
Once banned for his work, anti-apartheid activist highlights role of politics in art
Melissa Gronlund | The National News | 20th June 2024
South Africa has produced many distinguished photographers, but fewer painters. Jantjes is one of the latter whose major retrospective details decades of activism through art. The above writer thinks the work “terrific” with its urgent testimony about apartheid. Another writer sees it differently. Jantjes’ confrontational screenprints are “incredible” but his paintings are “just not great. Maybe anger can only fuel you for so long before you need to put down the weapon and treat art as … a soothing balm”.