(1955 – )

Robert Slingsby
Contemporary
Overview
Robert Slingsby in discussion of his work “The Blue Lotus” in 2021:

The Blue Lotus defined my art in 2021. The colour blue dominated, with shades of purples, pinks and greens, the colours of the sky and riverbanks reflected on the river.

The blue lotus, a hallucinogenic flower, which flourished in the Blue Nile, depicted on the walls of the monumental temples and tombs, is associated with the culture, glory, and excesses of ancient Egypt.

My use of the blue lotus, the latest in my lexicon of iconography developed over 50 years as an artist, is of enormous significance in appreciating the 2021/22 paintings and in fact is symbolic of 50 years of observing traditional communities in Africa and the impact of modernisation through Anthropocene activities.

Rivers, as a site of traditional community conflict, has been featured in my art throughout my career. I spent 30 years recording Richtersveld petroglyphs while documenting and creatively expressing the effect of vast open-cast diamond mines and agriculture on the Richtersveld Nama living along the banks of the Orange River. I watched a community evolve from ‘matjies skerms’, which suited their semi-nomadic lifestyle to forced removals as corridors of accessible land diminished.

An exhibition titled ‘Money and God in his pocket’ in 2012 at the Barnard Gallery triggered an awareness of traditional communities living along the Omo River in Southern Ethiopia. 2013 was the start of several return visits to the region, observing and recording a similar trajectory but at an infinitely faster pace than in the Richtersveld. It is evident that globally, the remaining traditional communities inhabit extremely remote regions close to rivers. It is similarly evident that nations that still have traditional communities are usually developing countries looking for ways to rapidly modernise and meet the needs of rapidly urbanising populations, such as agriculture, electricity, water and transport infrastructure.

This has resulted in a model of funders of major, ill-conceived projects cultivating a dilemma of massive, spiralling debt. Unfortunately, the small numbers representing traditional communities are regarded as collateral damage for the greater good. Booker prize-winning author Arundhati Roy has researched this subject extensively as it played out in India. A parallel has played out in Ethiopia: the Gibe Dams along the Omo River and the Grand Renaissance on the Blue Nile.

It is, with regard to the latter, that the blue lotus takes on significance. Massive dams have a massive impact on those downstream. The power to control the flow of the river has a devastating impact on annual inundation due to lowered water levels. It is in this context that the blue lotus flower is a symbol of man’s abuse of the environment and man’s neglect for attaching the appropriate value to humanity’s 5% endangered indigenous protect 80% biodiversity.

The blue lotus is my symbol of climate change, environmental awareness, and the impact of Anthropocene man’s activities. Together with references to water, African mythological entities, iconography representing modern technology, and the lines that are quintessential of my art, the evolving process of traditional Africa confronting modernisation unfolds through my art.

Exhibitions

2023

Sunny Side Up, Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa

2022

‘Natural Abstraction’ Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa

New Day, Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa

2022

‘Summer Salon’ Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa

2020

Classrooms of Dus, Knysna Fine Art

2019

InDependence solo exhibition, Everard Read Circa Johannesburg

2017

Solo exhibition, Everard Read, Franschhoek (19th March)

2016

Guest speaker to South African Society of Artists (SASA). Topic – Visit to Kara an Mursi in Ethiopia

2016

Gave opening speech at Willie Bester solo exhibition (6th April)

2015

‘I am’ solo exhibition, Royal College of Art, London

2015

‘Picture & Paper’, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

2015

‘Then & Now: Conversations in Time’, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

2014

‘Works on Screen’, Saatchi Gallery, London

2014

Nicki Westcott Salon (September)

2014

‘Play’ NIROX Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

2014

‘Crossing the Line’ book accepted into Thomas J. Watson Library

2014

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

2014

‘Crossing the Line’ solo exhibition, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

2013

Changing Faces: Profiling Portraits in South African Art, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

2013

Kirstenbosch Biennale

2013

Cover, Art South Africa Vol. 11.3, (1st March – 31st May)

2012

‘The Gallery Dinner Collection’, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (19th December)

2012

‘Money and God in his Pocket’ solo exhibition, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (24th October).

2012

FNB Joburg Art Fair, Barnard Gallery

2011

Works on permanent display at Atlantic Gallery since 1982 – 2011

2011

Developed series ‘Just Injustice’

2011

Sandie Lowry, Kensington Park Rd pop-up, London

2011

‘Gallery Collection’ Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

2010

‘CC-Unlimited Power’, Christiaan Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (September)

2010

‘CC-Unlimited Power’, UCT Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town (June)

2010

‘The Essential’ exhibition, Christiaan Barnard Gallery (June)

2010

Gallery Genesis, Athens, Greece (May)

2010

‘Midas Touch’ painting selected as part of FIFA Official Poster edition

2009

Prepared for one man exhibition, 2010, at Irma Stern Museum

2009

In Black and White, Bell-Roberts Contemporary Art Gallery

2008

Preparing for major exhibition in 2010

2007

Solo exhibition, Square One Gallery, London

2009

Cork Street Gallery, London (May)

2009

Join exhibition with Cuban artist, Ernesto Rancaño, Square One Gallery, London

2009

Art Expo New York, Park Bench Gallery

2009

Cologne, Germany

2009

Visited China & Switzerland

2006

Hout Street Gallery, Paarl (November)

2006

Art International, Group Exhibition, Nassau, Bahamas (November)

2006

‘Woman – Roots of Namaqualand’, Richtersveld Arts and Craft, Springbok (August)

2006

Visit from World Presidents Organisation to the studio

2006

YPO (Young Presidents Organisation) auctioned Slingsby painting which raised $69,900 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

2006

‘Bones of the Rusting Carpet’ solo exhibition, Square One Gallery, London (April)

2006

Cannazaro House, Wimbledon (July)

2005

Selected as a finalist in Brett Kebble Art Competition Exhibition that was cancelled as a result of his untimely death

2005

Art International group show, Nassau, Bahamas

2005

‘Power House’ solo exhibition, Bell-Roberts Contemporary Art Gallery, Cape Town.

