004)
suggests that African artists can resist this position
through acts of self-definition. Langa avoided this
route; he was complicit in constructing his liminal
identity. He challenged reaggregation via an ironic reenaction
of reintegration as a universalist subject in a
photographic body of work that responded to the
skewed reception of his 1995 exhibition.
Meditating on this landmark moment in South African
art history, I demonstrate how terms and labels used to
“elevate” or culturally position Langa’s art, such as the
neo-conceptualist tag, were fundamental to his art being
reaggregated by the predominately white artworld,
although it was to some degree an uneasy fit. Other
theoretical frameworks used to usher his work into the
canon of the contemporary, such as a notion of African
conceptualism, as proposed by Salah Hassan and Oguibe
(2001) are explored. So, too, are the intricacies and
flaws involved in “inclusionary” or corrective processes
instigated by the same authorities that played a role
in determining exclusionary paradigms.
Van Gennep and Victor Turner’s theory of liminality
proves useful in mapping the mechanics of aggregation
and the position of the liminal subject, but, as I demonstrate
in this article, it cannot sufficiently contextualise
imposed notions of liminality as ascribed to African artists
by Eurocentric writers who privilege inclusion into
occidental canons above others.
Critical Arts, 2010
... stance articulates the ambiguous position of the white subject, while demystifying and confus... more ... stance articulates the ambiguous position of the white subject, while demystifying and confusing ... in Lemaoana's art;4 however, in this artwork he has utilised visual motifs extrapolated ... that sport has played in establishing South Africa's national identity should not be overlooked. ...