calendario eventi  :: 

X

7/5/2007

Two exhibitions

Kznsa Gallery, Durban

Kirsten Young - Nordic Forest

In the words of the artist -The exhibition consists of a series of 20 to 30 paintings which were conceptualized while I was traveling in Finland two years ago, from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus.

During the trip, I was very much awed by the mysterious but tranquil Nordic landscape and I could almost sense Tapio, the Finnish sylvan god, roaming deep in his realm of the dark forest. The grey and gloomy dusking sky is so overpowering in this silent corner of the world, amidst the unsympathetic trees, whose strong branches wiggles only sporadically, completely oblivious of any passers-bys. I was first chilled to the bones by such ruthlessness and the complete indifference to our worldliness modern attitude. Then I realized that I was staring at the path to wisdom and enlightenment right in the eyes. Now all these have become a mesmerizing figment of my imagination which I endeavored to preserve on canvas.

It is ironic that in this daunting and yet soundless environment, I could almost hear Sibelius s tone poem, Tapiola, with forest deities materializing through sound waves. In a sense, this exhibition is very much like Mussorgski s Pictures from an Exhibition in reverse. I therefore find it appropriate to dedicate the exhibition to Finland s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957), commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death. One final note: as a Chinese painter working in South Africa commemorating the greatest Finnish composer, is this itself a statement about our global village and a hint that the visual art is a media where people from different ethnic and culture background can appreciate one another?

.........................

DUT Master Students Exhibition - 7

Artists names Clayton Human, Ashley Jewnarain, Caryn Nolan, Witty Nyide, Sarah Richards, Vaughn Sadie and Tamlyn Martin

The KZNSA Gallery proudly presents 7 . The show comprises a selection of works from the senior students currently enrolled at the DUT Fine Art Department. The pieces should be seen as works in progress as the students are currently engaged in a process of formal and conceptual investigation in their chosen area of focus. The work presented is diverse in both its production and content. In the work entitled 100m sprint Vaughn Sadie combines readymade objects to playfully challenge the audience s perception of the functionality of objects and how spaces are activated / manipulated by light.

Tamlyn Young s work is the product of an attempt to locate the body in time and space. The work on show incorporates both a physical installation and an interactive digital component. The focus of the work is the documentation of every hour over a seven day period making use of various processes. This includes the presentation of a series of objects collected on every hour wherever the artist found herself at that time. The entire work is a testimony to a structured archiving of idiosyncratic choices. Clayton Human attempts to unravel his understanding of contemporary society and the notion of the Individual within generic constructs, while Ashley Jewnarain explores his conflicted fascination with ideas of mortality and how these ideas impact on his own identity and existence.

In the painted triptych presented, Witty Nyide uses the surface as an archaeological site of exploration, unpacking both her personal history and her everyday existence. Sarah Richards is interested in the ideas of creative darkness in which we become artistically stagnant. The paintings reflect this uncertainty through the actual choice of image as well as the physical texturing of the surface. Caryn Nolan uses her materials in an attempt to interrupt patriarchal notions of landscape . She juxtaposes aspects of Durban s colonial history with small feminine interventions that explore a personal maternal family history. This exhibition is an assimilation of works under investigation and whilst many of the ideas are currently in progress of definition, the show reveals the exciting diversity of both content and varying forms of interpretation.

Opening date 08 May 2007

KZNSA Gallery
166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood - Durban
Free admission

stampa

permanent link