Curriculum Vitae
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
a) NAME
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
b) PLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH
Johannesburg: 3rd. January 1950.
Nationality South African
c) MARITAL STATUS
Married
Three children: 29 (son), 27 (daughter) and 19 (son) years old.
d) PRESENT ADDRESS
9 Tenth Street,
Linden,
Johannesburg
Emails Anitra.Nettleton@Wits.ac.za
anitra_nettleton@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone (011) 782 7766
e) DEGREES AND ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS
1970 BA (Witwatersrand). Awarded the Henri Lidchi prize for History of Art.
Awarded Giovanna Maria Milner Bursary for travel to Italy.
1972 BA Hons (Witwatersrand) in Art History (First class).
1974 MA (cum laude) (Witwatersrand): The Term Primitive in Relation to African Sculpture.
1975-76 Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust research fellowship
1980 Human Sciences Research Council Bursary for PhD research
1985 PhD. (Witwatersrand) The Traditional Figurative Woodcarving of the Shona and Venda.
1985 Nominated for The Star “Woman of the Year” Award
1987 Travel Grant from the University of the Witwatersrand for the Ninth ACASA Triennial
Symposium on African art, Los Angeles
1990 University of the Witwatersrand: University Council Research Fellowship
Anderson Capelli Grant (University of the Witwatersrand) for overseas research.
Human Sciences Research Council, Senior Researchers Grant.
Travel grant from the University of the Witwatersrand for the African Studies
Association (USA) conference in Baltimore (November)
1995 Travel Grant from the University of the Witwatersrand for the Twelfth ACASA Triennial
Symposium on African art, New York
1997 Grant from the University for travel to the Thirteenth Conference of the South African
Association of Art Historians University of Stellenbosch.
1997 Scholarship grant from the Standard Bank Foundation of African Art for research on
Northern Transvaal Artists and Art of the Head in Africa
2003 Faculty Research Committee grant for travel to the SAVAH conference in Stellenbosch
September, Stellenbosch University
2005 Faculty Research Committee grant for travel to the SAVAH conference in Grahamstown,
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
September, Stellenbosch University.
2005 Anderson Capelli Grant for research on African Headrests in London and Kent.
Faculty Research Committee grant for travel to the first AEGIS conference in London,
July
2006 University of the Witwatersrand, Senate Research Committee Book publication Award.
2009 NRF Rated researchers award for 6 years.
2009 Mellon mentoring award (Justine Wintjes)
2010 Mellon mentoring award (Justine Wintjes) (Carla Douglas)
2011 Mellon mentoring award (Justine Wintjes) (Carla Douglas) (Leigh Blanckenberg)
2012 Two NRF Internship awards
f) MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES
1984-present Member of the South African Association of Art Historians – now SAVAH (South
African Visual Art Historians)
1988-1989 Member of national council of the South African Association of Art Historians
1990-1991 Member of the British Association of Art Historians
1996-1998 President of the national council of the South African Association of Art Historians
1998-1999 Ex-officio member of national council of the South African Association of Art
Historians
2000-2001 Elected member of national council of the South African Association of Art
Historians
1986- present Member of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association (USA)
g) APPOINTMENTS
1970-71 Tutor in the History of Art Department at the University of the Witwatersrand.
1972-73Lectured in the History of Art Department in the Fine Arts Department of the University
of the Witwatersrand.
1974 Part-time Assistant Lecturer, History of Art Department, University of the Witwatersrand.
Part-time lecturer, Johannesburg School of Art (Technikon).
1977 Part-time temporary lecturer February to July, full-time thereafter, in the History of Art
Department, University of the Witwatersrand.
1978 Lecturer in African Art, History of Art Department, University of the Witwatersrand, for
a period of three years.
1981 Full-time permanent lecturer in the History of Art Department, University of the
Witwatersrand.
1986 Senior Lecturer, History of Art Department, University of the Witwatersrand. Teaching
and administrative duties widely based.
1990-1991 Sabbatical leave July-July)
Special Assistant, Museum of Mankind (Ethnography Dept, British Museum) London
Academic Visitor School of Oriental and African Studies, London University
1991 Associate Professor in the History of Art Department, University of the Witwatersrand.
1997-1998 Sabbatical Leave (July-July)
2000 (July) Personal Professor in the History of Art Department, University of the
Witwatersrand
2004 (May-December) Acting Head Wits School of Arts
2005 Sabbatical Leave.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
2004-2005 Chair of interim Management Committee Wits Art Galleries
2006 (July - December) Acting Head Wits School of Arts
2002-present Academic Head, University Art Galleries
2007 Acting Head, Division of Music, Wits School of Arts
2008 (Jan- June) Acting Head, Division of Music, Wits School of Arts
Deputy Head Wits School of Arts
2009 (Jan-June) Acting Head of School, Wits School of Arts
h) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
ADMINISTRATION
I served as departmental representative on numerous and varied committees since 1984.
1992 Head of Department of History of Art for period of three years
1995 Appointed Head of Department for a further year
1995-1996 Largely responsible for drawing up the History of Art Department's Quinqennial
review document.
