Like all of us, Gil Scott-Heron was a profoundly flawed individual, battling his demons while reaching out for a seemingly illusive truth. What worth is there in our lives for the well-grounded, immacutely groomed Oprahesque superhuman role model for us mortals who...
artist
Pete Seeger tribute
For Pete's sake We Shall Overcome Singing and Fighting by Andre Marais During a recent concert performance on the Cape Town leg of his SA, tour, Bruce Springsteen took time out to pay tribute to the legendary American folk-artist Pete Seeger, who passed away earlier...
Blaqpearl: The new voice of the Cape?
WHY THE NAME BLAQPEARL? Back in the day I was part of a hip hop group called Insidious Inc. The three males in the group, including my late brother, Mr Devious, all had stage names – of course I also wanted one! So being rarely aware of myself from a very young age...
Book review – TERRA: Jeanette Unite
First things first: if you are going to buy this book, I strongly suggest you purchase the limited edition black boxed special. Not only is the packaging itself an artwork, but it also does a good job of making an event out of an art book. Jeanette herself was quite...
The SPEAR – up whose arse? | by Allan Horowitz
The recent controversy about the artist Brett Murray's "The Spear" painting provoked furious verbal and other acrobatics. Those who opposed the public showing of the painting did so claiming not to be censoring an exposed penis per se, but to be objecting to the...
The Spear that divided the nation | by Professor Robins
BRETT Murray’s The Spear has generated an extraordinary amount of media and political commentary, social media twittering, marches and protests, including the defacing of the painting itself. The rage expressed by many in response to the depiction of the private parts...
The Spear: The ANC’s phony outrage | by Brent Meersman
Brent Meersman says the fuss was manufactured to assist Jacob Zuma's re-election at Mangaung. The outrage over the Zuma Spear has now revealed itself to be as all about politics. Not for the first time, the country was brought almost to a standstill by its...
We are all racists | by Nhlanhla Mtaka
Nhlanhla Mtaka says the Spear controversy has unmasked us as a nation From tolerance to acceptance: The controversy over the Zuma painting has revealed us all to be racists In his book The Other Side of History: An Anecdotal Reflection on Political Transition in South...
What is the point of The Spear? | by Andrew Donaldson
Andrew Donaldson on why Brett Murray's painting has provoked such unhinged fury LET us get to the heart of the matter. In his affidavit, which forms part of the ruling party's legal bid to remove Brett Murray's The Spear from public gaze, the painting's subject,...

