Cape Town-based artist Pierre le Richecreates works that draw from his own experiences as a gay Afrikaans male who grew up in post-apartheid South Africa. His works explore and question issues of Afrikaner homosexuality and masculinity, including their traditional social values and depiction.
Le Riche's "Broederbond" installation creates a small space made of 11 miles of colorful acrylic thread, referencing the rainbow flag that represents LGBT pride around the world. The artist stages a typical Afrikaner living room from 1995, the year of the Rugby World Cup final and a historical moment for South Africa. A ceiling of rugby balls covered in colorful threads floats above the room, enclosed by a hanging rainbow veil. The installation shows a snapshot of the past where the game is being broadcast, televising masculine values, within a pink TV set, which the artist told My Modern Met is a "feminine color not commonly associated with rugby." The artist's work addresses stereotypes commonly linked with homosexuality and the norms that define masculinity.
[via My Modern Met]
