How much do you know about South African art? What about its Resistance Art? Try our quiz before you've explored our site, and then try again later and see how your knowledge can grow! (Don't look at the answers in between!)
What political party instituted Apartheid in South Africa and in what year?
a) Inkatha Freedom Party, 1908
b) Communist Party, 1940
c) African National Congress, 1925
d) National Party, 1948
e) Conservative Party, 1963
What was the turning point for black South Africans that initiated mass protest and the death of young school children in 1976?
a) no black people were allowed to receive an education
b) a prominent political leader was detained
c) all school children had to write their exams in Afrikaans
d) a school was raided by police
e) school children refused to be taught by white teachers
Who was the political leader who was killed while in detention in 1977?
a) Steve Biko
b) Nelson Mandela
c) Thabo Mbeki
d) Joe Slovo
e) PW Botha
Which South African president finally allowed for the first democratic elections to occur in 1994?
a) PW Botha
b) DF Malan
c) Hendrik Verwoed
d) Jan Smuts
e) FW De Klerk
How did the international art world respond to Apartheid in South Africa?
a) it did not respond at all
b) two artists organised a moving international exhibition which culminated in the works being presented to South Africa in 1995
c) some artists organised mass meetings where they discussed the situation
d) a few foundations sent money to South Africa to help develop its artistic field during the struggle
e) five artists donated a group-sculpture in 1990
What does Apartheid mean?
a) "no blacks"
b) "whites only"
c) "Apart-ness"
d) "Afrikaner people"
e) "Disconnection"
Why was Nelson Mandela jailed?
a) he was convicted of robbery
b) for no reason
c) he was involved in illegal actions
d) he was convicted in the Treason Trial of 1964
e) to keep him out of trouble
What inspired Willie Bester to create political works?
a) fellow artists at the Community Arts Project in Cape Town
b) he was involved in a political protest
c) his parents told him to
d) the ANC cause
e) he is not sure
Where does Willie Bester get most of his objects that appear on his works?
a) local charities
b) people donate them to him
c) he finds them in townships and squatter camps near his house
d) he buys them
e) it depends on the item
Why does Willie Bester call his work "The Trojan Horse"?
a) he is commenting on the severity of the incident
b) it is part of a collection of that name
c) for no particular reason
d) his dealer suggested the name
e) the tactics used in the incident referred to were ancient and desperate
What is an etched lino?
a) acid is used instead of tools to carve an image
b) a certain type of shaped tool is used
c) a certain technique is used while cutting into the chosen surface
d) any lino work with clear, regular lines
e) when the side of a plank is cut into
What personal experience inspired Jonathan Comerford to create political works?
a) he was generally brought up this way
b) he was drafted into the army for two years
c) he witnessed a brutal event in Pretoria
d) it was a conglomeration of different things
e) he was not allowed to associate with black people
What association do the rocks Jonathan Comerford often etches or carves have?
a) they remind him of his childhood
b) they symbolise riots and violence where stone-throwing was common
c) the symbolise a stubborn government
d) they represent Afrikaners who used to be called "Rock Spiders"
e) they symbolise rigidity
When did Helen Sebidi discover her passion for painting?
a) while decorating her home
b) while helping a friend with an artwork
c) after observing her German employer paint
d) when she was given a set of paints as a present
e) there is no fixed time
Sebidi's figures are compared to which following artist?
a) Vincent Van Gogh
b) Rembrandt Van Rijn
c) Willem de Kooning
d) Andy Warhol
e) Pablo Picasso
What are the main feelings Jane Alexander provokes in her work?
a) violation, aggression and victimization
b) anger at the Apartheid regime
c) a deeper understanding of South Africa's political past
d) contentedness, peacefulness and general well-being
e) she does not try to provoke any feelings
How does Jane Alexander combine a mixture of emotions in her works?
a) she uses handwritten signs placed on her sculptures
b) she portrays every different issue through colour-use
c) she superimposes different symbols of emotion onto a single sculpture
d) she refuses to comment on this aspect of her work
e) she makes extensive use of paradoxes in her work
In what ways did artists try and reflect or explore the political situation in South Africa before 1994?
a) through fine art only
b) through fine art, drama and literature
c) through fine art, drama, literature, posters, photography and graphic design
d) through discussions at local halls
e) through video and multi-media
What was the role of the Community Arts Project (CAP) during the 1980s?
a) it gave lessons to young artists on different screenprinting techniques
b) it enabled organisations to design, create and print T-shirts with their personal slogans or logos
c) it gave lectures on how to combat street violence
d) it was a hide-out for escaped political prisoners
e) many illegal political meetings were held in its warehouse
Answers
Now that you have an idea of the different styles of the four South African artists we have focused on in this site, try identify which artist created each of the following unseen artworks. Also try and place the works on the timeline, by giving them an estimated date or by trying to work out the message or political situation alluded to in each. Our explanations follow at the end.
