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Artists
Artists from exhibitions and projects that form part of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) archive.
Watchman
Herman van Nazareth
2012
20 Stellenbosch
“Watchman” by Herman van Nazareth is about a solitary, anonymous figure standing guard in a tense, uncertain world, embodying both vigilance and vulnerability. The title suggests a lookout or sentry, and in Van Nazareth’s expressionist language, this “watchman” becomes a symbol of the ordinary person who must live in a state of alertness amid violence, oppression and cruelty.
This sturdy Watchman conveys a sense of loneliness and timelessness often associated with Herman van Nazareth’s sculptures. Here, the faceless figure appears to have been corroded and simplified by history and time. The Watchman’s coarse yet sensual patina, resulting from the application of an erosive material to the surface of the bronze, lends it the appearance of a fossilised life form.
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