ILLUMINATION 2010, DVD, 21min 42sec. Edition of 5

This work is an imaginary if personal journey through South Africa’s history.

In this video, a pair of hands is submerged in milk in a steel bowl that has been covered with 23 carat gold. Slowly,  the milk drains from the vessel, revealing an object cradled in the hands before the bowl fills up with milk again. The process now seamlessly repeats revealing a series of different objects that appear almost completely unconnected but for their inclusion in the work: a compass; a length of rope; engraved razor blades; a Kruger Rand; sewing needles and various sewing tools; a fish and a rabbit’s skull, among others. These objects comprise a survival kit of sorts – the colonial white explorer’s accoutrements as they search for gold in the land of milk and honey. At times mystical, at times dogmatic, violent and even humorous, the Afrikaner still made Southern Africa their home regardless of the personal cost and the cost to others.

On a more technical note there is a slow transformation of color and light that occurs as the milk drains from the bowl  to reveal the gold surface: gradually the image becomes saturated and visibly brightens until parts of it suffer from almost complete color burnout. This effect was not accomplished in post-production editing but, rather, formed an integral part of the technical process the camera capturing the event.