Notes

‘Kreutzfeldt revels in the seductive qualities of paint, giving herself over to the medium and allowing it to lead her where it will. … she is interested in bucking tradition, playing with conventional formats and assessing how far she can push the boundaries. Synthesising representation and abstraction, she alternates figurative elements with decorative patterning, three-dimensional depth with flat surface, dynamism with stasis.’

As such Baby Jake is an ideal subject for her painterly explorations. Jacob ‘Baby Jake’ Matlala (1 August 1962 – 7 December 2013) was a champion South African boxer from Meadowlands, Johannesburg. At 1.48 metres tall, he was the shortest world champion in history – he weighed only 48.99 kg when he was at the height of his career. Arguably the most successful boxer produced by South Africa and said to be Nelson Mandela's favourite, Matlala was often described as the little big man, South Africa's smallest boxing giant, or the small fighter with the big heart.

Literature

Emma Bedford. 'Dorothee Kreutzfeldt' in Sophie Perryer (2004) 10 Years 100 Artists. Cape Town:  Bell Roberts Publishing. Page 190, illustrated in colour on page 193: