Paul Boulitreau
Liza Grobler
Lee-At Meyerov
Antoinette Murdoch
Musha Neluheni
Beverley Price
Contemporary South African artists. The varied styles, techniques and concepts of the 6 artists on this exhibition make for a challenging and intriguing exhibition. Tact, touch or the sense of touch, refers to a skill, a sensitivity, a finesse.
Contemporary South African artists
Artists: Paul Boulitreau, Liza Grobler, Lee-At Meyerov, Antoinette Murdoch,
Musha Neluheni, Beverley Price
The premise for Tact was the idea of using fabric or textile as a starting
point for creating fine art. It's about the material, the palpable, and the
tangible. Although based on the tangible, the range of media and approach to
this exhibition creates an interesting dynamic. Although the barrier between
fashion and art are being blurred by a few contemporary South African
artists at the moment, the view of textile in this exhibition shifts far
away from the idea of fashion. Fabric gets brought down to its basic form,
and comes second to the concept.
But the title also refers to the idea of gauging and saying what's
appropriate or that which does not cause offence. The felt on board works by
Antoinette Murdoch, who continues with her text confessions, cleverly
navigate the space between revelation and tact. The phrases almost come
second to the lines and colours formed by these words. Lee-At Meyerov
creates a sense of tact, something aesthetically pleasing, through found
objects which create lines and patterns which induce the eye by using
materials such as masking tape to create fabric like contours in her work.
Liza Grobler's tapestries possess a skill that draws the viewer in with the
seducing colours and intricate designs. The use of this early form of
textile framework is skillfully appropriated into the realm of contemporary
art making by Grobler.
Neluheni continues her work on the corset by bringing in more tactile
fabrics that are more removed from the traditional lace and satin which are
used in corset making. Boulitreau and Price collaborate on a work which
places Price's jewelry art into our society of adornment. Their distinction
between the inside and outside, the haves and have-nots, creates a wonderful
tension with the varied media incorporated in the installation and
photographs. The idea of 'all that glitters is not gold' is wonderfully
narrated in the use of found objects to create seemingly expensive pieces of
jewelry.
The varied styles, techniques and concepts of the six artists on this
exhibition make for a challenging and intriguing exhibition. Tact, touch or
the sense of touch, refers to a skill, a sensitivity, a finesse. In this
exhibition, this is clearly and cleverly realised.
Images by Antoinette Murdoch, Peanut-butter
Opening 21th october 2007
Artspace fine art gallery - Johannesburg
3 Hetty Ave, Fairland
Free Admission