The Johannesburg Art Gallery is committed to reflecting and evaluating the history of South African art through its collections and researched exhibitions, and to disseminating [his information to the community at large. As part of this process the exhibition The Neglected Tradition: towards a new history of South African art (1930-1988), is one that takes on an historic importance in re-evaluating South African art by tracing the development and influence of black South African artists, and for the first time documenting this development and influence through an exhibition and researched catalogue. The compilation of this information provides students, researchers, and the public with a new perspective for the evaluation of art in this country.

The seed for this important exhibition was sown by an exhibition held at the Alliance Francaise, Pretoria, in 1986, as part of a seminar entitled "Historical perspective of black art in South Africa". After attending this event, and having seen the "work on exhibition, the decision was taken to re-examine the written history of South African art and to address the questions posed by that first small collection of works. Why was there such a paucity of information available on the many black artists who have been active over the years, and where were the works produced by these artists? The title of this exhibition: The Neglected Tradition, acknowledges that part of the art history of South Africa has been overlooked. This watershed exhibition continues the re-evaluation process and places these black artists in perspective, thereby correcting any distortion which may exist.

This task began over two years ago when the then curator of paintings, Sheree Lissoos, started the research process. Her resignation led to Steven Sack, a lecturer in the Department of History of Art and Fine Art at the University of South Africa, and one of the key figures in the founding of the Funda Centre in Soweto, being invited to undertake this vital research. It was felt that Mr Sack's academic background and direct knowledge of community arts projects would be essential in formulating an exhibition and research document which would approach the subject from a non-Eurocentric position. To this end, Mr Sack has consulted with many figures in the art world with direct influence and an intimate knowledge of the communities from whence this creativity springs.

The exhibition is a beginning and does not pretend to be comprehensive. No doubt there are artists who have been omitted and areas of activity which have been insufficiently acknowledged. The task grew, however, as the project proceeded, and further areas for research became evident which were not possible to explore fully in this exhibition. These will form part of an ongoing research and exhibition programme by the Johannesburg Art Gallery and, no doubt, by others. The Neglected Tradition presents the work of black South African artists such as Ntuli, Qwabe, Mohl, Bhengu, Mancoba, Sekoto and others, whose contributions to artmaking in South Africa can now be fully seen and evaluated. The exhibitions planned for the future will examine some of these artists in greater depth.

An important role of the Gallery in a multi-cultural and diverse society is to document and present the artistic endeavours of all South African artists, thereby making art accessible to a community audience. Through the examination, research and display of objects and artefacts of a society, museums have the ability to present the past, evaluate the present, and lay foundations for the future. The future of South African art is one which will evolve from the dialogue evident in this exhibition, a dialogue which acknowledges all the creative impulses at work and the debt we all have to a history which demands recognition.

The financial partners who have, together with the Gallery, ensured that this part of South Africa's art history can be shown, are gratefully acknowledged: The Friends of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, The Southern Life, First National Bank and the Donaldson Trust, as well as an anonymous donor, have made this valuable catalogue a reality. My thanks and congratulations to Steven Sack whose task of writing the catalogue essay and identifying work for inclusion on the exhibition has been admirably accomplished. To all my staff who, under great pressure, have performed magnificently, I extend my grateful thanks, particularly to Lesley Spiro whose compilation of the biographies was achieved under great difficulty, and to Brendan Bell for his extensive work on the bibliography. The contributions of Julia Meintjes, Rochelle Keene, Judith Pringle and Grace Aling are all acknowledged with thanks, as are the lenders of works to the exhibition.

The relevance of the Johannesburg Art Gallery in a society situated in Africa is acknowledged and illustrated by The Neglected Tradition, which, standing at the beginning of further research will, in the future, lead to a comprehensive history of South African art.

C. M. Till

Director

Johannesburg Art Gallery