Cameron Platter
Cameron Platter was born in 1978, Johannesburg. He graduated with a BFA in painting from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town, in 2001. Recent exhibitions include “Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now,” Museum of Modern Art, New York; “Rencontres Internationales,” The Centre Georges Pomidou, Paris and Haus Der Kultur, Berlin; Le Biennale de Dakar 2010, Dakar, Senegal; “Coca- Colonization,” Marte Museum, El Salvador; and “Absent Heroes,” Iziko South African National Gallery.
He makes stories, pictures, and objects that are documents of contemporary morality; exploring a reality stranger than fiction, through fantasy, satire and subculture, using themes appropriated from the universal concerns of sex, love, violence, beauty, advertising, food, battle scenes, pornography, writing, politics, religion, crime, dancing, lust, greed, things falling apart, and spaceships.
Platter fills the ordinary and marginal, with incendiary new meaning. Working from everyday experience with subjects overlooked or considered delinquent, sordid and lowbrow, he reconnoiters notions and concepts on the outside fringes of South Africa’s popular culture.
His work appears in the permanent collection of MoMA, New York; The FRAC Centre, Orleans, France; and the Iziko South African National Gallery. His work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Vice Magazine, NKA Journal of Contemporary African Art, Artforum, and Art South Africa.
He lives and works in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2011
Fucking Hell, Whatiftheworld/ Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
2010
Hard Times, Great Expectations, Whatiftheworld/ Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
The Old Fashion, Volta NY, New York, USA.
I Am Lonelyness, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna, Austria.
2009
Black Up That White Ass II, YOUNGBLACKMAN, Cape Town, South Africa.
2008
Studio, KNSA Gallery, Durban, South Africa.
3 Stories, KZNSA Gallery, Durban, South Africa.
Too Much of Anything is Very Dangerous, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna, Austria.
2006
Party Time, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa.
Beware the Curves, Labia Cinema, Cape Town, South Africa.
2005
Life Is Very Interesting, Bell- Roberts Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
2004
Storm, NSA Gallery, Durban, KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa.
The Love is Approaching, Joao Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2011
Absent Heroes, Iziko South African National Gallery. Curated by Pam Warne.
Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now, Museum of Modern Art, MoMA New York. Curated by Judith Hecker.
Rencontres Internationales, Haus Der Kultur, Berlin. Curated by Nathalie Henon and Jean- Francois Rettig.
Coca- Colonized, Marte Museum, El Salvador. Curated by Claire Breukel.
Africa!, Galerie Hussenot, Paris. Curated by Andre Magnin.
New Positions, Art Cologne.
2010
Rencontres Internationales, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Curated by Nathalie Henon and Jean- Francois Rettig.
Coca- Colonized, Brot Kunsthalle, Vienna, Austria. Curated by Claire Breukel.
Africa Assume Art Position, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. Curated Yakouba Konate.
Contemporary Artists from South Africa, BEK, Norway. Curated by Maia Urstad.
Dak’Art 2010, Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal
Twenty, 20 Years of South African Sculpture, Nirox Foundation, Gauteng. Curated by Andrew Lamprecht.
1910 - 2010: From Pierneef to Gugulective, South African National Gallery. Curated by Riason Naidoo.
The Spirit is Not the Idea, Says the Penguin, CO-OP, Johannesburg. Curated by Katrin Lewinsky.
Spier Contemporary, Travelling, South Africa.
2009
Clair/ Obscur Film Festival, Basel, Switzerland. Curated by Patrick Buhler.
Manifesto, CO-OP, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Word Up!, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Ashleigh McLean and Kristy Cockerill.
Sing Into My Mouth, Whatiftheworld/ Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Julia Clark.
2008
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna, Austria
Art 39 Basel, Hilger Contemporary.
2007
Love, South Beach Emporium, Miami, USA. Curated by Luis Alonzo- Barkigia.
2006
Tour, a slice of life, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna, Austria. Curated by Claire Breukel.
Rotterdam International Film Festival, Rotterdam, Holland.
