Wayne Barker

Wayne Barker (, Pretoria), South African visual artist. Barker is based in Johannesburg. He rose to prominence in the late 80s, at the height of political unrest under the Apartheid regime. His work has featured in several global biennales, art fairs and important retrospective exhibitions. He works in various mediums, including but not limited to painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, performance and installation. In addition to collaborations with other artists, Barker has collaborated with the Qubeka Beadwork Studio based in Cape Town, to realise large scale glass beadworks.

Early life Barker was born in Pretoria on 27 July 1963 to a white, working-class family at the height of Apartheid. Barker's father was a South African Airforce pilot, later turned commercial pilot and as a result, Barker and his siblings grew up on the Valhalla military base in Pretoria. Valhalla is the oldest Airforce base in the country, functional since 1921. Growing up in the highly conservative atmosphere of Pretoria in the 70s could in some ways be seen as a catalyst and contributing factor to Barker's particularly rebellious and aggressive attack on that exact conservatism. In Artist's Monologue, Barker recounts his childhood:

Barker and his brother attended Glen High School in Pretoria, before his expulsion in 1976 after being arrested for buying marijuana. In his teens, Barker left home to learn woodcarving on the coast at Nature's Valley in the Western Cape.

In 1983, after having failed art history at Michaelis, Barker returned home to his father's insistence that he join the South African military as three generations of Barker men before him had. To Barker, the SANDF represented everything about a South Africa in which he had no desire or aptitude to participate in. At the time, the tense political climate had seen a previously unknown escalation, and was straining under intense pressure both internationally and from within. The increased resistance to the apartheid regime had resulted in more and more military raids on private residences, and human rights violations. However, despite his unwillingness, Barker's conscription papers eventually arrived and he would find himself back in Pretoria at the Voortrekkerhoogte military base. Those who refused the service were jailed, so if he was to leave he had to be discharged. Over the course of two weeks he choreographed and played a part that eventually led to his being declared unfit for service due to mental instability. Upon his arrival home, Barker was disowned by his parents, and having to make his own way moved to Johannesburg to be an artist wholeheartedly.

Nothing Gets Lost in the Universe

Nothing Gets Lost in the Universe was Barker's third solo show, shown at the F.I.G Gallery in 1995, and later the Gallery Frank Hanel in Frankfurt, Germany. Informed in part by the rise of the Truth and reconciliation commission that was slowly unearthing the dark truths hidden in Apartheid's murky past, the exhibition consisted of latex gloves filled with objects found on the streets of Frankfurt as well as a larger installation of photographs. Barker had long since established his reputation as a flaneur, that is, one who walks the streets of the city collecting objects and experiences. All the print works featured in the show were printed in Barker's own studio largely on his own with the help of an assistant.

Personal life Barker lives and works out of his studio in Troyeville, Johannesburg with his wife. He has lived in the area for several years, earning him the affectionate title "the Mayor of Troyeville". He has two daughters.

Selected exhibitions, collections and bibliography

Solo 2016 - The World that Changed the Image, Everard Read Contemporary Gallery, Johannesburg 2015 - Normal Man, CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg 2012 - Love Land, CIRCA Gallery, Johannesburg 2010 Super Boring, SMAC Art Gallery, Stellenbosch Super Boring, Standard Bank, Polokwane Super Boring, Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg 2008 - Heal, UCA gallery, Cape Town 2005 - Land and Desire, Gerard Sekoto Gallery, Alliance Francaise, Johannesburg 2003 - Lovers and Gurus, Contemporary Art Space, Caen, France 2002 - ITS ALL GOOD, Crosspath Culture, New York. 2001 - Two Cousins, Fig Gallery, London 1999 - Fin de Ciècle, Nantes, France 1998 Kunst is Kinderspielen, Kunsthalle, Krems, Austria Beauty in Politics, Millennium Gallery, Pretoria All washed Up in Pretoria, dual solo show with Iaan Waldeck "Body composition" Millennium Gallery, Pretoria 1997 All Washed Up in Africa, Gallery Frank Hanel, Cape Town All Washed Up in Africa, Gallery Frank Hanel, Frankfurt, Germany 1996 - Nothing Gets Lost in the Universe, Fig Gallery, Johannesburg 1995 - Nothing Gets Lost in the Universe, Gallery Frank Hanel, Frankfurt, Germany 1994 - Peace Through Blood, Fig Gallery, Johannesburg 1993 - Coke Adds Life, Everard Read Contemporary Gallery, Johannesburg 1992 - Three Bodies of Love, Everard Read Contemporary Gallery, Johannesburg 1987 - Images on Metal, Market Theatre, Johannesburg

