Untitled (top)
1990
Ink and photocopy on paper
96-23-3, purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program

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Untitled (bottom)
1990
Ink and photocopy on paper
96-23-2, purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program

This pair of drawings evokes concepts of the mind and the constellation Hydra, the snake. In some African cultures, the snake symbolizes quick thinking or lightning.

These works, part of Jantjes’ Zulu series, draw from his sketchbook notes on astronomy, Khoi San rock art painting and collections of primary words he noted when researching his idea for the drawings. Each pair features one image-based and one text-based drawing.

b. 1948, South Africa

Raised in Cape Town's District Six, Gavin Jantjes received his masters of arts from the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg, Germany. Rather than returning to a South Africa under apartheid, Jantjes stayed in Europe where he became a founding member of the German Anti-Apartheid movement, later served as a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees and became an active participant in the British arts community. He now lives and works in Norway.

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