08.05.14 - 31.05.14
With all its individually carved and constructed pieces,
this exhibtion searches for components amongst the
disorder and chaos of this reality, to not only
question the existence of safety,
but to find out if a ‘safe’ place
even exists for the children
of South Africa.
“Safe” is a word that has become extremely controversial in a country
where statistics on the murder, violence and sexual abuse against children
have risen to some of the highest in the world. A Trade Union Report has
said that although it is very difficult to obtain exact statistics, they believe
that a child is raped every three minutes, and that three children are murdered every day. With Child Protection Week approaching from 26 May –
1 June, the relevance of an exhibition devoted to this subject is more imperative than ever.
The research for this exhibition started with a psychological interpretation
of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The story speaks clearly about the
contrast between the ‘safe’ world of the village and the dangers of the
forest – two worlds which, according to the artist, have now become
equally dangerous. The anthropomorphic wolf symbolises a being, seducer or sexual predator that is no longer hiding in the forest, but has made
its way inside communities and family homes.
The symbolism of trees plays a crucial role throughout
the exhibition as a whole – not only as a medium but also
as vehicle used in psychology when working with children who have been sexually assaulted and traumatised.
Throughout the process of cutting each wooden girl,
tree and gear shape with the bandsaw blade, the artist
connects physically with each piece. The lines created by
the blade on the side of each shape become like scars –
a significant and inevitable part of each work – just like
the emotional and sometimes physical scars left by the
abuser.
The exhibition as a whole, with all its individually carved
and constructed pieces, searches for components
amongst the disorder and chaos of this reality, to not
only question the existence of safety, but to interrogate
whether a ‘safe’ place even exists for the children of South
Africa.
Anthropomorphic Wolf
2014
Poplar wood, laser engraved from original drawing
78 x 78 x 3 cm
Safe
2014
Poplar wood
78 x 78 x 3 cm
Uncloaked I
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
Uncloaked II
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
Uncloaked III
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
Uncloaked IV
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
Uncloaked V
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
Uncloaked VI
2014
Pink & white beech, pine, meranti &
saligna wood, 124 x 49 cm
In still motion
2013
Rhodesian teak, pink beech, poplar wood & embroidery thread, 177 x 90 x 35 cm
Safekeeping I - XXIII
Safekeeping IXX - XXI
2014
Wood & embroidery thread
21.1 x 15 cm
** Detail images on request
Giving faces to dark spaces
2014
Rose, poplar, pine & pink beech wood & plinth
74 x 187x 11
Changing Site I - IV
2014
Partridge wood
140 x 22 x 16 cm
Messiah
2014
Rhodesian teak & pink beech
34 x 22 x 15 cm
Can't see the trees for the forest I
2014
Pink & white beech
33 x 74 x 36 cm
Can't see the trees for the forest II
2014
Pink & white beech
33 x 74 x 36 cm
Echoes of the Forest I - IV
2014
Clear pine
280 x 86 x 48 cm, Edition 1 of 3
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