Group exhibitions

2013 - My Joburg, la maison rouge, Paris (F), 20 June – 22 September, Curators: Paula Aisemberg and Antoine de Galbert. On the occasion of the South Africa-France Cultural 2009 - I Linguaggi del Mondo: Languages of the World, collateral exhibition to the Venice Biennale, Palazzo Querini Art House, Venice, Italy 2009 - Great South African Nude Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg 2009 - History, UCT Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2008 - Collection 10, SMAC Art Gallery, Stellenbosch 2007 - Sasol wax art award Exhibition, Johannesburg Art Museum 2006 - Urban Jungle, Afronova, Johannesburg 2001 - No Logo, Prince Albert Museum, London, UK 1998 Kleine Plastiche Triennale, Stuttgart, Germany memórias íntimas marcas, Electric Workshop, Johannesburg 1997 The World is Flat, installation, Alternating Currents, Trade Routes: History and Geography, 2nd Johannesburg Biennale, Johannesburg, South Africa curated by Okwui, Enwezor, and Octavio Zaya Köln Art Fair, under the Auspices of Frank Hanel Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt Art Fair, under the Auspices of Frank Hanel Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany Three x Ten, Frank Hanel Gallery, Cape Town Future, Present, Contemporary South African Art, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg 1996 Colours, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany – opened by President Nelson Mandela Groundswell: Contemporary Art from South Africa, Mermaid Gallery, London 1995 Africus, Black Looks White Myths, First Johannesburg Biennale, South Africa curator: Octavio Zaya Africus The Laager, First Johannesburg Biennale, Johannesburg 1995 Scurvy, New Town Gallery, Johannesburg Can Art Exist Alone: Art and Politics, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria Brown and Green, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria 1993 - Something New Always Comes Out of Africa, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg 1992 - Volkskas Atelier, Pietersburg Art Museum, Pietersburg 1989 - Breaking Down the Wall: Pierneef Series, FIG Gallery, Johannesburg

Collections Anglo American Collection Durban Art Museum Gencor Collection Iziko South African National Gallery Johannesburg Art Gallery MTN Collection Polokwane Art Museum Pretoria Art Museum Rand Merchant Bank Sanlam collection Sasol Collection SABC collection Sandton Civic Gallery Spier Standard Bank Gallery Wits Art Museum (formerly Gertrude Posel Gallery), University of Witwatersrand

Catalogs, and articles

'Super Boring', 2010, SMAC & Standard Bank Gallery 'The ID of South African Artists' (catalogue), 2004, Sharlene Khan (ed). Fortis Circus Theatre, Holland "Wayne Barker: Artist's Monograph", 2000, Brenda Atkinson (ed) "Trade Routes: History and Geography", 1997, Matthew DeBord (ed) Catalogue, 2nd Johannesburg Biennale "Contemporary South African Art: The Gencor Collection", 1997, Kendal Geers (ed) "Art in South Africa: the future present", 1996, Sue Williamson and Ashraf Jamal (eds) "Colours", 1996, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Catalogu, "Africus: First Johannesburg Biennale", 1995, Candice Breitz (ed), Catalogue