Masabelaneni at the JGCBA is a window into a unique and fertile period for artists’ book production found nowhere else in South Africa. Although Caversham has ceased to be a working institution, it editioned many thousands of prints in its day and continues to hold a wealth of information. The Book Arts Archive of The Caversham Press and Centre for Artists and Writers has now been acquired by the Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts at the Wits Art Museum. This is testimony to the quality and range of the archive, and the discernment of art patron and collector, Jack Ginsberg whose book arts collection is acclaimed internationally.
67 Books ranging from pamphlet-stitched texts and images by scholars and community leaders, through ambitious collaborations between South African and international artists and writers, to the fine-press, limited-edition book on the Cycads of KwaZulu-Natal are on display at WAM. The diversity of themes evident in the publications shown here all embody Christian’s dedication to the highest levels of craftsmanship required to create artists’ books.
The exhibition runs until 15 Dec 2023 at Wits Art Museum’s Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
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