Notes

"This artwork is inspired by Édouard Manet’s 1863 painting ‘The Luncheon on the Grass’ or Le déjeuner sur l’herbe, originally titled Le Bain (The Bath). In the original, a scene from the Parisian bohemian lifestyle is captured in harsh contrast to the puritan morals of that time. It was a controversial piece not only because it broke away from the Academic tradition of the day, portrayed stark nudity, and even featured recognizable models, but mostly due to the contemporary theme which referenced the rampant prostitution in Paris at the time. ‘Laundry Day’ portrays a washing day; the female nude and the scantily dressed female bather from the original painting are dehumanized by the addition of chicken heads, symbolising them as objects manipulated by big business and powerful politicians. Have their soiled feathers been removed, washed and hung out to dry? The two men in suits, although appearing relaxed, are still in control, one holding the scissors used to cut the feathers. The women are both subservient, one washing, the other a naked object in obedience to her male counterparts. Have the politician and the business man conspired to clean up the mess?"¹

^1. http://www.johansborman.co.za/exhibition-work/richard-mudariki-my-reality/091-laundry-day-2012-72-x-89-cm.jpg/, accessed 29 July 2022.

Provenance

Johans Borman Fine Art, Cape Town, 6 July 2012.

The Oliver Powell and Timely Investments Trust Collection.