1998-2010 Head of discipline, History of Art
2002 Acting Head, University Art Galleries, January-June
2004 Acting Head Wits School of Arts, April-December – drove the writing of the School’s
Quinquennial Review Document
2007 Acting Head Wits School of Arts, June-December - drove the writing of the School’s
section of the Faculty of Humanities Review Document
2008 Deputy Head, Wits School of Arts
2009 (Jan-June) Acting Head of School, Wits School of Arts
COMMITTEES
Faculty and Senate committees
1987-1988 Board of the Faculty of Arts
1992-1995 Undergraduate Degrees Committee,
Board of Faculty of Architecture
1992-2004 Admissions Committee, Faculty of Arts
1994-1995 Arts Foundation Course Initiative
1992- 2011 Board of Faculty of Arts/Humanities
1992-1994 Admissions Committee, Faculty of Arts
1992-1996, 1998-2011 Senate
1992-1995 Board of Control, Centre for Continuing Education
1982-1998 Higher Degrees Committee/Postgraduate Studies Committee, Faculty of Arts
1993-1995 Academic Board (elected member)
2001-2008 Council Readmissions Committee
2004 (9 months) 2006 (6 months) 2009 (6 months)
Faculty of Humanities Staffing and Promotions Committee
Faculty of Humanities Executive
Faculty of Humanities Research committee
2006-2007 Senate Library Committee
2005 Faculty of Humanities Library Committee
2009 & 2010 Senate Disciplinary Committees
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
Wits Art Museum (formerly University Art Galleries)
1993-2010 Board of Control, University Art Galleries
1979
Ad Hoc committee for the establishment of the Standard Bank Collection of African
Art at the University of the Witwatersrand.
1979-2005 Acquisitions Committee University Art Galleries
2002
Selection committee for new Head of the Art Gallery
1979-2008 Standard Bank Foundation for African Art Postgraduate Scholarships Selection
Committee
2004
Wits Art Galleries Relocation Committee
2005-present Chair Wits Art Galleries Management Committee
Department/Wits School of Arts Committees
1994
Departmental Review Committee for Department of Social Anthropology
Quinquennial Review.
1994-1995 Departmental representative on Liaison committee with Johannesburg Art
Foundation, and the African Institute of Arts at Funda.
1999
Steering Committee for proposed merger of Fine Arts, History of Art and Drama
2001
Chair of committee to set up first year core course, Film, Visual and Performing Arts
(WSOA120/121), for implementation by the Wits School of Arts in 2002
2002-2010 Wits School of Arts Executive Committee
Wits School of Arts Management Committee
Wits School of Arts Postgraduate Committee
Wits School of Arts Library Committee
2002-2004 & 2006-2009
Wits School of Arts First year core-course co-ordinator (WSOA11002/1003)
Miscellaneous Committees
1984-87 Chair, Management Committee, College Nursery School.
1990s –2011
Various selection committees for staff in History of Art, Fine Arts, Anthropology and
Architecture
2000
Selection committee for Head of Wits School of Arts
Selection committee for Head of the School of the Built Environment
2001
Consultative committee for School of Built Environment, RIBA accreditation
1991-1994 Gender Forum
1994Editorial Board African Studies
2009 Editorial Board World Art (University of East Anglia)
i) PRESENT POSITION
Andrew W. Mellon Chair and Director
Centre for the Creative Arts of Africa
Academic Head
Wits Art Museum
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
j) RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
I have been involved in research on a number of different projects since completing my PhD, for
which I did both archival and field research. Prior to my PhD there was almost nothing published
on the African art of Southern Africa, but through my research and that of my postgraduate
students that has changed. My publication list reflects the areas of research which I have
completed.
PUBLICATIONS
Articles in Peer-reviewed journals
1976 "The Term `Primitive' in Relation to African Sculpture" Artlook June/July, pp. 2-8
1978 "Form and Content: A Formalist Approach to the Long-faced style of Buli." African
Studies 37:2:193-201.
1980 "Review Article: Islam and Tribal Art in West Africa." Africa Perspective. 16:89-91
Winter.
1984 "San Rock Art: Image, Function and Meaning - a Reply to A.R. Willcox." South African
Archaeological Bulletin. 39:67-68.
1985 The Arts of Southern Africa" African Arts 18:3:52-53 (with C.Vogel).
"The Venda Model Hut" African Arts 18:3: 87-90.
1986 Review Article: "Treasures in Transition? Problems of research into Southern African
Art." with S. Klopper, De Arte 34:38-49
1988 "History and the Myth of Zulu Sculpture." African Arts 21:3:43-51.*
"The Myth of the Transitional: Black Art and White Markets in South Africa." South
African Journal of Cultural and Art History. 2:4:301-310.*
1990 "`Dream -Machines': Southern African Headrests." South African Journal of Art and
Architectural History 1:4:147-54.
1992 "Ethnic and Gender Identities in Venda Domba Statues." African Studies 51:4:203-230
1993 "Arts and Africana: Hierarchies of Material Culture" South African Historical Journal 29
(Nov) 61-75
1996 "Souvenirs of Difference: Nineteenth Century Leather Dolls from South Africa." South
African Journal of Art and Architectural History vol 6 26-31
2000 "Home is where the Art is: Negotiating the urban art market: Six rural artists from the
Northern Province, South Africa, African Arts 33:4:26-39,93
2003 “Shaking up the Gallery...”Art South Africa 2:2:42-47
2005 “Public Memory and the English Language, reading and re-reading South African
contemporary high culture: Reviewing Coombes and De Kock et al.” Kronos, 2005*
“Presenting the self for the gaze of the other: ethnic identity in portraits by black South
African artists.” De Arte 72:4-16
2006 “Samson Mudzunga, dzingoma and new mythologies” African Arts 39, no. 4 (Winter),
pp. 68-77.
