Whenwell-knownJohannesburg-based artist,ReshadaCrouse,acceptsaportrait commission,sheconductsinterviews withhersittersinordertogleanan understandingofthepersonsheis portraying.Thisenableshertoproduce animagethatisasynergybetween howsheseeshersubjectandhowher subjectseeshimorherself,something whichforherisimperative.Theportrait shehascompletedoftheformerUJ Vice-Chancellor,Prof.IhronRensburg, lastyear,wasnoexception,andoneshe claimsshereallyenjoyed. Crouse’sportraitsarecharacterised byathoughtfulblendingofthesubject intheforeground,withasignificant background.Prof.Rensburg’scalmand focuseddemeanourimpressedherand shethereforeallowedforamplebreathing spacearoundhisform,choosinganeutral colourtooffsethiscolourfulgearandthe stronglightfallingonhim. AccordingtoCrouse,Prof.Rensburg wantedtobeportrayedinhisformal regalia,ratherthanincivildress.“This portraitservesasaninvestigationinto thesymbolismofclothing:hiscivilsuitis veryprominentinthepainting,portraying theordinarymanbehindthemanin hisofficialregalia,whichdemarcates aspecificpositionofauthorityinsociety.” Thecombinationoficonicsymbols inthetopleftcornerissignificantof Prof.Rensburg’s10-yeartenureat UJ.Thehoopoe-birds,derivedfrom theUJlogo,symbolisesthemerger offourinstitutionsin2005,whilethe representationoftheHillbrowand Pontitowers,togetherwiththecooling towersinSoweto,alludetothefusionof differentpartsofthecity. CAPTURING PROFESSOR RENSBURG :: Annali Cabano-Dempsey VC PORTRAIT Artwork credit :: Reshada Crouse Botha,CatherineF.2014.“Danceand/asart:Considering NietzscheandBadiou”inBunker,J.Pakes,A.andRowell, B.(eds).ThinkingthroughDance:ThePhilosophyof DancePerformanceandPractices.London:DanceBooks. Botha,CatherineF.(forthcoming)“TheDancingBodyand theTransmissionofCollectiveMemoryinSouthAfrica”, RoutledgeCompaniontoDanceStudiesEditors:Stacey PrickettandHelenThomas. Hutter,Horst.2006.Shapingthefuture:Nietzsche’snew regimeofthesoulanditsasceticpractices.Lexington Books. LaMothe,KimererL.2011.Nietzsche’sDancers:Isadora Duncan,MarthaGraham,andtheRevaluationofChristian Values.NewYork:PalgraveMacMillan. Shusterman,Richard.2000.“SomaestheticsandCareofthe Self:TheCaseofFoucault”TheMonist,vol.83,no.4,pp. 530–551. Mooney,EdwardF.1970.“NietzscheandtheDance,” PhilosophyToday14,pp.38–43. Nietzsche,Friedrich.(1966).BeyondGoodandEvil:Prelude toaPhilosophyoftheFuture.TranslatedbyWalter Kaufmann.NewYork:Vintage. ——————(1968). TheWilltoPower.TranslatedbyWalter KaufmanandR.J.Hollingdale.NewYork:Vintage. ——————(1974). TheGayScience.TranslatedbyWalter Kaufmann.NewYork:Vintage. ——————(1996). Human,AllTooHuman:ABookforFree Spirits.TranslatedbyRichardJ.Hollingdale.Cambridge: CambridgeUniversityPress. ——————(2005).TheAnti-Christ,EcceHomo,Twilightof theIdolsandOtherWritings.EditedbyAaronRidleyand JudithNorman.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress. class upbringing. In addition, the dance form was elevated to the status of high art, whilst other forms were relegated to the realm of low art, or just completely ignored. The classes are certainly exhausting and demanding, but they offer a way to escape from the stresses of studying, a chance to explore one’s creative potential, as well as the opportunity to explore the limitations and potential of one’s embodied self. Students have joined the class for a number of reasons including male soccer players, who want to improve their movement and accuracy on the pitch, but the classes are open to any UJ student or staff member – there are no requirements to join, excepting a desire to dance! REFERENCES :: Professor Catherine Botha Head of Philosophy University of Johannesburg