Beeld en betekenis in die skilderkuns van Fred Page - Fourie, Joan Bender (University of the Free State, 1997)
English: The apparent unreality of the fictitious reality captured in Fred Page's art causes the observer to experience difficulty in gaining access to the meaning encompassed by the art. The reason for this perception could be Page's philosophy and preferences with regard to his portrayals. This study attempts to gain access to the way in which Page conveys meaning. A comprehensive overview of Page's art is not intended but rather the nature of his artistic approach will be researched through a selection of representative items from the whole body of his work. The interaction between Page and his environment is examined in Chapter 2 by referring to relevant events from his youth, adult life and the Port Elizabeth milieu. The relationship between awe-inspiring elements in surrealistic dream painting, Freud's uncanny and Benjamin's aura concept in Page's dialectic leads to the reintroduction of forgotten human dimensions which have been alienated through suppression. Page is sensitive to the 'aura' of and 'uncanny' in ordinary 'found' objects. The response of critics and the art public who do not regard Page's art as part of the evolution of South African art but rather as supplementary to it, is investigated, as well as the lack of predecessors and disciples. In Chapter 3 characteristics of 'fantasy art', the subconscious meaning of Redon, Rousseau and Seurat is identified. Attention is given to Page's fantasy world, the attendant fantasy meaning and mystery, Magritte's surrealist multireality as well as Michelle Boyadijan's naiveté. Page's sublime differs from fantasy art owing to the lack of witchcraft and magic in his art. Page's dream painting correlates with that of Magritte. His image riddles contain hyperbolic repetitions, irrational combinations, transfers from natural contexts and dislocation through light contrasts, space and scale adjustments. The consequence is that original meanings are overshadowed by suggestion. Page's idiosyncratic approach to society through the creation of tableaux, emblematic constructions, binding bearers of meaning and conflict of dimensions is identified in Chapter 4. Page is obsessively dependent on his subject and his environment. The human character stands alone in his art. The human dilemma portrayed includes lack of communication, poor inter-personal relationships and inevitable death. The shape of meaning as well as mutually semantic relationships between ideas and groups of ideas are investigated on the iconic level in Chapter 5. The treasury of Page's motifs is the formal compositional vehicle at semantic level. Recurring elements have been identified. The correlation between these elements and other relevant aspects in Page's world is determined. Accordingly his open enigmatic sublime could be categorized, described and illustrated diagramatically. A basic motif appears, namely 'transient man on his life's journey'. Chapter 6 addresses Page's complex reality. Page's sublime depends on the transformation of new and known objects and the transformation of object structure. The spectator is involved in giving meaning to the black humour because tension is combined with the inner world of conflict and trauma through simplistic intellectual fabrication. Meaning in Page's art can be frightening because of associations related to the objects portrayed. His art is multi-layered: mystery resides in the integration of various levels of reality through the composition of motifs. His aim is not to establish the associations as truth, but to create a new reality. The sublime resides in the potential of motif presence. Because his images are created as a conscious 'dream' there is the possibility of an intermediate scheme between allegory and symbolism. Page offers an alternative explanation of the world.