2007 “An archaeology of the imaginary; Deborah Bell Unearthed” NKA Journal of
Contemporary African Art no 21: Fall, pp102-109
2009 Jackson Hlungwani’s Altars: An African Christian Theology in Wood and Stone”
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
Material Religion 5:1:50-69 (Berg, London) guest edited by Elisha Renne
2010 “Life in a Zulu Village: Craft and the art of modernity in South Africa.” The Journal of
Modern Craft (Berg) 3:1:55-78
2011 “Writing Artists into History: Dumile Feni and the South African Canon” African Arts
44:4:8-25
“Sensing and Making Sense: Art-things in a small part of the world.” World Art Journal.
1:1: 59-66
2012 “In Pursuit of Virtuosity: gendering “master” pieces of 19th Century South African
indigenous arts” Visual Studies 27:3:221-236.
2013 “Jubilee Dandies: Collecting Beadwork in Tsolo, Eastern Cape : 1897-1932” African Arts.
46:1:36-49
“Exhibiting ‘Africa’ in Africa; an impossible conundrum? Take 2” De Arte. (In press)
SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION
2013 “The Art Museum in Africa – a utopian desire?” submitted to Social Dynamics (05 02
2013)
Books
1979 Catalogue, African Tribal Sculpture. Johannesburg: the Gertrude Posel Gallery,
University of the Witwatersrand
1986 Catalogue: The Standard Bank Foundation and University of the Witwatersrand Art
Galleries Collection of African Art. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand Art
Galleries.
1989 Edited with W.D. Hammond-Tooke Catalogue: Ten Years of Collecting. Johannesburg,
University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries.
Edited with W.D. Hammond-Tooke African Art in Southern Africa: Tradition to
Township. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.
2001 Nigerian Art: The Meneghelli Collection. Johannesburg: Totem Meneghelli Galleries.
Editor and author of six short essays and all texts accompanying the images.
2003 Engaging Modernities: Transformations of the Commonplace. Johannesburg: University
of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries. Co-authored with Julia Charlton and Fiona RankinSmith.
“Collecting the Exotic: The allure of Africa” in Rankin-Smith, F and Nettleton,A. Power
and Passion: Traditional African Art Lusaka: Alliance Francaise. 10-34
2004 Co-edited with Julia Charlton and Fiona Rankin Smith Voice Overs: Wits writings
exploring African art. University of The Witwatersrand Art Galleries, Johannesburg April
2007 African Dream Machines: Style, Identity and Meaning of African Headrests.
Johannesburg: Wits University Press 465 pp. 465 illustrations
Chapters in peer-reviewed books
1973 "Costume in Caravaggio" in Harmsen,F. (ed.) Art and Articles Cape Town: Balkema,
pp.60-68.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
1981 "Crocodiles, Snakes and Riddles: Form and Content in Traditional African Sculpture."
Africa Seminar: Collected Papers. Vol. 2. Centre for African Studies, University of Cape
Town. pp. 114-127.
1989 "The Art of the Venda" in Hammond-Tooke, W.D. and A. Nettleton (eds), Catalogue:
Ten Years of Collecting. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries pp.
3-8.
1989 "The Art of the North Sotho" with W.D. Hammond-Tooke, in Hammond-Tooke, W.D.
and A. Nettleton (eds) Catalogue: Ten Years of Collecting. pp. 16-23.*
"The Beadwork of the Cape Nguni" with W.D. Hammond-Tooke and S. Ndabambi, in
Hammond-Tooke, W.D. and A. Nettleton (eds) Catalogue: Ten Years of Collecting. pp.
39-44.
.Co-authored with W.D. Hammond-Tooke "Introduction" in Nettleton, A. and W.D.
Hammond-Tooke (eds) African Art in Southern Africa: Tradition to Township. pp 7-13
".... In what degree they are possessed of Ornamental Taste: A History of the Writing on
Black Art in South Africa." in Nettleton, A. and W.D. Hammond-Tooke African Art in
Southern Africa: Tradition to Township. Johannesburg: Ad Donker. pp 22-29
"The crocodile does not leave his pool: Venda Court Arts." in Nettleton,A. and W.D.
Hammond-Tooke African Art in Southern Africa: Tradition to Township. Johannesburg:
Ad Donker. pp 68-83
1991 "Tradition, Authenticity and Tourist Sculpture in 19th and 20th Century South Africa."
in Johannesburg Art Gallery Art and Ambiguity pp 32-47.
1992 "Burton's Luba Mboko: Reflections of Reality." in University of the Witwatersrand Art
Galleries The Collection of W.F.P. Burton: Of Course you would not want a canoe....
University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries, Johannesburg pp 51-67.
1995 "Collections, Exhibitions and Histories: Constructing a new South African art history."
In Africus: The Johannesburg Biennale Biennale catalogue. Johannesburg: The
Transitional Metropolitan Council 65-70
1996 "Johannes Segogela" in Magnin, A (ed) Contemporary African Art New York, Abrams
1997 The Art of the Venda" in Dewey, W. and E de Palmenaer (eds) Zimbabwe Past and
Present Tervuren Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central pp 161-175
1998 "Musidzana wa Tshirova: The Girl who has a medicated rod: Gender Ambiguities and the
Venda Thahu" in Johannesburg Art Gallery Evocations of the Child: Fertility Figures of
the Southern African region (eds N. Leibhammer and K. Nel) Cape Town: Human and
Rousseau pp 173-179.
