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DUT Fine Art and Jewellery Design Staff Exhibition

DUT Fine Art and Jewellery Design Staff Exhibition

For thirty-two years now, the Durban University of Technology has been hosting the Fine Art and Jewellery Design Staff Exhibition.
This year’s exhibition, currently being shown at the DUT Art Gallery, Steve Biko Campus, is a selection of works by DUT Fine Art and Jewellery Design lecturers, part time lecturers as well as technicians.

The work of 18 staff members is currently on exhibition and is a variety of art media including paintings, works on paper, sculptures, ceramics, jewellery items as well as a custom made guitar. In addition, artwork by artist Barry Truter is being shown in honour of a 40 year contribution to the University’s Faculty of Arts and Design. Truter, a former Fine Art Lecturer in the Department Fine Art and Jewellery Design, retired in October this year.

“I have been at DUT since the 1970s, lecturing in Graphic Design before moving to Fine Arts. It’s been a great experience and I have learnt a lot from the students, but now I need a break to relax at home, travel, buy a car and continue my work in my studio at home. To all students, I urge you to be dedicated to what you do. You learn in the classroom but that’s not all it takes to make it”, said Truter.

Fine Art Technical Assistant, Royal Gwala who made a set of clay feet wearing izimbadada (African traditional rubber sandals made from the tread of old tires) said, “I made this artwork to show that our feet take us from one point to the next (and) we always thank ourselves but forget to thank them (our feet)”, he said.

Faculty of Arts and Design Deputy Dean Professor Graham Stewart said the caliber and authority of the artworks drove home the point that creative outputs are as effective and influential as traditional paper based scholarly publications. “Practice led enquiry in the Arts embodies deeply intertwined elements of research and creativity with true rigour and significance. It is unfortunate that outputs in the Arts do not attract recognition or reward equal to those in science, engineering and technology”, he said.

The exhibition closes on Wednesday 28 November 2012.

– Nongcebo Khumalo

Pictured: Retired Fine Art Lecturer Barry Truter and some of his artwork at the DUT Art Gallery, Steve Biko Campus, where the work of 18 Fine Art and Jewellery Design staff members is currently on exhibition.

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