Unisa Press
Scent of invisible footprints
The sculpture of Pitika Ntuli
| Author: | Prof Pitika Ntuli |
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| Published: | May 18, 2006 |
| ISBN: | 978-1-86888-623-4 |
| This book is not available in electronic format |
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About the book
Scent of Invisible Footprints intermingles poetry, prose and sculpture and gives the reader a glimpse into the complex and restless mind of Pitika Ntuli who spent 32 years of his life in exile. Pitika carries us into the world of wood, stone, bone and metal – turning the familiar into novelty; demystifying daily objects; powerfully conveying human feeling and sensibilities - ideas, philosophies and dreams ooze out of solid, apparently inanimate, objects. His works are full of humour, wit and magic, and are imbued with profound indigenous insights, whilst at the same time conversing with Western artists like Modigliani, Giacometti and Picasso. To read the book is to follow the scent of invisible footprints into the womb of this extraordinary sculptor’s creative mind.
Is it foolishness, obstinacy, foolhardiness,or is it crass perversity to continue to carve a delicate bone piece for hours and hours,for months on end, knowing that it could break into pieces at anytime? Is the agony of the thought, the ecstasy of achieving an accomplished work of Art, as a step toward creating the ultimate masterpiece, worth it?’
– Pitika Ntuli
It is this context that highlights the significance for South Africa of a retrospective exhibition of Pitika Ntuli’s art. Pitika’s work is in various media, and the beauty, diversity and complexity of form reflect the combination of an extraordinarily unique creativity, a powerful intellect and a profound spirituality. Pitika sculpts in five main media: found objects (metal and plastic); stone; bone and wood.
Table of content
Foreword by Phuthuma Nhleko 105
CEO | MTN
Pre-Enable 105
‘It’s been a long journey’: the life and times of Pitika Ntuli Ali Khangela Hlongwane 008
Touching the Heart of Anguish: Pitika – Reflections and Reminders in the Mirror of Your Past Antoinette Ntuli 018
At The Nerve End of Our Dream James Swinson 098
Indigenous African Art & Healing: Forgotten Memories, Planting Memories of Tomorrow Pitika Ntuli 098
Explorations of Space and Time Nalini Naidoo 067
Poem Astrid von Kotze 178
Pitika Ntuli, magic, and the transmutation of objects David Koloane 189
The Backwards Flight of a Wily Entangler Ari Sitas 199