The role of printed books in the dissemination of contemporary South African art and artists

Data from a series of interviews conducted during a recent visit to South Africa inform this explication of the use of print in promoting contemporary artists resident and practising in South Africa to the northern nexus of the global art market. A gallery owner, gallery publisher and an artist present their motivations for publishing books associated with temporary exhibitions and their understanding of the importance of books in representing the artwork to both local collectors and the wider world.