A message from Karen

Hello to you all,

I am writing you this message to inform you that artSPACE durban continues to change and it is, therefore, time to thank you again for all the support in the past and wish you all the best for the future.

Claus and I have been gone now for nearly two years and I have continued working with Vee to organize exhibitions in the much smaller artSPACE durban gallery spaces and this has now come to an end.

Corne's exhibition was the last exhibition organized by Vee and myself.

We will now concentrate on our new gallery in Funchal, Madeira and I can spend more time producing art.

We will continue be in touch with you to exhibit your works in our new gallery as it is now becoming better known and the turnover increases.

We will always be part of the Durban arts community. We will always be watching you from afar as you produce new works and experiment with new ways to engage with the arts community.

See what new things are happening at 3 Millar Road on Facebook!

“Anomaly” by Corné Eksteen 2 - 22 December 2017

 

 

Artist’s Statement 

As much as contemporary art is about commentary on art itself, some of its fundamental intent remains: Art is about reflecting (in some cases even defining) our times, values and culture.

When one looks back at the legacy of art and the timeline in human history it represents, you become aware of our ever growing, ever expanding visual language: our ability to continuously develop new modes of expression and our capacity for and vigour in constantly creating new visual metaphors, incorporating imagery from an ever-changing world in new and innovative reflections of that world. Today more than ever, a good level of visual literacy is as important as a higher education in navigating a culture that is visually driven in every aspect. 

It is this highly developed visual language of the 21st century, with "dialects" of symbolism, iconography and branding that serves as primary reference for this body of work. Our visual culture is largely driven by technology.  Much of our everyday experience of the world is now filtered through a screen of some kind. Our technology is not flawless and often presents us with "glitches" or visual malfunctions.

As a starting point I am ‘capturing’ and incorporating these moments of malfunction, both accidental and intentional in the creation of a new series of portraits. Using these imperfections as a vehicle for social commentary and commentary on art itself.

 

Works in the series explore the polarities between the controlled and unpredictable. It focuses on the repurposing of intentionally corrupted imagery and questions what it means if we reclaim the “errors” in our technology and use them as tools in representing and defining ourselves.

Artist’s Bio

The interplay or relationships between gender and identity, gender and sexuality and the contradictions between the physical and emotional world, has been some of his major fields of exploration. 

His work is visually confrontational, but most often serves as a simple “question” posed to the viewer. He has presented images of castrated men (La Mort, 1998), confronting notions and understanding about gender by beckoning the viewer to confess “who they are without their genitals” He has combined the faces of male and female sitters into a single androgynous portraits (xx=xy, 2015) asking the viewer to identify the gender of the image and in so doing to expose their own gender bias understanding of the visual world. 

Eksteen, is currently living and working in Durban, South Africa.   

http://www.anomaly.durban/ 

Drawings by Haden Searles 24 - 30 November 2017

24 - 30 November 2017
Drawings by Haden Searles

“VOODOO WOMXN” created and curated by katokira 3- 23 November

“VOODOO WOMXN”

created and curated by

katokira

(aka kat kali // the artist)

3 – 23 November 2017 

katokira’s work on show includes ink and watercolour illustrations, large scale abstract and pop-art pieces, ceramics, embroidery, and more.  An eclectic, visual feast of works served up by this self-taught artist, who after a stint in London, is back in KwaZulu-Natal.  

"Serendipity" a solo exhibition by Heidi Shedlock 14 October - 2 November 2017

14 October - 2 November 2017

Overtones embedded in a bygone era bring to mind the art of quaint needlepoint brooches and tapestry. A catalyst of blended blossoms offers us a lingering dose of nostalgia when first encountering Heidi Shedlock’s paintings.  Then comes the transforming 'serendipitous' moment when portholes of intensely layered blossoms are captured in circular motion through layered forms and a choreography of expressive mark making that creates an aesthetic sensibility that is not only seen, but felt and experienced.   

Heidi is a Durban artist who has been involved in education but now paints full-time from her studio in Durban North. She intentionally seeks to nestle her arrangements safely within nurturing circular and oval formats. She believes 'serendipity' is as much about 'consciousness' as it is about valuable fortuitous discovery - "...it's about keeping your eyes open and appreciating a fleeting moment that would normally be lost…finding something when looking for something else. This antithesis can be the result of an observant mind…” 

Article by Marianne Meijer in the Durban Mercury 13.10.17