The Idler, Thursday, March 28, 2013

The elephant sculptures

THE NORTHERN Cape to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi to Belgium - the story of Durban's elephant sculptures, commissioned by Ethekwini Council then unilaterally cancelled by Ethekwini Council (apparently on the personal whim of a party political boss) is longer and more complicated than many would have guessed.

The project by Durban sculptor Andries Botha was recently put on track again by the High Court.

It began with a commissioning to produce something for an international environmentalist campaign. It moved to a cave in the Northern Cape where, by the light of a hand-held, flickering Bic lighter, Andries observed a very rare San painting of an elephant.

It moved on to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi, where Andries made close – and hair-raising –contact with a herd of elephant in the wild.

And from there to La Pane beach, in Belgium – once the personal domain of Leopold II – where he produced a herd of elephant sculptures similar to Durban's abandoned ones The Belgians went wild over them and they have since been shown at various localities.

It's all captured in a film made by Rick Andrew and his wife, Gill, screened this week at St Clement's – the weekly soiree - in which they interview Andries at length. The film gives a fascinating insight to the creative process, how Andries indentified with that unknown San artist; how he built up an empathy with the elephants, how inter-woven with his own existence the whole project became. Insight also to the intuitive, involuntary nature of that creative process.

And then, of course, came the farcical intervention of the party boss and Ethekwini Council. It's remarkable how Andries managed to retain his calm and self-control. This was not just a job of work, it was something that had imbedded in his soul.

The film was made before the High Court ruled in Andries's favour. It it he displays an icy resolveto take the issue to the Constitutional Court if necessary because the council action trampled on every principle of self-expression. Impressive stuff – and for once a happy ending. Durban is allowed to join the rest of the world.

Mussels and chips

MEANWHILE, a slightly discordant note. Andries visited and stayed at La Pane beach during winter and was not terribly impressed. It reminded him of a Russian holiday camp, he said.

This pained Belgian national Jean-Marie Spithaels – a St Clement's stalwart - who insisted La Pane is in fact a delightful place where they serve the best mouelles et frites (musssels and chips) in the world.

In the interests of evenhandedness and objectivity, this is recorded.

 

Marmageddon

THE KIWIS have survived Marmageddon. That's what they call the ordeal since the earthquake that devastated Christchurch in 2011 also halted production at the Marmite factory.

The country limped on for a few months until stockpiles ran out. They could not import from Britain because Kiwi Marmite is distinctively different in taste from British. Kiwis resorted to things like anchovies and caviar on toast for more than two years.

But now Marmite is back  in production with a sales target of 640 tons a year. We'll have to watch the New Zealand teams in the Super Rugby.

 

Jack-in-a-box

POLICE in Michigan, in the US, had a suspicious-looking car under observation. As it parked in Kalamazoo they set the cameras to capture on video any developments.

Suddenly the boot popped open and a deer jumped out and ran off into the woods.

It turned out the driver had knocked down the deer on the road and put it in the boot of the car, thinking it was dead, and was taking it home for venison. But it turned out only to have been stunned.

No crime – but at least some unusual footage.

 

Tailpiece

THE EMERGENCY number 911 gets a call in Memphis, Tennessee.

Caller: "I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath. Darn ... I think I'm going to pass out."
Despatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?"
Caller: "I'm at a payphone. North and Foster."
Despatcher: "Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?"
Caller: "No."
Dispatcher: "What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?"
Caller: "Running from the police."

 

Last word

 

Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. - Salvador Dali