WALTER WHALL BATTISS (1906-1982) 'Nose Man'

Note: Walter Battiss, whose work draws on his interest in archaeology, prehistory, and African rock art, has earned a reputation as one of South Africa’s most celebrated abstract painters. Unlike many South African artists, Battiss did not study overseas but instead researched the artistic traditions of local Indigenous peoples; he later travelled to Greece, the Seychelles, Madagascar, Fiji, and other islands around the world. In the 1970s, Battiss created his imaginary “Fook Island,” a utopia that fused elements of the islands he visited. Battiss conceptualised an entire society located on the make-believe island, including maps, sketches of inhabitants, taxonomies of local plants, and even currency, stamps, and driver’s licenses, which he created and exhibited with other African artists. Although not intended as a straightforward political statement, Fook Island can be interpreted as an alternate reality compared to South Africa’s then apartheid state.