2000 “To sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam: Gendering embroidery and appliqué in Africa”
In Schmahmann, B (ed) Material Matters: Appliqués by the Weya Women of Zimbabwe
and Needlework by South African Women’s Collectives. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand
University Press
2001 “Des rois, des lacs et des ‘traditions’. La sculpture chez les Venda.” in Joubert, H and M
Valentin (eds) Ubuntu: Arts et culture d’Afrique du Sud Paris: Musee National des Arts
d’Afrique et d’Oceanie. 95-101
“Materials, meanings, matano: Venda Initiation Figures” in Van Schalkwyk, J and E
Harnisch (eds) Sculptured in Clay: Iron Age figures from Schroda, Limpopo Province,
South Africa. Pretoria: National Cultural History Museum. 95-111
2006 “Shaking off the Shackles: From Apartheid to African Renaissance in Art History
Syllabi”. In Onians, J. (ed) Compression vs Expression: Containing and explaining the
world’s art. Massachusetts: Stirling and Francine Clark Institute & Yale University Press.
39-53.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
2007 “Breaking Symmetries: Aesthetics and bodies in Tsonga-Shangaan beadwork.”
in Nessa Leibhammer (ed) Dunga Manzi/ Stirring Water. Johannesburg: Johannesburg
Art Gallery and Wits University Press pp 79-102
“Tsonga Sculpture: Identities and Styles.” in Nessa Leibhammer (ed) Dunga Manzi/
Stirring Water. Johannesburg: Johannesburg Art Gallery and Wits University Press
pp123-137
“Personal Objects and the Desire for Individuation: The Pethica Collection.” In Klopper,
Sandra, Anitra Nettleton and Terence Pethica Art of Southern Africa. Milan: 5
Continents Editions.13-24
2008 “Creating Heritage, Manipulating Tradition: Art and Material Culture in South Africa’s
Rainbow Nation” In Yoshida, Kenji and Mack, John (eds) Preserving the Cultural
Heritage of Africa: Crisis or Renaissance? London: James Currey and Pretoria: UNISA
Press 107-118
2009 “The Standard Bank Collection of African Art: A heritage collection in the making.” in
Charlton, Julia (ed) Signature Pieces: The Standard Bank Corporate Art Collection.
Johannesburg: The Standard Bank. Pp 137-153
“Primitivism in South African Art” in Van Robbroeck Lize (ed) The Visual Century:
South African Art in Context. Vol 2 pp 141-162 (general editor Mario Pissara )*
2012 “The Sacred: Holy and demonic.” in Rankin-Smith Fiona (ed) Figuring Faith: Images of
belief in Africa. Johannesburg: Fourth Wall Books. 70-86*
“Divine Communication”. in Rankin-Smith Fiona (ed) Figuring Faith: Images of belief
in Africa. Johannesburg: Fourth Wall Books.202-212*
2013 With your back to the wall:
2011
Catalogue/Encyclopaedia entries.
1995 Six entries on Southern African art objects (Venda Divining Bowl and Door, Shona
Headrests, and Tsonga Figures) Africa: Art of a Continent London: Royal Academy of
Arts and Prestel Books, 1995 pp.201-202, 204-205, 226-227.
1996 Entry on Shona Headrests in Africa, The Art of a Continent New York, Guggenheim
Museum p. 86
1997 "Art of Southern Africa" in The Dictionary of Art London: MacMillan vol 29 : 413-420
“Continuing Traditions” in The Dictionary of Art London: MacMillan Vol 29 : 104
“Venda” in The Dictionary of Art London: MacMillan Vol 34 :154-155
2000 Four essays: “Initiation of a Pondo Diviner Igqira”, “Venda Divining Bowl Ndilo”,
“Venda and Tsonga divining dice” and “Shona Headrest, Mutsago” (1500 words each)
for Art and Oracle: Spirit Voices of Africa New York, Metropolitan Museum Virtual
exhibition July-December 2000 http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/oracle/index/html
2000 “Contemporary Rural Artists” in Law, Jennifer and John Picton (eds) Cross Currents:
Contemporary art practice in South Africa, an exhibition in two parts. Somerset: The
Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School 39-40
“Venda Ndilo” in Mack, John (ed) Africa: Arts and Cultures. London: British Museum
Publications. 188-189
2002 Commissioned to write a critical review (re-write) of article on “South African Art” in
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
World Books Encyclopaedia (11 pages) for new edition in 2003
“Trade, Traditions and Treasures” in Maart, B. (ed) Boipelo Ka Setso Johannesburg:
Johannesburg Art Gallery, 26-26
2003 “Samson Mudzunga’s Dzingoma as art-works, Challenging the centrality of
performance”. in Johannesburg Art Gallery Suka Dzivha Fundudzi: Samson Mudzunga
Johannesburg; Johannesburg Art Gallery (no pagination).
2009 “ Pot á Couvercle” in La Collection de Musée Quai Branly. Paris : Musée Quai Branly et
Flammarion
Book Reviews
1983-89 Various book reviews in African Studies and The South African Journal of Cultural
History and Art History.
1994 Rock Art of Southern Africa: Review of three 1994 Johannesburg exhibitions." African
Arts 29 (2) 77-78.
2001 Review of Michael Stevenson and Michael Graham-Stewart South-East African
Beadwork 1850-1910: From adornment to artefact to art. (With an essay by Sandra
Klopper) Johannesburg: Fernwood Press 2000, De Arte 64:84-88
2004 Review of “Noria Mabasa”. (Taxi Art Books, David Krut Publishers, Johannesburg) In
De Arte. 69:100-103
2005 Review of Renne, E,P. and Agbaje-Williams, B (eds)Yoruba religious Textiles: Essays
in Honour of Cornelies Adepegba. Ibadan: Bookbuilders 2006. In De Arte 75:80-82
2008 Review of Njami, S (ed) Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent.. Johannesburg:
Johannesburg Art Gallery and Jacana Media. In De Arte 77:78-81
2009 Review of Drewal, Henry John (ed) “Sacred Waters: Arts for Mami Wata and Other
Divinities in Africa and the Diaspora.” In De Arte 80:77-80
2010 Review of Knight, Natalie (ed) L’Afrique: A tribute to Maria Stein-Lessing and Leopold
Spiegel. In De Arte 81:80-82
.
