At first glance, it would appear that a common thread which runs through the work of the artist, Johannes Buss, is its capacity to serve not only as a confrontation, but also an interrogation of socio-political, and cultural ideologies and institutions. Art as a political statement. Though this is indeed a valid assessment, on the one hand, a closer examination suggests that as a body of work, a confrontation is effected, which functions on a personal, and decidedly intimate level, forcing a somewhat voyeuristic relationship between the viewer and the image, into existence.
The progression of this confrontation could be traced through the use of the iconic figure. On the OKWUI-Shirt, and the extension of this theme in the Concept Shop project, this figure is presented in a manner similar to that of a mug-shot, and therefore strongly suggestive of a police line-up. In the current work, however, the figure possesses a highly animated and hyper-real nature. Though this work continues the use of iconic figures, the ultimate presentation is that of a reality which has been placed through an intentionally distortive filter.
In effect then, the work could be seen not merely as a political statement in itself, but also, perhaps more significantly, as an intimate space in which the public and ultimately the individual viewer, find themselves forced to confront the connotations and implications of their own cultural norms, values, and stereotypes.

Kendall Petersen
(School of Literature and Language Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, RSA)