Afrikaans: Die skynbare onwerklikheid van die fiktiewe realiteit wat in Fred Page se kuns vertolk word het tot gevolg dat die betragter moeilik toegang vind tot die betekenis wat in die kuns vervat is. Page se lewensbeskouing en voorkeure met betrekking tot sy voorstellingswyse kan die rede daarvoor wees. Die studie ondersoek die wyse waarop Page betekenis skep en oordra. 'n Volledige oorsig van Page se kuns is nie be-oog nie. Verteenwoordigende werke uit sy oeuvre is geselekteer om die aard van sy beeldvormingsproses na te vors. Die wisselwerking tussen Page en sy milieu is deur relevante gebeure uit sy jeug, volwasse lewe en sy Port Elizabeth milieu in Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek. Die verband tussen angswekkende elemente in surrealisties droomskildering, Freud se uncanny, Benjamin se aurakonsep en Page se betekenisdialektiek lei tot die herbekendstelling van bekende, maar vergete menslike dimensies wat vervreem is deur onderdrukking. Page is sensitief vir die 'aura' van en 'uncanny' in alledaagse 'gevonde' objekte. Reaksie van resensente en kunspubliek wat Page se kuns nie as deel van die Suid-Afrikaans kuns-evolusie ag nie, maar bykomend daartoe beskou, word belig - ook die gebrek aan voorgangers of navolgers. In Hoofstuk 3 word kenmerke van 'fantasiekuns', die onderbewuste en betekenis van Redon, Rousseau en Seurat geïdentifiseer. Aandag word gegee aan Page se fantasiewêreld, fantasie-betekenisbegeleiding, beeldraaisel en surrealstiese muiltirealiteit by Magritte asook naïewiteit by Michelle Boyadjian. Page se sublieme verskil van fantasiekuns omdat vrees vir towery en magie nie by hom voorkom nie. Page se tipe droomkuns wat grootliks ooreenkom met dié van Magritte, word bepaal. Page se beeldraaisel toon hiperboliese herhalings, irrasionele kombinasies, verplasings uit bekende konteks en dislokasie wat deur aspekte soos ligkontraste, ruimte- en skaalspel daartoe lei dat oorspronklike betekenisse van motiewe deur suggestie oorskadu word. Page se idiosinkratiese benadering tot die samelewing by wyse van tableauskepping, emblematiese konstruksie, saambindendende betekenisdraers en konflik van dimensies is in Hoofstuk 4 geïdentifiseer. Daar is bepaal dat Page obsessief afhanklik is van sy omgewing en onderwerp. By Page staan die menskarakter alleen in sy dilemma. Die dilemma sluit onder andere in 'n gebrek aan kommunikasie, die wanverhoudings en onafwendbare dood. Sy betekenisvorme, asook onderlinge semantiese verwantskappe tussen beelde en beeldgroepe, word op ikoniese vlak in Hoofstuk 5 nagespeur. Page se motiefskat as formele komposisionele element funksioneer as draer op semantiese vlak. Herhalende pikturale elemente is geïdentifiseer. Die verband tussen dié elemente en relevante aspekte uit Page se leefwêreld is bepaal. Vervolgens is die oop enigmatiese sublieme volgens aard gegroepeer, beskryf en diagramaties geïllustreer. Daardeur kon 'n tematiese grondmotief - 'die eindige mens op sy lewensreis' bepaal word. Hoofstuk 6 ondersoek die dubbelsinnge verkenning van realiteit (die algemene en besondere) by Page. Page se sublieme berus op die verplasing of transformasie van nuwe en bekende objekte en verandering van objekstruktuur. Die betragter word betrokke in die swart humor betekenistoedigting omdat spanning tussen die innerlike wêreld van konflik en trauma deur oop intellektuele eenvoud en oop visuele verdigting, gekombineer word. Betekenis in Page se kuns kan vir die betragter skrikwekkend wees as gevolg van assosiasies wat met voorgestelde objekte verband hou. Sy kuns is meervlakkig: Misterie is geleë in die integrasie van verskeie realiteitsvlakke deur motiefsamestellings. Sy doel is nie om die assosiasies as waarheid te bevestig nie, maar om 'n nuwe realiteit te skep. Die sublieme lê in die potensiaal wat motiewe se teenwoordigheid inhou. Die studie toon dat bewuste 'droombeelde' by Page die moontlikheid van 'n intermediêre betekeniskader tussen allegorie en simbolisme bied. Daardeur bied dit ook 'n alternatiewe verduideliking van die wêreld.
Keywords: Painters -- South Africa; Art, Modern -- 20th century -- South Africa; Surrealism -- South Africa; Dissertation (M.A. (Arts and Sciences))--University of the Free State, 1997