Breyten Breytenbach, A Monologue in Two Voices

Sandra Saayman argues that writing and painting form two manifestations of one and the same creative force in Breytenbach’s ouevre.

While his poetry is familiar to readers of Breytenbach, his paintings are known by very few. In her engagement with Breytenbach’s work, Saayman shows that his poems, works of fiction and essays should be considered not before but alongside his paintings. She brings important new insights to our understanding of the work of a major South African artist, arguing for a re-evaluation of the relationship between text and image throughout his oeuvre.