“The Sky is falling” 850 x 540 mm Cotton thread and rubber
Since the Cape Town Art Fair came to an end yesterday, I thought that it’s a good time to share some images of my work that was included at the Erdmann Contemporary Gallery.
I could not attend this year’s fair, but here are some installation photo’s via friends that had a chance to visit.
If you want to see what else was happening there, feel free to visit their CTAF facebook page.
I’ve got a couple of reminders for you:
For those close to Bloemfontein (South Africa): The second leg of the “Here Be Dragons” group exhibition opened at Gallery On Leviseur…
View of “Here be dragons” exhibition at Gallery On Leviseur (Bloemfontein)
The B.Y.O.I.D group show is still up and running at Knysna Fine Art:
Installation view at Knysna Fine Art
And I’ve heard the wonderful news that my solo exhibition “Cross my heart” have been extended until the 11th of April 2015 at the Erdmann Contemporary Gallery!
so stay tuned because up next are two group exhibitions at the KKNK (Klein Karoo National Art Festival) in April and then one group exhibition at the “Suidooster Fees in May…will keep you posted! x
“Who needs courage?” Embroidery on rubber and found objects, 2014/5 (photo credit: Dejavu Photography)
A lion-finger-puppet was the inspiration for this piece. The finger-puppet belonged to my 4 year old son, and I figured that since he doesn’t play with it, I might as well use it. So the actual toy is stitched onto the rubber. Boy was he upset!! but we’ve reached and agreement of sorts …(strange – as soon as they see that mother is having fun with their toys, only then do they want to start playing with it!)
Anyway, so a lion represents courage to me, surely because of the Wizard of Oz story:
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum.[1] He is an African Lion, but he speaks and interacts with humans.
Since lions are supposed to be “The Kings of Beasts,” the Cowardly Lion believes that his fear makes him inadequate. He does not understand that courage means acting in the face of fear, which he does frequently. Only during the after effects of the Wizard’s gift, when he is under the influence of an unknown liquid substance that the Wizard orders him to drink (perhaps gin) is he not filled with fear. He argues that the courage from the Wizard is only temporary, although he continues to do brave deeds while openly and embarrassedly fearful. (wikipedia)
In a sense I needed some courage for this piece above, because it was the first time I experimented with combining a little bit of oil paint & thread on rubber.
I found this quote recently (wish I could remember where)….
“Courage is to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart!”
love that!
(*This work: Who needs courage?” will be on show during my 6th Solo exhibition #Crossmyheart at the Erdmann Contemporary Gallery in Cape Town. Opening on the 10th of February 2015- hope to see you there…)
I am delighted to inform you about the following group exhibition….(see below the information via the Erdmann Contemporary Gallery)
Actuality & Illusions
A group exhibition that requires more Vision than Eyes
Work by Connor Cullinan, “Manifestation” Acrylic on canvas 101 x 128 cm (2010)
Opening Reception
5 February 2014 6-8 pm
Erdmann Contemporary & The Photographers Gallery za is proud to present their first exhibition of 2014: Actuality and Illusions- a group exhibition that requires more vision than eyes. The exhibition includes represented and non-represented artists and features work by Nomusa Makubu, Connor Cullinan, Bronwen Vaughan-Evans, Jeannette Unite, Clare Menck and Hannalie Taute.
Connor Cullinan’s work is a series of portraits that applies Op Art to figures that results in expressive and conceptual consequences. Through the use of closely packed, contrasting lines, there is an illusion of movement created. The work demands a prolonged gaze as is so often required with illusions of sight and the movement seems to increase the longer the viewer stares.
Bronwen Vaughan-Evans works predominantly with gesso on board. This style of working is one that results in a signature aesthetic quite different to any other media. Creating her work involves layering lighter gesso on top of darker gesso in order to create a controlled surface. She references objects and places from her immediate environment, which is now Australia, with a significantly strong similarity to that of her former home, South Africa.
Jeannette Unite has created a body of work over the past decade that centres on the public face of mining operations, which Unite has developed to be a highly personalised exploration of Africa’s industrial landscape. Her drawings and paintings make use of pigments ground from left-over minerals while her glass works include discarded materials from industrial mining processes. The result is a physical inclusion in her work of the very subject matter that she portrays.
Hannalie Taute uses the medium of embroidery on rubber inner tube to express her long standing themes of the emotional and psychological impact of toys and dolls, children, relationships and the power of play. Taute has always been interested in the found object and is attracted to the actuality of the delicate nature of embroidery in contrast to the tough nature of the rubber.
Clare Menck’s delicate paintings hint at the intimate moments that we all experience, at the same time they are closely related to the artist herself and become a documentation of her undisclosed life.
Nomusa Makhubu has established herself as one of the new generation of lens based artists to explore issues of identity, culture, land, rights, economy and religion. Her work often looks at the history of South Africa and Africa. She uses her work as a means of critiquing the socio-political environment as well as an important means of reflection of the everyday lives of people. Her latest series of work, The Flood, marks a departure from her previous work shifting from the private to the public.
I am looking so forward to be part of this. I wish I could be at the opening and hope you can too….. for those who cant, stay tuned because I will hopefully post some installation shots later this week.
hannalie taute 