Before the elections, Bester and other political artists always had the threat of police raids if their work was too revealing or controversial. They had to develop a strong but silent voice to speak out about Apartheid. Bester therefore created a complicated system where he could express what was happening around him, and make people aware of the activities, without putting himself in danger.
With the elections, all South Africans were awarded freedom of expression. This has enabled Bester to focus more directly on the messages he wants to express through his works. One of the predominant questions Bester explores in his works are, in his words: "What makes a human being so vicious, that he will even use the Bible as a license to get at me, who is supposed to be his fellow man?" He also explores how and why a supposedly Christian society would let Apartheid continue for fifty years.
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Bester is still encountering Apartheid today. His vibrant, exciting house from the road appears to be a functioning artwork, with bright colours and stunning designs. On Sundays people drive by and stop, wanting to explore the house further. They ask Bester "Where's the Boss?" When he replies it is his house, they want to know where the money comes from, since they cannot understand how a 'coloured' man could have what Bester does. Bester interprets this to mean that many South Africans are still living in the past. He deals with this in his works, where he shows that there is still work to be done, even though we have a democratically elected government. There is still definite segregation of races, and when Bester observes this, he feels the people involved have been blinded by the system. He feels that if somebody is a human being, and lives like a human being, the skin colour is irrelevant. |
Issues Bester also looks at are, for example, why Van Riebeek came to the Cape in 1652: to civilize the tip of Africa. However, the way people have treated each other since then Bester does not consider civilized.
Another issue that is being addressed presently in the country is who the main suffers were during Apartheid. Even though it is commonly thought that the blacks suffered most cruelly, Bester thinks that a sufferer is someone who does not know how to treat another man like a human being, and who cannot treat him like an equal. This attitude is a result of the system, and therefore this person was also a victim.
Affirmative Action is also being implemented in South Africa as of the elections, but Bester feels that the system is being abused, as unqualified people are being placed into positions too high for them to cope with, and their inability to perform as is expected is being used against them.
Bester plans to continue with these themes indefinitely, as he says "There is just so much to do."
