Greg Kerr’s Tangential Histories Paintings 2017 to 2026
A quick alert post before Tangential Histories becomes proper history. Greg Kerr’s must-see solo show has another 10 days to run at Denzil’s & Jo Gallery in Parktown North before it closes on Saturday 28th.
Clever boykie he is, pretentious he is not. And I declare my interests here. I have known Greg since 1971 when we were at university together. Anybody whose PhD’s topic is “Hermeneutics and Art Discourse” clearly knows a thing or two. But he tends to mask this learnedness and deep thinking with self-deprecating put-downs. Don’t be fooled! Underneath his quirky humour, cynical irreverence, holding the middle finger to ultra-wokeness, is a man of many talents. Well-read, with a remarkable ability to remember and quote at length, a raconteur and mimic extraordinaire, a dab-hand at the harmonica, an inspiring and simpatico teacher, and most importantly, in this context, an artist who is deeply committed to and passionate about the art of painting. And this is what shows in these 21 marvelous large-scale works which allure and seduce, tease and suggest, provoke and evoke, allude and elude.
Tracy Witelson, a one-time student of Greg’s and now a superb teacher in her own right (of both children and adults), said in her talk at the opening of the exhibition:
As a result of Greg’s willingness to leave the edge of the circle and to follow the tangents, the paintings are rich and unpredictable. They ask questions, are enigmatic and mysterious, hold ambivalence, are reminiscent of something we almost know or recall.
In the short wall text Greg writes about his own image-making:
I doubt there is a label, but for convenience, one could call the approach ‘painterly’ and the style ‘figurative’, with the caveat that the painterliness is not very much about abstract expressionism and the figuration is not much about naturalism.
And for all the art historical references, Freudian slips, puzzling titles, Greg’s last line of the wall text says it all: “My advice is, look at the paintings.” So, feast your eyes, challenge your preconceptions, revel in the non-verbal, abandon realism and reason, and embrace the mysterious, the slippage, the illogical, and the surreal.
I love the art historical reference to Titian’s altarpiece, infused with a Robert Hodgins’ red and Lucien Freud’s confrontational portrait style. Here I go, the art historian in me can’t help it. Sorry Greg! With an unflattering almost brutal clarity, Kerr critiques and interrogates the four male figures of power. They dwarf the only female figure. Nat, (Greg’s wife), “replaces” a Pesaro child who, like her, is the only represented figure who directs her gaze into “the viewer’s space” – the gaze more poignant, tentative, unsure and enigmatic in Greg’s portrait. Or does the man behind her also slip us a wobbly-eyed sly glance?
Denzil’s & Jo Gallery
Denzil, a charismatic, energetic gallerist, explained that the Gallery’s original name of Denzil’s & Jo dates back to a previous iteration as an informal photographic gallery/coffee shop in Maboneng. Photographer Jörg was the original Jo. But Covid closed that chapter. The name has now morphed into Denzil’s & Jo[zi]. In November 2025 after a time at 27 Boxes in Melville, Denzil moved to the current location at 17, 4th Ave, Parktown North.
Rather than focusing on building a wide social media presence, Denzil has turned to a more personal approach. He says that many first-time buyers who want to get into the art buying market, have neither the confidence nor the expertise. And so “Friends among Strangers” was born. This is a social club whose art loving members meet on a Friday evening in the gallery on an informal basis to exchange ideas about art, learn about investing in art, and generally gain insights in a relaxed setting. Denzil learns to gauge collectors’ tastes, budgets and interests and so align buyers with artists. Further perks of this social club include direct access to practicing artists, including visits to artists’ studios.
A further aspect of this business model of helping buyers build a portfolio of art, is the facilitation of funding. Denzil explained how the gallery has a relationship with a financing institution which he says is able to facilitate loans and structure repayment terms, so further helping buyers to build up collections.
So make sure you get to 17 4th Ave Parktown North before Saturday 28th March. Enjoy! and even better ….Reach for the plastic and Buy!!