Andrew Putter will discuss his artwork on Sunday 18 May at 15.00 at The Old Town House in Greenmarket Square.

Putter’s ‘Secretly I Will Love You More’ is a video recreation of a 17th century Dutch painted portrait and supposedly represents Maria de la Quellerie, wife of Jan van Riebeeck. In 1652 De la Quellerie adopted the Khoikhoi child Krotoa, and in this recreation, she is shown singing a gentle Khoikhoi lullaby to her daughter.

The soft clicks of the Nama song, the infinitely nuanced facial expressions of the singing woman, and the calm solitude of the installation all suggest a moment of profound realization and bonding between this most different mother and child. In doing so the installation proposes a whole new way of understanding intimacy and dominance, the past and the present, historical narratives and the alternative tales of individual relationships.

In a subtle and visually engaging manner ‘Secretly I Will Love You More’ allows us to recognize the complexities underlying the often simplistic interpretations of history that we receive as undisputed fact.

Enquiries: 021 467 4660.

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