“Personal Myth, Collective Dream 2” by Roz Cryer 16 November - 5 December 2015

-->

Artist’s Statement

I have become increasingly curious by the depth of wisdom myths and dreams have to offer us as individuals and fellow journeyers in life. As well as the collective myths that speak of the human journey and condition each of us has a personal myth that shows itself to us through our dreams. This force drives us and further reveals itself through the patterns in our lives, choices we make, the stories we are drawn to and images we work with. Our myth impacts our everyday lives and influences who we are and how we behave.

When we become aware of our mythology, both on a personal and a collective level, through a journey into the psyche we gain the opportunity of facing and changing our story. Each part of the journey brings us a step closer to individuation which, in Jungian terms, is a transforming process where the personal and collective unconscious are integrated into consciousness.

One of the ways this concept is being explored is through my artwork.

This exhibition will have on show paintings which will form part of the final body of work that I will be presenting at the completion of my masters at The Centre for Visual Arts UKZN and the spring board for a PhD proposal in practice led research in Fine Art. 

In my last exhibition I described the mythical forest in my oil paintings. Terri Windling, a writer, artist and book editor for the New York Publishing Industry describes this forest as “...the forest primeval, true wilderness, symbolic of the deep, dark levels of the psyche...” In this exhibition I am moving from the forest into the house symbolising a deeper exploration of the psyche. Each painting represents a room in the house or a part thereof in which the characters and backdrops emerge from my own personal myth. 

Technically each painting has been a journey in its own right. I have consciously left behind much of what I have known and endeavoured to find a new way of approaching my work. As in the forest, one of the challenges is to leave the well trodden path and find a new fresh way through.

The exhibitions closes on Saturday, 5 December at 2p.m.

Walkabout on Saturday, 15 November at 11a.m.

Estelle Hudson will give a Walkabout 

of Roz Cryer's Exhibition "Personal Myth, Collective Dream" 

on Saturday, 15 November starting at 11a.m.  

All are welcome and it is free.

“Personal Myth, Collective Dream” by Roz Cryer 3 November – 22 November 2014 (3 weeks)

Walkabout on Saturday given by Estelle Hudson starting at 11a.m.

In the Main Gallery:

“Personal Myth, Collective Dream” by Roz Cryer 

Opening talk by Michelle Rall, Centre for Visual Arts, UKZN Pmb

 

“Body, Vessel, Archetype” Roz Cryer 25 September - 13 October 2012

“Body, Vessel, Archetype”  Roz Cryer 

Roz Cryer, "The Eating Bowl 5", embroidery and oil on canvas, Price on request

Roz Cryer, Installation of bowls including shelf, porcelain with wool,  Price on request

 

 

 

 

Please visit our artworks.artspace.blogpot.com for more images of works for sale.

 

Artist Statement

‘The power of clay is with us from the creation myth beginnings from the well known Bible story of Adam made from clay to Mud Diver and Coyote of the North American Indians.’

(Quote by Kathleen I Kimball).

There is something deeply entrenched in the human psyche about the use of and the symbolism of clay. Throughout history, in many cultures, ‘humans have seen clay pots as people and clay objects housing the soul;’ Pots as houses of the spirit. And there are still rituals and taboos concerning the making and using of pots, for example ‘when a Gurensi woman dies her eating bowl is broken at the funeral as the pot’ is symbolic here of the body as vessel, the body which is no longer working.

Joseph Campbell talked about developing ‘an identification with our consciousness and no longer’ regarding ‘our physical body as who we are. That the body is the vehicle through which our consciousness/spirit interact, experience and participate within our physical environment.’

These concepts are pivotal to this body of work.

 

For my vessels I have used porcelain, as for me it requires more time and patient attention than other clays. It is reminder for me to slow down and to enjoy and appreciate the journey/process. When fired it is at once strong and yet fragile. Unglazed it reminds me of bone. The mendhi patterns that I have used to decorate the porcelain hint at celebration and blessings.

For my oil paintings I have used unmounted highly decorative and embroidered canvases with the aim of integrating both aesthetically and metaphorically what I paint and the surfaces on which I paint. As with previous work, the fabrics on which I paint allude to the observation that often times both paintings and concepts are rarely painted on blank canvases but are laid down on cultural fabrics that alter or impact our perceptions.