Superstroke
Encyclopedia
Superstroke is a term used for a contemporary art movement with its origins in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. Superstroke is one of the influential art movements regarding African modernism and abstraction. The word "Superstroke" implies the super expressive brush stroke. The Superstroke art movement was initially founded as a reaction to the impact that the Superflat
Superflat
Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami, which is influenced by manga and anime. It is also the name of a 2001 art exhibition, curated by Murakami, that toured West Hollywood, Minneapolis and Seattle....

 art movement, founded by Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami
is an internationally prolific contemporary Japanese artist. He works in fine arts media—such as painting and sculpture—as well as what is conventionally considered commercial media —fashion, merchandise, and animation— and is known for blurring the line between high and low art...

 had on modern contemporary art.

Manifesto

The manifesto for the Superstroke art movement was written in 2008 by the South African artist Conrad Bo
Conrad Bo
Michiel Conrad Botha better known as Conrad Bo is a South African Artist, the founder of The Superstroke Art Movement....

 and deals with various forms of how paintings in the movement should be executed. This includes the statement that paintings should be created by using very expressive brush strokes.

The manifesto also deals with photography and states that expressionism is more important than photo-realism. Then the manifesto states that abstract and figurative art is allowed in Superstroke. It goes further and states that certain subject matters are encouraged, and also makes mention of an [African] theme. Finally the manifesto states that the concept of "art for the sake of art" does not apply, and that members of the movement must produce paintings with texture, and excessive brush or pencil strokes.

Influences

Although the concept of Superstroke was a reaction to Superflat
Superflat
Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami, which is influenced by manga and anime. It is also the name of a 2001 art exhibition, curated by Murakami, that toured West Hollywood, Minneapolis and Seattle....

, the paintings in the Superstroke art movement are heavily influenced by Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and printmaker.Alberto Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia and came from an artistic background; his father, Giovanni, was a well-known post-Impressionist painter...

, Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...

 and Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...

.

Artwork

Art in Superstroke, varies from realism to abstract, monochrome and full color. Different media such as collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....

, charcoal and plaster of paris are used. Paintings in Superstroke are also identifiable by the frequent use of mathematical signs such as plus, minus, and equal signs.

Contributors

Artists who's art are regarded as Superstroke are, Greg Simmonds, Diiezel, Mr. Sputnik, John Zaverdino, May Wentworth, Conrad Bo, Jaco Erwee

External links

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