2005
KO Video/ 1st Durban Video Festival, Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa. Curated by Greg Streak.
2004
Negotiate; Conciliation, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Contra Mundi, AVA gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Andrew Lamprecht.
Exchange views on…, Espace Croix- Baragon, Toulouse, France. Curated by Sophie Solnychkine.
2003
Picnic, Bell- Roberts, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Andrew Lamprecht.
Art as Usual, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa, Curated by Christian Nerf.
Galerie Puta, 2a Dysart Road, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Galerie Puta.
2001
YDETAG, South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Andrew Putter and James Webb.
Stolen Painting, Art Night Out, Cape Town, South Africa.
2000
Returning the Gaze, One City, Many Cultures, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Zayd Minty.
Emergency, Bell- Roberts Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. Curated by Julia Clark.
Permanent Collections
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) New York
Iziko South African National Gallery
FRAC Centre, Orleans, France
Margulies Collection, Miami, USA
Selected Publications
Gabriela Mendoza, Una Reflexion Sobre la Cultura de Masas, El Dairo del Hoy, May 2011
Alexander Fang, Spotlight: Cameron Platter in Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now, Inside/Out, April 2011
Petra Mason, Our History, From Afar, Mail & Guardian, April 2011
Richard Hart, Lewd, Crude, Skewed, Enjin Magazine, May 2011
Steve Dubin, Various Artists at MoMA, artthrob.co.za, March 2011
Leora Maltz- Leca, Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now, Artforum, Critics’ Picks, March 2011
Ute Stadlbauer, Coca- Colonization in a consumptive society, ArtPulse Magazine, Winter 2010/2011
Iolanda Pensa, Dak’Art 2010: Perspective and Retrospective, Domus Magazine, February 2011
Chad Rossouw, Cameron Platter, Vice Magazine, December 2010
Sarah Jayne Fell, Transvestite Killer Zebras (And Other Stories), One Small Seed Magazine, Issue 20, November 2010
Yuan Di, Cameron Platter: The Interview, Jia Za Zhi Magazine, September 2010
Rike Sitas, Cameron Platter Artbio, artthrob.co.za, September 2010
Sue Williamson, Spier Contemporary, artthrob.co.za, April 2010
Emanuela Mirabelli, (S)Platter Movies, Marie Claire Italia, August 2010
Delia De Villiers, 20Q: Cameron Platter, Design Indaba Magazine, August 2010
Geoff Cook, Interview with Artist Cameron Platter, BASE Magazine. June 2010
Patrick Buhler, Cameron Platter, Splatterpunk Magazine, March 2010
Chad Rossouw, The Sound of a Zip on Red Latex Boots, Hard Times/ Great Expectations (cat) March 2010
David Kaufman, Soho Style in Johannesburg, New York Times, 14 March 2010
Carolina Wheat, Text as Fine Art Signage, ChicagoNow, February 6, 2010
Richard Hart, Here and There, Mail & Guardian, 24 February 2010
Alex Sudheim, Cameron Platter, Art South Africa, Vol07 Issue 03, 2009
Carol Brown, Best of 2008, www.artthrob.co.za, Feb 2009
Peter Machen, Cameron Platter’s Studio at KZNSA Gallery, www.artthrob.co.za, December 2008
Robert Sloon, In Conversation with Cameron Platter, www.artheat.net, 20 November 2008
Brenton Maart, Have Fun Before it Ends, Art South Africa, Vol7 Issue 02, 2009
Peter Machen, It’s a Wooden World, Mail & Guardian, 7 November 2008
Peter Machen, The Wooden World of Cameron Platter, Weekend Witness, 25 October 2008
Alex Sudheim, Apocalyptically Prolific, Mail&Guardian, October 17 2008