EDITORSHIPS
2010 Region editor for Southern Africa for the Grove’s Dictionary of African Art. General
editor John Picton, Publisher: Oxford University Press. (Unfortunately this project was
abandoned by OUP in 2011)
I am on the editorial boards of African Studies and World Art. (Both Taylor and Francis)
EXHIBITIONS
1979 African Tribal Art co-curated, with Diana Newman, an exhibition of African art from
private collections and the newly-formed Standard Bank Foundation Collection of
African Art at the Gertrude Posel Gallery, University of the Witwatersrand.
1986 The Standard Bank Foundation of African Art Collection 1979-1986 Gertrude Posel
Gallery, University of the Witwatersrand. An exhibition of the African Art in the
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
collection of the University Art Galleries, the Ethnology Museum and the Standard Bank
Foundation collections. Co-curated with Diana Newman and Barbara von Barsewisch.
1989 Ten Years of collecting (1979-1989) Gertrude Posel Gallery, University of the
Witwatersrand. An exhibition of the African Art in the collection of the University Art
Galleries, the Ethnology Museum and the Standard Bank Foundation collections. Cocurated with Rayda Becker and Fiona Rankin-Smith.
1991 Art and Ambiguity: Perspectives on the Brenthurst Collection Johannesburg Art Gallery,
December 1991-March 1992. Consultant on attribution and labelling of the works
mounted in the exhibition.
1992 The Collection of William FP Burton University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries.,
May-July. Part of the team planning the display, creating texts and mounting the works.
Also acted as "reader" for all catalogue essays.
1992 Convention, Context and Change The Standard Bank Collection of African Art,
Permanent Display. University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries. Part of team
conceptualising the display and selected pieces for and helped to mount sections on
"traditional" art.
1997 Clothing and Identity The Standard Bank Collection of African Art, Permanent Display.
University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries. Case on masks and masking and
supervision of three master's degree student's displays on Southern African women's
dress.
1999 Gone to Their Heads: The Art of the head in Africa Standard Bank Gallery (Standard
Bank Foundation of African Art) Johannesburg .
Treasures of the Standard Bank Foundation of African Art Co-curated with Rayda
Becker, Alan Crump. Karel Nel and Fiona Rankin-Smith Opening at Grahamstown
Festival, July.
2001 Co-curated Art and Craft: Heritage from the Northern Province with Dr Rayda Becker
(University Art Galleries) and Dr Johan van Scxhalkwyk (National Culture History
Museum, Pretoria) Pietersburg June-November 2001 Included preparation of educational
material in the form of education posters and resource files. The project was done in
collaboration with the National Department of Arts Culture Science and Technology.
2001 Co-Curated From Body to Spirit with Dr Rayda Becker and Ms Fiona Rankin Smith
(Wits Art Galleries) Standard Bank Gallery Simmonds Str Johannesburg Opened June
2001-2 Co-curated Meneghelli Family Collection of Nigerian Art, with Karel Nel and Vittorino
Meneghelli. Co-ordinator and editor of the catalogue. Exhibition opened 27th February,
closed 13th April
2002 Co-curated Engaging Modernities exhibition for the Grahamstown Festival of the Arts
June/July Albany Museum (with Fiona Rankin-Smith and Julia Charlton, Wits Art
Galleries). Co-authored (with Julia Charlton) all texts for the exhibition. Show in Durban
Art Gallery end 2002., Also at Potchefstroom University mid 2003
2004 Engaging Modernities On show at the Standard Bank Gallery Johannesburg Jan -Feb
Co-curated with Julia Charlton and Fiona Rankin Smith, Voice Overs: Wits writings
exploring African art. Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg April; National Gallery,
Cape Town September, King George V Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth April 2005
2005 Consultant for Dunga Manzi/ Stirring Water at Johannesburg Art Gallery May to
September 2007.
2006 “Capital: Talking Heads”: Exhibition in the Wits Art Galleries future space, for the
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
WALE festival co-curated with Fiona Rankin Smith, Julia Charlton, Anthea Buys, Paula
Munsie and Justine Wintjes (Latter 3 postgraduate bursars).
2010/11 “Other Views” Exhibition at the Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, to
coincide with the SAVAH/CIHA Colloquium held at Wits January 12-15 2011. Cocurated with Julia Charlton, Federico Freschi, Karel Nel and Fiona Rankin-Smith.
2012 “Seeing Stars” Opening exhibition for the new Wits Art Museum, co-curated with Fiona
Rankin-Smith and Julia Charlton.
“Wits 90: Wits Treasures” Exhibition at the Wits Art Museum, University of the
Witwatersrand, for the 90th anniversary of the University’s founding charter. Objects from
most of Wits’s collections. Co-curated with Rochelle Keene and the curators of the
collections. September 20-October 14 2012.
CONFERENCES
1983 Paper “the Visual Significance of Southern San Painting.” First Conference of the South
African Association of Art Historians. Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal.
1986 Paper "History and the Myth of Zulu Sculpture." Seventh Triennial Symposium of the
Arts Council of the African Studies Association, University of California, Los Angeles.
1987 Paper "...to what degree they are possessed of ornamental taste'. The history of the
writing on Black art in South Africa." Third Conference of the South African Association
of Art Historians. Stellenbosch University.
