Over the past two weeks I was able to visit two exhibitions in a gallery space and one more exhibition that was disseminated in both a physical museum environment and as a public outdoor sculptural/photo exhibition.
1) MIES Gallery exhibition in Ryneveld street, Stellenbosch.
This gallery space, owned and run by artist Mies is a recent addition to the many art galleries found in Stellenbosch. All the art inside the space was done by the artist herself.
First thoughts:
One of the first things that I noticed about the exhibition was it’s spacious, minimalistic presentation. The backdrop of walls were light and the only colour in the gallery are the paintings. A variety of themes are presented: portraiture, figures, still life and landscape. The artists bold and loose style is the next thing that jumped out as well as her excellent technical ability for value-composition. Soft soothing music was playing in the background and in one of the corners the artist had a workstation set up where she apparently comes to paint on the occasional Saturday. I noticed that there were no written statement or description of what inspired the body of work.
Take away:
I was inspired by the artists technical abilities for value composition, colour and bold, expressive paint application, however I feel that the exhibition lacked a strong concept that pull the work together. I realise that this gallery is perhaps aimed at selling art to the tourist market attracted to this town and that the artist is not interested in communicating a concept or research. Her approach is more traditional.
I later visited the artists website where I found her aritsts statement:
“Inspired by the human condition, Mies seamlessly blends a decadent impasto-like technique with her own artistic flair. Her brushstrokes convey a sense of energy and movement, while her deliberate nods to expressionism invite contemplation of the line between perception and reality.
Driven by a fascination with the fluidity of the future as it is created by each decision we make, Mies’s practice in the studio is marked by spontaneity and a deep exploration of emotions. Her artworks become visual narratives that reflect the complexity of the human experience and invite viewers to embark on their own introspective journeys.” Mies
Although I appreciate that each viewers are invited to embark on their own journey as they experience the work but what I have learned by comparing this work to the other exhibitions is that it lacked an artist statement that would have guided the viewer further along their own interpretation.
2) Strijdom van der Merwe – DEMARCATION: a solo exhibition at the Ilse Schermers gallery, Stellenbosch.
I came across this intriguing exhibition by Strijdom van der Merwe on my way to another exhibition that was unfortunately closed on that day. Although it was a disappointment, I soon realised that this was in fact a great artist to cross paths with and an informative exhibition to review.
First thoughts:
Living in Stellenbosch, I have driven past this gallery a few times over the past view weeks. I was able to glance into the space as I drove past. There were also some security tape (red and white) taped over the shutters of the outside of the building. My first impression even then, was that I didn’t like this geometric art and that I found the colours uninspiring. I was however pleasantly surprised upon entering. On a console to your right, a piece of tar road with some road-paint greets you with some text reading: “ there is always a starting point which affects the outcome of your undertaking.” This immediately put the work into context and indicated where his concept came from. I was intrigued by pieces of found rusted drains mounted into the work as well as road-maps printed on canvas, wood and areas painted with the texture that you find on a tar road. There was an interesting variety of pieces, however I did not really understand there the sculptural totem poles linked with his concept.
Van der Merwe is an award-winning land-artist and sculptor who has exhibited worldwide and studied in Stellenbosch SA. I was able to page through 5 of his books, containing his past work. This was a link to my own work with natural materials and reminded me of this artist whom I admire. The work that was exhibited here was however not his usual natural materials which was interesting.
“As a land artist Strijdom van der Merwe generally uses the materials as found on a chosen site. These sculptural forms take shape in relation to the landscape. It is a process of working with the natural environment/world by using what is found on site and then shaping these elements into geometrical forms until it gradually integrates with the natural environment again. Depending on the purpose of the exhibition or the commission the artist will also use materials that is brought in to the landscape in order the make a statement about our relationship with the land, in many of these works the installation is not permanent but only functional for the duration of a certain event.”
