Woonhuis van Willem van den Berg in Shewasaulu, Zuid-Afrika 1969

Curator: This mixed-media piece combines photography and colored pencil techniques, presenting Willem van den Berg's dwelling in Shewasaulu, South Africa, around 1969. Editor: Immediately I'm struck by the apparent simplicity and calm of the setting. These juxtaposed images give a real sense of place. Curator: Precisely. There’s a starkness but also warmth. Notice how van den Berg uses the photographic base to establish the scene and colored pencil to evoke atmosphere and enhance certain details, adding symbolic weight to otherwise banal subjects. The domestic sphere imbued with personal, even intimate meaning. Editor: Absolutely, and this reminds me of vernacular architecture. Considering the era, 1969, I am compelled to consider this as something constructed with readily available materials – functional buildings and structures as reflections of resource availability in the region. What else can you tell me? Curator: He likely chose this medium to express a personal connection to the depicted place. The style borders on folk art—reflecting not just a visual record, but a connection to cultural memory and identity expressed through the home. A shelter. And a reminder of his roots in Africa, which would eventually draw him back there in life. Editor: I imagine this was likely a cost-effective process at the time. I am struck by the handmade quality. Do you see any connection to the ready-made considering it combines photography and coloured pencil? Curator: Perhaps subconsciously, it does lean into the "readymade," elevating a common scene into something artful. It questions the boundary between functional record-keeping and intentional creative practice. These structures of everyday life transcend mere function to hold layers of cultural significance, becoming vessels for remembrance. Editor: Thanks, I find it enriching how everyday locations hold layers of material consideration and broader contextual interpretations. Curator: Agreed, there is something inherently familiar and comforting. We began to dissect both image and object which gives insight into its deeper symbolic presence.