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Tretchikoff exhibition slammed as vulgar

30 Sep 2011

A retrospective exhibition of Tretchikoff's paintings - which drew record numbers to the Iziko National Gallery - has been slated by art critic Lloyd Pollak who says the exhibition represents the worst kind of prejudice, racial stereotyping, sexism and colonialism.

Pollak says that he wants to "put paid to the myth that Tretchikoff was a talented draughtsman" and claims that his images of blacks are patronising, paternalistic and ethnographically inaccurate. His comments are published in the print and electronic editions of the Cape Times.

Andrew Lamprecht, the curator of the exhibition said that Pollak had interpreted Tretchikoff's work based on his own assumption and defended the exhibition saying that the artist's work should be viewed in the context of South Africa at the time.

Riason Naidoo, director of the gallery said that Pollak's comments were "mischievous" and "provocative".

The exhibition has drawn an estimated 28 000 people to the National Gallery since it began.