Stanley Pinker - L'Etat c'est Moi (I am the State)
Stanley Pinker
South African 1924-2012
L'Etat c'est Moi (I am the State)
signed; inscribed with the artist's name and the title on a label adhered to the reverse
oil on canvas laid down on board in the artist's handmade frame
48,5 by 124,5 by 5cm, including frame
Provenance
Inherited from the artist.
Literature
Michael Stevenson (ed) (2004) Stanley Pinker, Cape Town: Michael Stevenson, illustrated in colour on page 92.
Stanley Pinker was often preoccupied with the follies and evils of post-colonial Africa. The title, L’état c’est moi, or ‘I am the state’, is attributed to Louis XIV and denotes absolute rule and control. However, Pinker’s painting brings to life a tinderbox, about to unravel and explode. The word ‘AFRICA’, ironically constructed with ‘safety’ matchsticks, stretches across the middle section, suggesting a broad context for the drama to unfold. A snake slithers, and a San hunter waves a red flag, warning us of imminent danger.
Further embattled San warriors are poised to confront the might of a colonial power. The stencilled word ‘BOO’, also the name of the artist’s dog, emerges from a loudspeaker in response. Meanwhile, a road sign alerting motorists to ‘sheep crossing’ distracts a wolf-like creature. The springbok on an Africa Service Medal adds to the eclectic menagerie, Pinker having served with the Allied Forces during the Second World War. Camouflage from a British fighter plane morphs into a mask, whilst its tail appears to be the wind-up feature of a missile, as if it were a child’s toy. A sinister military leader looks on; the form derived from a once-familiar parking meter.
Working with parody and pathos, Pinker’s eclectic juxtapositions are witty and layered. This remains a world where the surreal appears real.
Stanley Pinker
South African 1924-2012
L'Etat c'est Moi (I am the State)
signed; inscribed with the artist's name and the title on a label adhered to the reverse
oil on canvas laid down on board in the artist's handmade frame
48,5 by 124,5 by 5cm, including frame
Provenance
Inherited from the artist.
Literature
Michael Stevenson (ed) (2004) Stanley Pinker, Cape Town: Michael Stevenson, illustrated in colour on page 92.
Stanley Pinker was often preoccupied with the follies and evils of post-colonial Africa. The title, L’état c’est moi, or ‘I am the state’, is attributed to Louis XIV and denotes absolute rule and control. However, Pinker’s painting brings to life a tinderbox, about to unravel and explode. The word ‘AFRICA’, ironically constructed with ‘safety’ matchsticks, stretches across the middle section, suggesting a broad context for the drama to unfold. A snake slithers, and a San hunter waves a red flag, warning us of imminent danger.
Further embattled San warriors are poised to confront the might of a colonial power. The stencilled word ‘BOO’, also the name of the artist’s dog, emerges from a loudspeaker in response. Meanwhile, a road sign alerting motorists to ‘sheep crossing’ distracts a wolf-like creature. The springbok on an Africa Service Medal adds to the eclectic menagerie, Pinker having served with the Allied Forces during the Second World War. Camouflage from a British fighter plane morphs into a mask, whilst its tail appears to be the wind-up feature of a missile, as if it were a child’s toy. A sinister military leader looks on; the form derived from a once-familiar parking meter.
Working with parody and pathos, Pinker’s eclectic juxtapositions are witty and layered. This remains a world where the surreal appears real.
