Kidsweek at Concourt

 I found an email in my blog inbox last week from the Director of the Constitutional Court Educational Programme, Paula Rainha - just in time to take up her invitation to come and sketch at the Constitutional Court with some children from Hillbrow. It was the last day of their Kidsweek, a holiday programme (coincidentally started years ago by a friend, Monique Dalka) where they came to learn and draw some of the aspects of the court. This was a sketch of a group of the kids who were drawing portraits from a wall of photographs of past and present judges.

They first went into the courtroom, to ask and hear about human rights, our constitution and the history and significance of the buildings. Constitutional Hill used to be the notorious Old Fort Prison Complex where many political activists, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Walter Sisulu were detained. Every detail of the court has been thoughtfully and beautifully designed by architects and artists. Two whole books have been published on the buildings and art here: A Light on the Hill and Art and Justice, I won't try and explain it all here...

...but for a start, the angled and mosaiced columns and wire leaf chandeliers in the foyer represent the tree under which African justice has traditionally taken place, transparent, participatory and accessible - which also appears in the Concourt logo. Long may its principles last...

Below is a sketch I did last year on a visit with a friend, of the outside entrance, with the long wooden doors carved by artists and Dumile Feni's 'History' sculpture. One of my very first, nervous urban sketches was done at a book launch here, back in 2008!

Spear March

Today a march was held in Rosebank, quite near to where I live, to protest against the Goodman Gallery displaying a "derogatory" painting of the president. I thought that I should be brave and go and do some reportage sketching, though was pretty sure I'd safely chicken out at some stage. But I told my sketching friend Anni about my thought, and she was very enthusiastic, saying she'd meet me around 12... and so there we were!

At first there were mostly mounted guards, riot police and ANC marshalls gathered around, which made me nervous enough, but I started drawing them from behind as they gazed expectantly up Jan Smuts Avenue. Then we heard singing and chanting in the distance, coming closer, the mounted police lined up and my heart beat even faster - but there were plenty of relaxed and jovial people milling around, including a cheerful looking ANC protester chatting on her phone on my left - so we carried on sketching as the street ahead filled up. Soon it was apparent that speeches and the odd "Viva" call were all that were on the agenda - it was to be a peaceful, restrained occasion, much to my relief.

When it looked like the main event was over, we walked around the block to see if we could get closer, and found ourselves weaving our way right through the thick of the protesters - all friendly and approachable, two women readily agreeing to sit for us (but don't put the picture in 'that' gallery, they said!) I wish I could have sketched faster and got lots more of the colourful outfits and lively characters. Almost back where we started, we had a last opportunity to sketch the flamboyantly dressed elders, leaders and politicians on the back of the broadcasting truck before the crowds dispersed and we headed for a much needed drink and some lunch.

Art & Justice

I have been snowed under with little necessary jobs for the Fair, and for Advent, which starts on Sunday, but last night we went to the launch of 'Art & Justice', a beautiful book (that MY husband printed :-) produced by David Krut Publishing, about the art collection of the Constitutional Court. We went to a similiar book launch a year or two ago, and went on the court tour given by Judge Albie Sachs - it was a total eye-opener and the first time I really felt absolute hope for this country, and real pride in how it's overcome it's past, where it is now (full of faults and problems as it still is!) and especially in our unique, accessible and unconventionally beautiful Constitutional Court. Anyway, I took the chance of being off my home/studio/school-run treadmill that I've been stuck on for weeks (I don't normally regard my studio as a treadmill, but it has been just pure slog lately!) to do some sketches of fresh new figures. Above is Chief Justice Pius Langa with listeners. (I've forgotten who that figure on the left page is - oh I remember, he was a student at my son's school, standing on top of the wall waiting for a lift)

On the left is Albie Sachs, who lost an arm and an eye in a car-bomb attack in the 80's, and is the main mover behind the wonderful art collection - much of which is donated by artists such as William Kentridge, Marlene Dumas and Karel Nel, as they have a very limited budget to buy art.

Workers at the court - cooks, cleaners, secretaries - and Judge Yvonne Mokgoro - form a talented group of swaying, swinging singers that entertained us in between speeches. Justice Sachs gesticulates wildly with what's left of his arm, as he introduces some of the artists that could make it to the launch - Karel Nel, and I'm not sure who that is with the baby - I was too engrossed in capturing the scene. Bongi is Albie's P.A., who wore a wig resplendant with the colours of the SA flag.

I'm still not comfortable with sketching in public - though I was very discreetly at the back - my heart was thumping throughout and the sketches are very, well, sketchy.