Carol Brown, Delinquent Outsider, www.artthrob.co.za, May 2008
Peter Machen, Zebras from Space and Other Oddities, Witness, Feburary 2008
Alex Sudheim, Tarantino meets Dr Suess, Mail&Guardian, April 2008
Manisha Jothady, Gott tragt Nikes und gar nichts wird gut, Die Presse, Feburary 2008
Greg Baker, Peepshow Surprise, Miami New Times, December 2007
Desne Masie, What Works for You, Financial Times, December 2007
Stephen Hurst, Love, Miami Bourbaki Blogspot
Hazel Friedman, Cameron Platter, Art South Africa, May 2007
Sean O’Toole, Out of the Shadows, DAMN Magazine, March/ April 2007
Robert Sloon, Party Time, artheat.blogspot.com, November 2006
Andrew Lamprecht, Don’t Talk to Me Talk to My Lawyer, Life is Very Interesting Catalogue, November 2006
Andrew Lamprecht, Animals that One Loves, Life is Very Interesting Catalogue, November 2006
Jane Mayne, 20< Artists >06, Business Day, February 2006
Jacki McInnes, Beast Intentions, The Big Issue, February 2006
Lisa Witepski, Enjoy investing in Art, The South Africa Magazine, February 2006
Carine Zaayman, Cameron Platter, Art South Africa, December 2005
Caspar Greeff, Breaking the Waves, Sunday Times, December 2005
Linda Stupart, Cameron Platter at Bell-Roberts, www.artthrob.co.za November 2005
Melvyn Minnaar, Eye-catching artworks are goofy with gall, Cape Times, October 5, 2005
Miles Keylock, Big Themes: Pick of the Week, Mail&Guardian, October 2005
Kristina Melville, Joburg Diary, Sawubona
Andrew Lamprecht, Cameron Platter, 10 Years 100 Artists
Andrew Lamprecht, Bling- bling wildlife, Timeout 2005
Alba Poretti, Goodall and Platter, Art South Africa, December 2004
Virginia MacKenny, Configuring culture- art is what you make of it, BKAA catalogue 2004
James Cunningham, Cameron Platter: Director, Animator, The Callsheet,
Media Reporter, Young SA lions roar in Cannes, Saturday Star, July 3 2004
Peter Machen, Gallery of Whores Visits Durban, The Independent on Saturday, 22 May 2004
Rober Bodil, Simply Assassinating, Daily News, 21 May 2004
Andrew Lamprecht, Flash, Aha, Art South Africa, March 2004
Tracey Murinik, Picnic, Art South Africa, March 2004
Melvyn Minnaar, Smart, Sassy Solo Show Succeeds, Cape Times 19 January 2004
Paul Edmunds, Cameron Platter at Joao Ferreira, www.artthrob.co.za January 2004
Zachary Yorke, Dada and Development in Cape Town, Thisday 20 November 2003
Michael Stevenson, Playfully Subversive, Movements in Time and Space, June 2003
Tracey Murinik, Meeting in the Water Close, www.artthrob.co.za, June 2003
Tracey Murinik, Bright Young Things, Art South Africa, March 2003
Sue Williamson, Sue Williamson’s Diary, www.artthrob.co.za, March 2003
Tracey Murinik, Michaelis Exhibition 2001, www.artthrob.co.za December 2001
Mgcineni Sobopha, Returning the Gaze, NKA Journal of Contemporary Art, 13/ 14
Judy Damon, Artists Seek Stolen Painting, Cape Times 4 October 2000
Sue Williamson, New on the Block, www.artthrob.co.za October 2000
Paul Edmunds, Emergency at the Bell-Roberts, www.artthrob.co.za July 2000
Filmography
The Old Fashion 2010
Black Up That White Ass II 2009
Dr Bombaka Presents… 2009
Color Blind (Vivid Raw) Vol 2 2008
The Stripper and the Zebras; Mr Muafangejo and the Lion; and the Crocodile and God (Also known as 3 Stories) 2008
How the Crocodile Got his Shoes and Other Collected Stories 2007
Beware the Curves 2006
My BM is Bigger Than Yours (Also known as When Days Are Dark Friends Are Few) 2005
Strangers in the Dark and Stormy Night 2004
Vexation Island 2004
Jealous is the Freedom of Fools 2004
The Love is Approaching 2004
The Attack of the Killer Zebras from Outer Space 2004
