Arts Review

Written by: Tiisetso Tlelima

Philippa Levitt joined art classes at the Johannesburg Art Foundation in 1996 and has never looked back since. However, this is the first time any of her work has been shown on a public platform. As an artist she has positioned herself to work conceptually with current social issues such as corruption, crime, HIV/Aids and the disintegration of basic social structures. Coming from a legal background, it is not surprising that most of Levitt’s work explores issues of justice.

Hello Philippa, congratulations on your first exhibition. You had been working as a lawyer for over 10 years before you took art classes? What inspired you to pursue an art career?
“I think at heart I have always been an artist. As a little girl I took art lessons with Nina Campell Quine and Sydney Goldblatt. But I also came from a family of advocates and that seemed like the natural choice for me. So the moment I stopped practicing law I enrolled at the Johannesburg Art Foundation.”

Tell us about your exhibition. Why is it called “Justice, Just Us, Just Icing” and what do you want people to take away from it?
“I am exploring issues of justice both in relation to our current justice system and in the sense of fairness and equity. “Just Us” alludes to the fact that we South Africans have created the situation and only we can solve it. “Just Icing” refers to my installation in Rietfontein Village as well as the series ‘The Icing Is on the Wall’ that forms part of my exhibition. If people could take away a heightened sensitivity to the issues I raise and the daily struggles of the people in our country who feel vulnerable and unprotected, I would be satisfied.”

What specific issues does your work address?
“In my work I try to impose the Lady Justice representing fairness and restraint on situations of anarchy and suffering. I use the idea of Justice to highlight the failed ideals of our society. I suggest that she is not accessible to all South Africans and particularly the people of Rietfontein Village where she is needed most.”

You keep mentioning Rietfontein Village. Where is this place, what is the situation there and how does it feature in your work?
“Rietfontein Village is an informal settlement just South of Johannesburg near the Lion Park. It is one of several such squatter villages where people live in conditions of grinding poverty. I hired a makeshift corrugated iron shack there and proceeded to cover it in wedding cake icing sugar. Conceptually I was covering over a harsh reality to make it ‘palatable’. Like sugar coating a bitter pill. I created a fairy tale confectionary which almost immediately after I left was consumed by the children of the village, demythologizing it and returning it to its original crudeness. It became a metaphor for the “happily ever after” ending that was promised and that hasn’t materialized for so many South Africans even though we are 15 years into our democracy.”

You say you use the image of Lady Justice in your work. Why have you chosen this iconic image?
“She is the personification of the moral force that underlies our legal system. She is impartial, carefully weighs both sides’ argument and when she makes her decision she forcefully brings down her double edged sword which she wields either for or against a party. I contrast this with the mob justice and pupils’ justice which is such a frequent occurrence in this city.”

Are you more able to effectively address these issues through art than you could as a lawyer?
“That’s a fascinating question! I think that as a lawyer you are able to make changes to people’s life on a practical level, but as an artist you are able to work on the level of consciousness and awareness which is a prerequisite for change. I prefer the latter although one is not better than the other.”

Critics say your work also deals with the manner in which the press manipulates and conveys reality, desensitizing us to the suffering and brutality in the process. Can you give examples on how the media does this and how you use your work to deal with these issues?
“The street pole adverts at the side of the road, particularly, but not exclusively, the Daily Sun, has headlines like…“Devil Gets Baby…Mum Bust!” or “Noisy Son Hacked…Dad Bust!” or “Thug Dies in Pupils’ Justice!” The headlines always have an exclamation mark at the end to emphasize the shock. I have responded by making the headlines into a comic like format and imposing Lady Justice onto them.”

Icing sugar is an important component of your work. Why do you use icing sugar in your work?
“The icing sugar I have used is called pettinice. It is used on wedding cakes. It’s too sweet but is a good cover. Almost like snow…white seamless…concealing all that’s underneath and it holds the promise of salvation or ‘happily ever after’. I use it in the same way that someone would sugar coat a bitter pill.”

You’re also a painter. How do you design your paintings and how much drawing do you have to go through to prepare for a painting?
“The wall based pieces are usually designed in my head and then sketched on paper. When they are executed they are always different to what I originally envisaged!”

What can we expect from you in future?
“I would like to explore this issue on a much deeper level. I am inspired by the thought of doing so!”

Philippa Levitt’s exhibition will be shown at Artspace gallery from 1 April until 25 April.