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The artist, Ayanda Mabulu. Image: creativeafricanetwork.com

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The reaction to a new painting of President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed has been banal, but in an interesting way, says political analyst Eusebius McKaiser.

“It’s quite a beautiful thing — nudity has lost its political potency,” McKaiser said.

“In other words, people were shocked the first time because it went against their social norm, so when you see it again it can’t have the same effect.” 

McKaiser used the example of seeing a dead body for the first time.   It can be quite traumatic and a person might even need to get counselling, but when they see a dead body for a second time it is less shocking.

“It’s good for art that it lost political potency, because artists don’t have to be afraid,” McKaiser said.

Artist Ayanda Mabulu’s painting of Zuma wearing traditional attire and his penis exposed, entitled “Umshini Wam” [weapon of mass destruction] was part of an exhibition — “Our Fathers”.

The painting went on display at the AVA Gallery in Cape Town on Monday night.

The exhibition also has works of Brett Murray, whose controversial painting, “The Spear”, resulted in protests at Johannesburg’s Goodman Gallery in May.  

“The Spear”, which also depicted Zuma with his genitals exposed, was vandalised and removed from display by the Goodman Gallery.

Mabulu’s painting has received a more low key response.

McKaiser said another reason for this was because focus in terms of the news cycle was on the shooting at the Lonmin Platinum mine in Marikana.

“There is a bigger conversation going on about inequalities, labour relations, and violence. [This was] so incredibly larger that anyone who spent their political energy on this would look irrelevant,” he said.

Many took to social networking site Twitter calling Mabulu an “attention seeker”.

Yet the question was asked why when Murray painted Zuma with his genitals exposed he was called a racist but Mabulu was called an attention seeker.

McKaiser said this could easily be explained.

“South Africans think, and wrongly so, that you can’t be racist to people who look the same as you. I think everyone can be a racist, whether you are black or white, and can be racist to the same group,” he said.

- Sapa

Comments

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Thu Jun 20 08:43:12 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 29, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

Rekelang Zuma borukgu then we dont have to deal ka dinepe tsa nzwiri ya hae
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Aug 29, 2012

Pitso.MCCMA.SAFA

@ “Umshini Wam” [weapon of mass destruction]
Sowetan your poor Journalism and research may provoke unnecessary violence and divisions in this already struggling country. Umshini Wam means my machine. I wonder what was in the mind of whom reported this. This is unfair to ANC which work so hard to give RSA status it has by now despite our historical accident (ZUMA). Our songs of struggle should be translated correct considering so much fruitful results they have produced.
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Aug 29, 2012

Punkies

@MsKinkyakaKamaSutra....LOL!
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Aug 29, 2012

MommaC

Pitso.MCCMA.SAFA

Their reporting can be sloppy at times but the title of the painting is “Umshini Wam [weapon of mass destruction]" Both parts make up the title.
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Aug 29, 2012

babyfats

sighhhhhhhhhhh boring lyk makaka in de asss
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Aug 29, 2012

Papage

Why Zuma, Why not your Father idiot?
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Aug 29, 2012

Dusc

NO let me tell you it is because its a black man painting another it was racist when Murray did his painting and the march and fight was on lets see about this bigger more wild spear whats going to happen
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Aug 29, 2012

swona

is COSATU and Blade not marching against this painting?
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Aug 29, 2012

skwamasamabele

I cant for the life of me understand why people disrespect Msholozi this much. I am an artist (not a low-life like Mabulu) and dont seek self-important publicity by poking fun at the SA's First Citizen. JZ is ELECTED to represent US internationally, the first picture (that was demolished), given the benefit of the doubt, was also tasteless. Now the second picture, thats pushing a joke too far, ITS DISRESPECTFUL. Msholozi has his faults, like all of us, but he is still the Commander-in-Chief and Executive President of the Republic of South Africa. I dont see the British doing that to David Cameron, because its unethical, tasteless, and totally vindictive, nor do I see the americans doing that to Pres. Obama. Blackberry generation like Mabulu dont know anything about Ubuntu, which include respecting your Elders
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Aug 29, 2012

Pitso.MCCMA.SAFA

@MommaC
The point taken. Thanks man. Do you want to the me the painter is the one who is sloppy and undermines the songs of our freedom we worked so hard for it?
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