2004

Finalist in Brett Kebble Competition exhibition

2003

Research in Stones of Africa

2003

Exhibiting in Korea

2001

Solo exhibition, Air Gallery, London (September)

2001

Richard de Marco – On the Road to Meikle Seggie, as part of the Venice Biennale

2001

Research in Egypt

2000

Richard de Marco – On the Road to Meikle Seggie

2000

Dundas Art Gallery, Edinburgh

2000

EXPO 2000: GERMANY, Hanover, Germany

2000

Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston University, UK

2000

Slingsby Painting in Collaboration with YPO University 200, raises $ 250,000.00

1999

Osborne Gallery, London

1999

Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh

1999

Edinburgh Festival – First South African visual artist in 27 years to be invited

1999

Invited to Malta

1999

Research in Malta and Egypt

1998

Klein Karoo Festival, Outshoorn

1998

Lisbon Expo, Portugal

1998

‘Art Beyond Borders’, Augsberg, Germany

1998

CNN Arts Club interview

1998

EKHAYA, Travelling exhibition to Tsoga-Langa, Uluntu, Guguletu

1998

Gallery 88, Sasolburg

1998

EKHAYE African Studies, University of Cape Town

1998

IDASA Gallery, Cape Town

1998

Worcester Association of Arts, Worcester

1997

Kunskamer, Cape Town

1997

Code Red, Perth, Australia

1996

Association of Arts, Cape Town

1996

Installation on Robben Island – Memorial Sculpture

1996

The Arts Association of Belville

1996

Primart, Cape Town

1996

Gallery 68, Cape Town

1996

Code Red, Perth, Australia

1996

Volkskas Atelier Finalist, SAAA

 

1995

Primart, Cape Town

1995

BMW Pavilion, Cape Town

1995

Sisonke Association of Arts, Mitchells Plain

1995

Bellville Association of Arts

1994

SA Cultural History Museum, Cape Town

1994

Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg

1994

Quid Novi Gallery, Germany

1994

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

1994

World Convention Centre, Singapore

1994

World Trade Centre, Hong Kong

1994

Very Special Arts Gallery, Washington DC

1994

Primart, Cape Town

1993

Cape Town Arts Festival, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

1993

‘Made in Wood: Works from the Western Cape’, SANG

1993

University of Stellenbosch Gallery, Stellenbosch

1993

De Oude Drostdy Museum, Tulbagh

1993

Primart, Cape Town

1993

Visual Arts Foundation, Johannesburg

1993

South African Association of the Arts, Pretoria

1992

Primart, Cape Town

1991

Primart, Cape Town

1991

Gallery International, Cape Town

1991

SANLAM Collection, Baxter Gallery, Cape Town

1991

South African Association of Arts

1991

Labia Gallery, Cape Town

1991

William Humphries Art Museum, Kimberley

1991

‘20 Years of South African Art’, Kunskamer, Cape Town

1990

Gallery International, Cape Town

1990

Gallery 709, Cape Town

1989

Johannes Stegman Art Gallery, Bloemfontein

1989

Natalie Knight Gallery, Johannesburg

1989

Jane se Kunshuis, Paarl

1989

Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg

1988

‘The Sasol Art Collection’, Rand Afrikaans University

1988

Durbanville Cultural Museum

1988

University of Stellenbosch Gallery, Stellenbosch

1988

Primart Gallery, Cape Town

1988

Volkskas Atelier Finalist, SAAA

1988

Kronendal Restaurant, Cape Town

1987

Cape Town Festival

1987

Volkskas Atelier Finalist, SAAA

1986

Volkskas Atelier Finalist, SAAA

1985

‘Tributaries – a View of Contemporary SA Art’ for BMW RSA, Touring Germany

1985

Cape Town Triennial Competition Finalist, SANG

1984

‘Masterworks on Paper’, SANG, Cape Town

1984

Gallery 21, Johannesburg

1983

‘SA Contemporary Realism’, Pretoria Art Museum

1983

South African Association of Arts

1983

Gowlett Gallery, Cape Town

1982

Gowlett Gallery, Cape Town

1982

Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg

1982

Cape Town Triennial Finalist

1982

South African Association of Arts

1981

Toys, The Hague, Holland

1981

La Tertulia, Amsterdam, Holland

1980

Sheraton Hotel, Amsterdam, Holland

1979

Posthoorn, Den Haag, Holland

1978

Galery Galjoen, S’Hertogenboch, Holland

1978

Gallery 77, Ijsselstein, Holland

1978

Nederlandse Fijnschilders, t’Kunsthuis, V H Ooste, Holland

1978

Gallery Ploemp, Delft, Holland

1976

Gallery International, Cape Town

1975

Award in New Signature Competition

1972

First exhibition in Diocesan College – Bishops Art Loft

Featured Artwork