Same paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Anthropological Association in
Cape Town.
1989 Paper "The not-so-new: 'Transitional' art in historical perspective." Fifth Conference of
the South African Association of Art Historians. University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
1990 Discussant on a panel on Ndebele Art. Annual Conference of the African Studies
Association, Baltimore USA
1992 Paper "Hierarchies of Material Culture" History Workshop Conference Myths,
Monuments, Museums: New Premises Johannesburg University of the Witwatersrand
July.
Paper "How we define our objects of study" Ninth Annual Conference of the South
African Association of Art Historians, UNISA July
1994 Paper "African art from the Northern Transvaal" Spring lectures, University of the North,
Turfloop, September (by invitation)
1995 Paper "Souvenirs of Difference: Nineteenth Century Leather Dolls from South Africa"
The Ninth Triennial Symposium on African Art Arts Council of the African Studies
Association (ACASA) New York University, April
1995 Paper "Souvenirs of Difference: Nineteenth Century Leather Dolls from South Africa"
Mechanisms of Power Eleventh Annual Conference of the South African Association of
Art Historians, University of the Witwatersrand, July .
1997 Paper "A Tale of two headrests: Beyond Sleeping". Thirteenth Conference of the South
African Association of Art Historians, University of Stellenbosch.
1998 Paper "Home is where the art is: Artists of the Northern Province(SA) and the Urban Art
Market." Read at the College Art Association of North America's Annual Conference,
Toronto, April.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
1998 Paper "Presenting the self for the gaze of the other: Ethnic identity in portraits by black
South African Artists". Fourteenth Annual Conference of the South African Association
of Art Historians, UNISA, July 1998
2000 Invited Paper “Shaking off the Shackles: From Apartheid to African Renaissance in Art
History Syllabi”. Second Clark Conference: Compression vs Expression: Containing and
explaining the world’s art. Invited speaker. Clark Art Institute, Williamstown,
Massachusets 6th - 9th April.
2003 “Can monuments speak in African languages? Interrogating issues of style in postcolonial African Monuments.” Twentieth Annual Conference of the South African
Association of Art Historians, University of Stellenbosch, September
2003 Invited Paper “Creating Heritage, Manipulating Tradition: Art and Material Culture in
South Africa’s Rainbow Nation” Presented at the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka,
Japan, Conference: Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Africa: Crisis or Renaissance?
December.
2005 Presented Paper: “Reading Dumile Feni’s Works” at Johannesburg Art Gallery
conference Dumile Feni: the Artist and his Philosophy Saturday 9th April
2005 Presented paper: “ Drumming out old mythologies: Samson Mudzunga, contemporary art
and ‘traditionalist’ Venda politics in South Africa.” at the AEGIS conference, School of
Oriental and African Studies, London University, June 29-July 12
2005 Presented paper “The Dumile Feni Retrospective: Reclaiming African Identity at the
expense of all else.” at the South African Association of Art Historians Conference,
Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 8-10 September
2006 Presented an invited paper “Memories to Histories: the alchemical change of material
culture to art or how to engage Africans with material heritage.” Colloquium on
“Preserving the Cultural Heritage in Africa: Link of Memories to Histories” at the
National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka Japan. February-March.
2006 Presented Paper “Transforming our understanding of heritage: African art in the art
historical nexus of museum, gallery and art school.” 22nd Annual Conference of the South
African Visual Arts Historians September, Vaal University of Technology.
2007 Presented paper “Jackson Hlungwani: The ‘Original’, the ‘African’ and the ‘Artist’ 23rd
Annual Conference of the South African Visual Arts Historians September 13th, 14th ,
Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand..
2007 Invited Paper “Threading the Interstices: Tradition and Modernity in an African Wedding
in Kwa-Zulu Natal 2006.” Symposium on Dress and the African Diaspora. London,
Victoria and Albert Museum. September 24th and 25th.
2007 Coordinated the South African leg of Clark-Mellon Workshop Contemporary African
Art: History, Theory, and Practice at the Wits School of Arts University of the
Witwatersrand 25th and 26th October. Presented a discussion paper on African art History.
2008 Presented paper “Preserving Heritage in South Africa: Museums, Heritage Objects and
Modern Life.” Colloquium on “Preserving the Cultural Heritage in Africa: Link of
Memories to Histories” at the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka Japan. February13
CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
March.
2008 Participant in Clark/Mellon workshop on Contemporary African Art: History, Theory,
and Practice at the Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts, 24th, 25th
May, and presented summary of these discussions at a symposium at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York on 27th May, during a week’s residency sponsored by the Clark
and the Getty Foundation.
2009 Presented Paper “Threading the Interstices Part 2: Tradition and Modernity: photographs
of an African Wedding in Kwa-Zulu Natal 2006.” 25th Annual Conference of the South
African Visual Art Historians. University of Pretoria, July 10-11.
Presented paper “The Venerable Bead? Interrogating variable values ascribed to
beadwork in South Africa.” At Beadwork in KwaZulu Natal, Conference at the University
of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. December 2nd-3rd 2009.
2010 Presented paper “Modernism and South African Primitivism, 1962-68: The Amadlozi
Group” at the 99th Conference of The College Art Association, Chicago 11th-13th
February.
Presented Paper Is Helen Sebidi a Modernist for the Panel discussion on Helen Sebidi at
Wits WALE Festival, April/May 2010.
Presented position paper “Sensing and Making Sense: Art-things in a small part of the
world.” University of East Anglia colloquium for the launch of the World Art Journal 24th
and 25th June 2010.
