Folds. Anticipated abundance

Abstract

"Folds: Assumed Abundance" was inspired by fabrics in Renaissance and Baroque paintings and contemporary Vlisco wax prints. This work commenced with research into the origins of colour pigments and the historical context of its application. Struck by the fleshy tactility of the Baroque draperies, the artist digitally isolated painted textiles and observed how the meaning of each fragment was transformed and innovated in this process. Conceptually, the hollowed shapes inspired critical contemplation of capitalist politics and the assumption of abundance that it will lead to. The traces of the deleted bodies evoked discomfort in their faceless absence. Technically, manipulation of massed layers led to a digital artwork as sketch in preparation of the oil painting. When the artist created the final painting, she closely observed the original sources as reference. She was significantly influenced by the South African artist, Johannes Phokela’s satirical conceptual devices concerning a Baroque aesthetic, forcing the viewer to do a double-take. Acknowledging the cut-out in the final painting, her work positions the contradictions of borrowed material, loss and emptiness, against the assumption of plenitude. Since this work was exhibited at several exhibitions in Johannesburg and Pretoria (see links), each context facilitated shifts in understanding, reframing and additional layers of paint. The found its final home in the Unisa Art Collection.