AN exhibition which pays tribute to pulp fiction can be viewed at artSPACE Durban, 3 Millar, Road, until October 31.

The genre of pulp fiction was most popular in the first half of the 20th century and is still going strong. Cover art played a major role in the marketing of pulp magazines.

The typical pulp magazine consisted of a slick, glossy, vibrantly coloured cover and within, pages of fiction and advertising printed on poor quality “pulp” paper. Crime, romance, westerns, horror and fantasy were all staples for the pulps.

Illustrators, painters and artists created original works to adorn the covers and attract the readers. They were usually sensational and lurid depictions of the short stories and articles inside.

In South Africa we had our own version of pulp fiction, the photo magazine story. They were extremely popular in South Africa in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Various titles such as Tessa, Grensvegter and Kid Colt were produced by Republican Press.

The artists pay homage to, or critique this art form or the Tarantino movie, Pulp Fiction.

Also at the gallery is The Exploded View by Robert Balfour. This collection profiles two themes within the overall title of the Exploded View (drawing from the title of Vladislavic’s, 2004 novel).

The Exploded View concerns the extent to which perspectives on the view can be regarded as natural or normal (thus assumptions as regards what is ‘real’, ‘normal’ or to be expected, are contested).

Balfour’s focus in this exhibition extends the focus of his 2007 exhibition at artSPACE durban.

Inquiries: 031 312 0793, http://www.artspace-durban.com, http://www.artworksartspace.blogspot.com or http://www.facebook.com/artspacedurban
Gallery hours: Monday – Frida,y 9am – 5pm and Saturday and Public Holidays 9am – 2pm.