Despite the controversy often associated with Vladimir Tretchikoff and his work, he is undoubtedly one of South African’s cultural icons. Yet there has never been a major retrospective of this work.
The Iziko South African National Gallery are planning an exhibition, Tretchikoff: The People’s Painter, for 2011. The organisers are calling for original works by Tretchikoff (not prints) to be submitted to the gallery for inclusion in the exhibition.
Tretchikoff was somewhat maligned by the arts community but his work struck a chord with ordinary South Africans. He is particularly well-known for having made his work affordable, and thus accessible, by selling print copies of his work.
Recently there’s been a significant revival in interest in his work, especially among designers, critics and young artists. The exhibition will examine the relevance of Tretchikoff’s work in a contemporary perspective.
Anybody who owns original Tretchikoff works are encouraged to contact Natasha Swift or Andrew Lamprecht at tretchikoffexhibition@gmail.com.
Also read our Ode to Kitsch story about artists paying tribute to the "King of Kitsch".
