Reinforced plaster, oil paint, bone, horns, wood. 128.5 x 213.5 x 88.5 cm. Collection South African National Gallery. © Jane Alexander, DALRO. Courtesy of the artist and DALRO.
Photograph: Svea Josephy.
Butcher Boys is a sculpture of three life-size, oil-painted plaster figures with animal horn and bone details, seated on a bench. The work was first exhibited at the Market Theatre Gallery in Johannesburg in 1986 and acquired by the South African National Gallery in 1991. The Butcher Boys’ life-like poses pay homage to ultra-realism. Physically, a human connection is made to features like the arms, head, legs, and torso. However, the animalistic eyes, sickly skin, and damaged spines, and the absence and ears and mouths denote dehumanisation. This work is a reflection on the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