Sourced from: https://www.strijdom.com/videos/
Take away:
Besides being inspired by the artists past work with natural materials, this particular exhibition was inspiring due to how well his concept was pulled through. A written piece describing the concept of the exhibition was mounted in the wall which I think aided in understanding his inspiration and the deeper meaning of the work displayed.
The only criticism I have, is that although the concept was simple enough for anyone to understand, I personally felt that it was limited in depth. Perhaps because I find it difficult to read into geometrical shapes. I think other people might find it has a lot of meaning to them.
A very original and unique body of work.
3) Stellenbosch Triennale 2024 | (Un)Earthed
The Stellenbosch Triennale is the brainchild of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and it’s years of experience in enacting public art exhibitions in Stellenbosch. The Triennale takes public art in Stellenbosch to new heights in terms of it’s international reach, the scope and variety of the art to be showcased as well as it’s intention to place creativity in critical dialogue with society. The Triennale marks an intentional and purposeful attempt to use creativity, imagination and public space as a meeting point in engaging with the collective and distinctive milieu of our past, present and future existence and all it’s complexities- a place where we imagine futures.
The Stellenbosch Triennale aims to make Stellenbosch the primary destination of multi-disciplinary art in Africa by tapping into the creative impetus that is reverberating across the continent. The Triennale turns Stellenbosch into a curated public laboratory for creative expressions and engagements in response to society’s question’s now, then and there; what kind of people do we want to be? What relations to nature do we cherish? What knowledges and technologies do we deem appropriate? What aesthetic values do we hold? The Stellenbosch Triennale holds great promise of interesting horizons of possibility and shifts for the town of Stellenbosch and beyond.
(Sourced from Stellenbosch Triennale website: https://www.stellenboschtriennale.com)
The physical exhibition:
First thoughts:
I first noticed the exhibition as I drove into town and saw that the large scale photographic prints seen scattered around the town had changed. I was immediately drawn to them because they were beautiful detailed images of ceramic pieces. I knew that this public installation was part of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and that it previously showcased a photographic exhibition. Little did I know that the new photographs they housed was related to a physical exhibition that was located in a little museum off Dorp street. I message from an artist friend informed me of the newly curated Stellenbosch Triennale and I immediately set off to visit the exhibition as well as photograph most of the large scale outdoor images relating to it.
First thoughts upon entering the physical exhibition – wow! I felt a very strong link to my own work, being related to earth, soil, clay and ceramic work. Around 10 artists were represented. Each showcasing one work relating to (un)earthed. The exhibit was very impactful due to the warm-brown/grey colour and beautiful lighting in a very small and intimate space. The concept was clearly displayed on the wall with vinyl lettering and each artist has a small description of the work next to their piece.
I found if very intriguing that the large photo’s in town was like a clue that linked to this exhibition and it felt like a treasure hunt. I don’t know if it was perhaps done on purpose but I couldn’t see a clear indication on their website that there was in fact a physical exhibition. I happened to stumble across a little section that gave a physical address. It felt like I was unearthing the exhibition!
More info here: https://www.stellenboschtriennale.com/exhibitions/unearthed
The outdoor public ‘showcase’:
Take away:
I am inspired by the impact that ceramics as an art form can have. The possibilities that clay can have and the richness of its physicality and sculptural possibilities are endless. Each artist has brought their unique perspective to the exhibition and this once again highlights how an interconnection with other people/artists has more power than the individual.
From an audience point of view, I feel this exhibition was the most successful. I enjoyed the snippets in the form of the outdoor photographic installations leading me to the exhibition. It almost felt as if I was underground inside the physical exhibition, able to view these ‘fossils’ that each talk about a different aspect of our collective identities as South Africans, past and present. Whether that be through “the domestic, the sacred of symbols of social allegiance.”
The room in which the exhibition is in a museum showing the history of Stellenbosch as well as snippets of how Apartheid displaced certain communities. As I reflect on my experience, this is significant and strengthens the message through the juxtaposition of this very contemporary style ceramic exhibition of an ancient art-form that runs through all of history and is able to represent the present and communicate about a possible future.
This was an engaging experience that relates to my own practice in many ways.