2011 Presented paper as respondent on triple panel on “Índigenous Modernisms” SAVAH/
CIHA colloquium “Other Views”. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
January 13-15
Presented Paper “In the Era of a democratic South Africa: How can we teach History of
Art ?” at the Triennial Symposium of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association,
Los Angeles, March 23-26.
Presented invited paper at the Clark/Mellon colloquium Indigenous Modernisms at the
Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts, 5th & 6th May.
2012 Presented paper “Exhibiting “Africa” in Africa; an impossible conundrum?” at
symposium on “Exhibiting Africa: Contemporary perspectives on representation of
cultures in museums”.17-21 February 2012: National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka,
Japan.
Presented paper “Jackson Hlungwani: The Professional Authentic Artist.” Symposium on
Jackson Hlungwane, Pholokwane Art Museum. 9 March 2012.
Presented paper “Curiosity and Aesthetic delight – the snuff spoon as synechdoche in
some Nineteenth Century Collections from Natal and the Zulu Kingdom.” At
Tribe/Untribe Workshop Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, 24th & 25th
March, 2012.
Presented paper “Conditions of Engagement: Modernism and modernity in the art of two
black Twentieth Century South African Artists.” at the symposium on Mapping
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
Modernisms: Transcultural exchanges in 20th Century Global Art. May 10, Carleton
University and National Gallery of Canada Ottawa, Ontario Canada.
Presented Paper “: “Exhibiting ‘Africa’ in Africa; an impossible conundrum? Take 2” at
the 27th Annual Conference of SAVAH “Visual Dialogues: South Africa in
Conversation.” 4-7 July 2012, at UNISA, Pretoria.
Presented Paper “Making a market for “African art in Johannesburg in the 1960s” at the
33rd CIHA conference “Questioning the Object in Art History”. Nuremberg, Germany
July 15-22 2012
Presented Paper “ The art Museum in Africa – a utopian desire?” Icmah/Comcol
conference Museums and the Idea of Historical Progress. Cape Town, Iziko SA Museum
7th-9th November
Research Rating
2003 Awarded a B3 rating as a researcher by the National Research Foundation (South Africa).
2008 Awarded a B2 rating as a researcher by the National Research Foundation (South Africa).
n) OTHER INFORMATION
TEACHING
Over the years I was in the Department of Art History at Wits I taught courses on Ancient Greek
art, Roman art and architecture, Byzantine and Mediaeval art and architecture, Trecento Italian
art, Italian Baroque painting, Northern Renaissance painting, Dutch realism, Modernist
Primitivism, Post Impressionism and Cubism, Modernism beyond the West and Historical and
Contemporary African art. In recent years most of my teaching has concentrated on African art,
which is my primary field of specialization, as well as on Primitivism and Mediaeval art. I
recently ran courses on African monuments, contemporary and historical African art, and the
Body in art in cross-cultural contexts at both under-graduate and post-graduate level.
When I started teaching at the University in the early 1970s African art was taught in a few
lectures within the Fine Arts theory course. In 1978 I established the teaching of African art as a
component of the core syllabus in the History of Art Department. Until 1989 when Sandra
Klopper, who did her PhD under my supervision, moved to UCT, ours was the only art-history
major offered at a university in South Africa which included African art, and virtually 50% of all
postgraduate research on “traditional” African art (bar Bushman) done in South Africa has been
done under my supervision, or by graduates who have worked with me. Graduates from this
department have gone on to do post-graduate studies on African art at universities such as
London (SOAS, Birkbeck and University College), East Anglia, Columbia, Atlanta, and NorthWestern.
In the publication Evocations of the Child: fertility figures of the Southern African Region (eds
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
Nel.K and N Leibhammer 1998) nine of the 16 authors (including the editors) of the essays had
studied with me either as undergraduates or as postgraduates.
I have been invited to give lectures by the Departments of Anthropology and Architecture, and
have done critique sessions for the Department of Fine Arts. I have also delivered numerous
lectures outside the university and I have acted as external examiner for other universities at both
undergraduate and postgraduate level, and as local adviser for students from Indiana, the
Sorbonne and Basel University.
WORKSHOPS
1993 With Elizabeth Delmont, presented material on integration of study skills in first year
teaching at a Faculty of Arts workshop (January/February)
1995 Art Educators' Workshop (July) Presented material on "Art vs craft" and acted as
workshop facilitator/consultant. Organised by the South African Association of Art
Historians)
1996 Art Educator's Workshop (August) Presentation on teaching of African art in light of the
Interim Core syllabus for secondary education. Organised by Gauteng Branch of the
South African Association of Art Historians.
2004 Presentation on The Cultural History of Africa at The History Workshop Teacher’s
workshop on “Africa in South Africa”. 24th July. MuseumAfrika.
2006 IEB Art Teachers workshop on teaching African Art. St Andrews’ School, Johannesburg
11th February
Workshop in Conjunction with the Telkom Project Artists in Conversation – an
exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum and then at the Wits Art Galleries,- supervisory in
conjunction with other members of staff and postgraduate students from both WSOA and
the History Workshop. I opened both exhibitions.
EXTERNAL ACTIVITIES
Over the years of my employment at the University I have been involved in extension teaching
for the Institute for Adult Studies and the Centre for Continuing Education. I have given
invitation lectures at institutions such as the Universities of Cape Town, Durban Westville, and
South Africa, Rand Afrikaans University and the South African National Gallery in Cape Town,
Johannesburg Art Gallery, Durban Art Gallery, Museum of Mankind (London), SOAS (London),
the Decorative Arts Society, The Mediaeval Society, the African Institute of Arts at Funda, the
African Cultural Centre, the Fine Arts Section of FUBA and recently at Origins Centre. Most of
these lectures were on African Art. I have also been interviewed for numerous radio and TV
broadcasts on SABC, BBC, and Radio 702. I have done a large number of exhibition openings
and walk-abouts locally and nationally, and in June 2008 did a talk on my book African Dream
Machines at the Cape Town Book Fair.
