Censoring the Visual Arts: Banning Aidron Duckworth's Work during Apartheid in South Africa

Abstract Censorship became increasingly acute in South Africa during the 1960s. Influenced by Dutch Reformed Church leaders, the apartheid government sought to proscribe artistic works that expressed opposition to the politics and ideologies of the time. This article explores the Aidron Duckworth case of 1971 as part of an anti-censorship campaign organised by the Pasquino Society. Duckworth exhibited at the Durban Art Gallery in 1971, at which point eight paintings were banned by the Publications Control Board and deemed “undesirable” because of their “sexually suggestive” nature. In response, to appeal the board's decision, a fund to cover the artist's legal costs was established. Engaging with the Publications Control Board's reasoning, I consider how the government was in fact controlling the board and enforcing a specific kind of moral ideology that served the ends of those in power. Relying on archival materials, the law, and censorship literature on music, publications, film productions, and popular magazine circulations during apartheid in South Africa, my research addresses the literature gap regarding censorship of visual arts. I reflect on controversies surrounding the suppression of Duckworth's works and conclude by explaining why Duckworth's work was an obvious target for censorship.