“There are things we need to swallow. Components necessary to sustain life and nourish growth may seem bitter presented plainly. So we must sugar-coat them. In a film of sweetness, we are able to stomach truths, slowly allowing them to produce their positive effects.” – Alice Toich
Having spent time contemplating the trials and conquests of the
and colour theories, Toich stitches complex and multi-faceted
human ego through her vanitas paintings, it seems natural that Alice
narratives through each piece, linking back to politics, personal
Toich would turn her kaleidoscopic perspective to the socio-political
philosophy and the discomfort of navigating a ‘newer’ South Africa.
nuances of contemporary South African society. In this exhibition, ‘The Icing Pink Ether’, lusciously-painted and fleshy cakes are paraded across the canvas as a metaphor for sugar-coating the hard truths we
She enters intermediate spaces, where quiet but powerful
need to swallow in our day-to-day lives as individuals within a greater
oppositional forces are at play. Pink is her shade of choice here
community grappling with conflicting personal and political agendas.
because it is an in-between colour. “Like grey,” she explains, “it exists
Through her paintings & installation pieces, Toich makes visible the
between the polarities of two resolute places.” Ether is likewise an
unseen tensions around us.
in-between idea, existing between particles, caught between science and magic. Toich’s opulent paintings and installation pieces draw inspiration from a life of contrast and conflict for South Africans:
In this series of works, Alice Toich uses the saccharine allure of
“poverty and privilege, the past and the present, the political powers
desserts to expose deeper political agendas at play in our current
and the power of the people, the willingness to hope and the apathy
socio-political climate. Drawing from research into quantum physics
of continual tragedy”.
Toich is a baker as well as a painter, and she freely draws upon the contemplative experience of baking in her fine art. Insight gained via the social interaction of baking and the act of observation in painting enriches the personal story Toich conveys in ‘The Icing Pink Ether’, and leads to a deep questioning of the self: What does it mean to live within the ‘newer’ South Africa? And how is self-image influenced by a nation at odds with itself? Living within a diverse and multifaceted society of glaring contrasts and lingering, unanswered questions has been a catalyst for Toich, who seeks answers in the parallels between concepts in physics (such as wave interference and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle) and the seeming chaos of today’s human existence, as a means of making a complex life more digestible.
Toich disturbs the pretty and serene image as a mechanism for bringing awareness to the function of disruption as a tool to re-assess or force change in a system. Coming to a holistic understanding of concepts such
as privilege and
whiteness
has
been
a
critical personal project, often leading to places of insecurity, guilt, anger and a disruption in self-perception. This body of work is thus a complex interweaving of many contributing factors and an attempt to honestly portray the contemporary chaos of waking up to this person, place and time.
Alice Toich The Cycle Acrylic on canvas paper 17 x 16 cm AAT04616A R2,400
Alice Toich Bunny Vanitas, 2016 Oil on canvas 100 x 150 cm AAT02016A R21,000
Alice Toich I see you, too, 2016 Oil on canvas 150 x 100 cm AAT01116A R23,000
Alice Toich Not moving to Australia #1, 2016 Acrylic, gold leaf, fresh water pearls & bullets on mounted canvas 150 x 100 cm AAT03616A R23,000
Alice Toich "SAFE", 2016 Acrylic on found object 38 x 34 cm AAT01316A R5,500
Alice Toich Treat yo'self - Carrot cheesecake, 2016 Oil on board 19 x 29 cm AAT02816A R3,100
Alice Toich Eating cake alone, 2016 Oil on board 36 x 54.5 cm AAT02516A R7,900
Alice Toich INSOMNIA, 2016 Acrylic & clay on board 40 cm AAT04116A R5,500
Alice Toich Miracle, 2016 Oil on canvas with acrylic icing 68 x 68 cm AAT01616A R8,000
Alice Toich A Disruption in Perception, 2016 Oil on canvas 100 x 150 cm AAT01816A R21,000
Alice Toich ECONOMY: two tier, all white, with a sprinkling of colour, 2016 Foam, acrylic, clay, steel, wood, paint 38 x 60 x 60 cm AAT03816A R10,000
Alice Toich My heart, 2016 Oil with acrylic icing on canvas paper 26.5 x 30 cm AAT03016A R3,500
Alice Toich Integrated, 2016 Acrylic, clay, gold leaf & steel on board 59.5 x 42.5 cm AAT04416A R 4,200
Alice Toich 22 years, still not well-mixed Acrylic, clay, gold leaf & steel on board 59.5 x 42.5 cm AAT04316A R 4,200
Alice Toich Thank god for Monday teatime, 2016 Oil on board 54.5 x 36 cm AAT02316A R7,900
Alice Toich Insurrection, 2016 Charcoal on paper 190 x 126 cm AAT03516A R35,000
Alice Toich The cookie jar, half full, 2016 Oil on board 54.5 x 36 cm AAT02116A R7,900
Alice Toich Pity-For #1 Plaster, acrylic, steel, clay, paint 42 x 42 x 6 cm AAT04816A R4,200
Alice Toich Seemingly reflective but still white, 2016 Acrylic & Perspex on board 40 cm AAT04216A R7,500
Alice Toich Kuier with cake, 2016 Oil on board 54.5 x 36 cm AAT02216A R7,900
Alice Toich Party! For the people (white) Acrylic & clay on canvas paper 16 x 17 cm AAT04516A R2,400
Alice Toich Another man's treasure, 2016 Oil paint & acrylic edging on perforated metal 15.5 x 24 cm AAT03416A R3,200
Alice Toich You can't just sit around painting flowers all day , 2016 Oil on board 36 x 36 cm AAT03116A R6,000
Alice Toich Someone's been pinching from the top, 2016 Foam, acrylic, clay, steel, wood, paint 17 x 30 x 30 cm AAT03916A R4,000
Alice Toich I see you, 2016 Oil on canvas 150 x 100 cm AAT01216A R23,000
Alice Toich Tea for two, 2016 Oil on board 36 x 54.5 cm AAT02416A R7,900
Alice Toich Twin buns, two tjcherries, 2016 Oil on board with acrylic icing 19 x 30 cm AAT02916A R2,800
Alice Toich As Yet Untitled, 2016 Acrylic & clay on canvas paper 39.5 x 29 cm AAT03216A R3,800
Alice Toich Infiltrating spaces, 2016 Acrylic, clay & steel on canvas paper 28.5 x 22.5 cm AAT03316A R2,800
Alice Toich Wave-like properties, 2016 Oil on board 36 x 54.5 cm AAT02616A R7,900
Alice Toich Rainbow (Nation) Cake, 2016 Acrylic, clay, steel & gold leaf on mounted canvas 150 x 100 cm AAT03716A R23,000
Alice Toich Look after yourself Acrylic cupcake 6 x 6 x 6 cm AAT04016A R3,500