EXTERNAL EXAMINING
1986 Internal examiner (the supervisor was WD Hammond-Tooke) for PhD thesis:
E.A. Schneider Paint, Pride and Politics: Aesthetic and meaning in Transvaal Ndebele
Wall Art University of the Witwatersrand
1988-1989 External examiner for UNISA History of Art I and II
1992-2005 University of Namibia History and Theory of Art I, II, III and IV and on Art and
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
Heritage courses since 2001
1995 External examiner for University of Cape Town PhD candidate - Thesis on Bushman
Rock Art
1997 External supervisor and examiner for UNISA- MA on Kuba textiles
1998 External examiner for University of Natal - MA on art of the South Sotho.
2006 External examiner for MA dissertation from UCT on “Township Craft”.
POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION
I have supervised 11 MA (by dissertation) candidates to successful completion of their degrees.
Of these, eight had external examiners from overseas institutions, and four achieved distinctions.
Six students have completed MA Research Reports under my supervision and I currently have
two master's candidates (by research report) under my supervision, and two by dissertation.
I supervised three MAFA (by dissertation) students to completion of their degrees and have
currently two MAFA student under supervision. Five PhD candidates have completed their
theses under my supervision and I currently have three PhD candidates working with me.
CONSULTANCIES/REFEREEING
1991 Consultant to the Johannesburg Art Gallery on the attributions of objects in the
Brenthurst Collection of African Art
1992 CSD referee for research funding proposals in the area of the visual arts.
1992 Refereed articles for a special issue of Social Dynamics on the collection of W.F.P.
Burton
1993 Consultant to the Johannesburg Art Gallery on the purchase of the Horstmann Collection
1994 Refereed articles for the South African National Gallery catalogue Ezakwantu
1995-2001 Referee for research funding proposals for the Human Sciences Research Council.
1998 Consultant to the Johannesburg Art Gallery on the restructuring of the exhibits of African
Art
1997-8 Consultant to Struik publishers on the book Magubane, P and Klopper S. Vanishing
Cultures of South Africa.
1998 Refereed an article on Nelson Mukhuba for the South African Biographical Dictionary
(Vista University)
Refereed articles for De Arte
1999 Consultant to Michael Kan of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Kellogg Foundation on
proposed exhibition of South African art
2000 Refereed essays for book edited by Sandra Klopper and Juliette Leeb-du-Toit on Art from
KwaZulu Natal, to be published by Natal University Press.
Refereed articles for African Studies
2001 Refereed book on South African Murals by Sabine Marschall published by UNISA press.
Refereed article on Zulu Beadwork for Natal Museum Journal of Humanities
2002 Refereed two articles on African Art for De Arte
2003 NRF referee for three researcher ratings, as well as for research proposals.
March: NRF research assessment team for Niche areas at Durban Institute of Technology.
October: NRF research assessment for research proposals for DIT niche areas.
September: NRF research assessment for research proposals for Witwatersrand
Technikon niche areas.
2003-2005 Follow-up NRF research assessment for research proposals for Witwatersrand
Technikon niche area.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Anitra Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton
2004 – 2006 NRF referee for Durban Institute of Technology research programme progress.
2007 Referee for NRF researcher ratings for two separate candidates.
Refereed articles for De Arte and South African Humanities
2008 Referee for a research project for Swiss National Science Foundation.
2009- 2011 NRF referee for various rated researcher applications
THE STANDARD BANK FOUNDATION COLLECTION OF AFRICAN ART
In 1978 I was asked by the University, along with Diana Newman (curator of the Gertrude Posel
Gallery) and Mr Neels Coetzee (Head of the Fine Arts Department), to form part of a committee
to negotiate with the Standard Bank on the establishment of a collection of African Art. In 1979
we held an exhibition of African Art in the Gertrude Posel Gallery, curated by myself and Ms
Newman, with works borrowed from a number of collectors and a catalogue written by myself.
The Bank and the University decided, on the strength of that exhibition, to go into partnership to
build up a collection of African Art, a partnership that has continued to this day. I have, over the
past thirty-one years, played a major role in guiding the direction taken by the collection as well
as the exhibitions and publications that have arisen from it.
The collection is the only public art collection in the country which has a significant number of
West and Central African pieces, but the main emphasis is on Southern Africa, an emphasis
which matches that of the research on African art that has come out of this department in the
same time period. The collection is also important in that we have moved away from canonical
definitions of “traditional” African art to include works that reflect the contemporary concerns
of African peoples. The collection is widely consulted by scholars and has been a focus of
international borrowing for exhibitions on Southern African art in the years since the unbanning
of the ANC in 1990. It is used in teaching, both by the History of Art and Fine Arts departments,
and by numerous outside institutions from schools to tertiary institutions. It is also one of the
public faces of the University, which clearly demonstrates a commitment to the research and
promotion of African culture and history.
In the years since the University closed the gallery’s display spaces (2002), I have been involved
with fund-raising, exhibitions, publications and various other activities which have kept the
Collection an active agent in shaping ideas around arts and heritage in both the University’s and
the national consciousness. The gallery project is now complete and our first exhibition opened
in May 2012, to national and international acclaim.
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