Wijngaard Lanzerac in Stellenbosch, Zuid-Afrika 1968

Curator: Willem Jacob van den Berg's work, "Wijngaard Lanzerac in Stellenbosch, Zuid-Afrika" dating back to 1968. I see what looks to be a series of photographic snapshots placed thoughtfully in a blue page of a photo album. It almost feels like peering into someone's travel journal from the late '60s, capturing a place with that casual, unfiltered aesthetic. Editor: Instantly I am struck by a sort of quiet nostalgia it evokes; the hazy light of a bygone era seems to cling to those little photos. It looks very intimate and somehow familiar even without knowing where Stellenbosch is. Curator: Stellenbosch is a town in South Africa, nestled in wine country, not too far from Cape Town. Van den Berg was interested in exploring new frontiers of realism; what makes this piece so interesting is the choice to capture the mundane scenes, creating, thus, his own reality of his visit. Editor: It feels very unpretentious, doesn’t it? He is using what is available and easily at hand; this photo journal-like composition gives voice to the artist with the tools of his era. I can really appreciate this unassuming beauty – the charm of an everyday vineyard made art. Curator: And that accessibility underscores some crucial social commentary, given that Lanzerac has historical ties to figures within apartheid-era South Africa. Do you see any of that context reflected in the image itself? Editor: I feel very distanced to make connections of historical relevance as a first emotional impression; however, from an art history point of view I see an attempt of bridging a more genuine connection through his particular choice to frame. By avoiding sensationalizing his subjects and taking a step back, we feel immersed in the local atmosphere, thus getting his personal take, but always as an external, more of an objective perspective. Curator: True. There is an intentional sense of separation; the viewer, through Van den Berg, acts as an onlooker, removed, which is telling of the dynamics in place at that time. Editor: I guess the true nature of art lies right there, it makes you travel through someone else's eyes and experience other times in a tangible form. Curator: Agreed! An art journey like this always manages to broaden our vision.