About ART in ART

About the book ART in ART

“Art in Art,” an original one-of-a-kind artist book, was created from artist Marsha Giegerich Torkelson’s photographs taken as a tourist while viewing the art and architecture of South Africa’s new Constitutional Court in Johannesburg. She created collages by enlarging her photographs on transparencies and then placing them together with painted backgrounds to approximate the experience of viewing the Court’s integration of art into the architecture. The collages were photographed and printed on cold press etching paper. Their compilation is displayed in a hardcover book protected by a sleeve is and is 14” x 14”. Its accordion format emphasizes its architectural subject matter and allows more of it to be seen at once. Marsha presented one of the two books in existence to the Court as a gift. The new retail version is a more user-friendly version of the original artist book.

More About the Book Project and The Constitution Court

Little did I know when I signed up for an art tour of South Africa with the Oakland Art Museum for 2007 that one of the sites we would visit would become an important part of my thoughts and artwork for such a long time. Thanks to Nadya (a friend who has greatly encouraged me in this project), I had read three books by the South African national hero Justice Albie Sachs. He relates his experiences as a long-time anti-apartheid activist and judge who played a large role in the creation of their Constitution and the unique architecture of the building known as the Constitutional Court. I had been very moved by his writing and his enthusiasm for the Constitutional Court and its art. However, nothing prepared me for the effect of the transformation from the hundred year-old infamous prison (which one visits first) to the light-filled, beautiful courthouse built on top of the former prison site.

I was overwhelmed by the architectural details that contribute to the welcoming, transparent atmosphere as well as the artwork in every direction one looks. I took in as much as I could with the aid of my little travel camera while trying to keep up with the brief tour of the building. When I returned home, I wanted to hold on to the excitement by spending as much time as possible with the photographs.

I now understand the magnitude of the Constitutional Court’s powerful effect on people as I have learned more about the extraordinary efforts involving so many South Africans in its creation. South African artists were invited to submit proposals for artwork to be an integral part of the building during the initial stages of its design by South African architects Janina Masojada and Andrew Makin (omm design workshop) and Paul Wygers (Urban Solutions Architects and Urban Designers). Additionally, many other South Africans donated their time and expertise especially local craftspeople, the Judges of the Court and the Artworks Committee.

The welcoming, uplifting qualities of the building’s design which includes sculpture, mobiles, tapestries, paintings, bead, metal and woven work and much more begin on the exterior of the building and continue with many surprises inside. In my 43 collages, I tried to give a sense in a multi-dimensional manner of the Constitutional Court’s goals of social justice and transparency as one sees them in the many images and objects symbolizing one of the Court’s main themes: traditionally people gather under the trees to settle problems in African villages. Thus, one sees artists’ renderings of tree trunks, leaves, sky and shadows from light shining through the branches throughout the building—“justice under the trees.”

The collages celebrate these lofty themes and the art of the Constitutional Court as well as the spirit of all involved in its creation.

This new format of “Art in Art” has been made with the expertise of Gail Ward (Business and Computer Consulting) in order to make it available to interested people. Hopefully, they will be inspired anew by the intense, brave struggle of the South Africans. Perhaps some will visit the Constitutional Court or be inspired to create other courthouses dedicated to human dignity and justice. And finally, perhaps they will be moved to act in behalf of these ideals more often in large and small ways in their everyday lives.

Marsha Giegerich Torkelson 2009

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You can purchase the retail version of ART in ART online.

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