Nancy Spero, Art Against Apartheid 1984

Nancy Spero

Extremely rare and desirable limited edition pencil signed print. This edition was produced by Spero to accompany an exhibition of political posters that was organized by the Archdiocese of South Africa alongside Amnesty International, as well as political prisoner of the South African Apartheid and activist, Dennis Brutus (who was the South African Poet Laureate at the time), and Artists Against Death, an activist artist group calling for the end of the death penalty in America. Held at Robben Island, the exhibition was developed in order to draw attention to, and escalate a call for, the halt of the execution of death-row prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal of Philadelphia, USA, who was heralded as the 'voice of the voiceless' and was a leading critic of police brutality against violence. The exhibition went on to tour the USA and Europe, including a stage held at the ICA in London. This is a highly collectible vintage (1984) work that makes a great conversation piece and would look impressive in any socially conscious home or office.  Fine provenance: Acquired at Frieze Masters Art Fair in London.

Spero’s often radical work made strong statements against war, male dominance and abuses of power, presenting compelling arguments for tolerance and a non-hierarchical society. The artist always viewed art as inseparable from life and, from this, developed a distinctive kind of political work. Polemical but symbolic, it combined drawing and painting as well as craft-based techniques like collage and printmaking, seldom associated with traditional Western notions of high art and mastery.

SIGNATURE

Hand signed and dated recto from the limited edition of only 30 (unnumbered)

PROVENANCE

Acquired at Frieze Masters, London