74 ABANDONMENT Explored Through a Group Exhibition

“ABANDONMENT” Explored through group exhibition at RK Contemporary Gallery www.rkcontemporary.com

An evocative selection of artworks by renowned contemporary artists which explore the topic of “Abandonment” will be on exhibit at RK Contemporary gallery in Riebeek Kasteel from 3 – 24 November 2019.

Owner and curator Astrid McLeod invited selected artists to submit two-dimensional paintings that explore the visual and social significance of abandonment – asking them to delve into the beauty of the absent and the intrigue of the neglected, discarded and deserted.

“This has resulted in a diverse collection of artworks from artists Anthony Harris, Willem Pretorius, Danielle Jordaan, and Chris Kriek,” explains McLeod. “Each of them have a very different take on abandonment.”

Landscape artist Anthony Harris, who has chosen abandoned land as his subject matter, says that he uses the landscape as a metaphor. “My work explores the complexity of the terrain in ways that challenge the viewers’ own boundaries. These landscapes hold within them aspects other than pure nature - the panorama is composed of elements that bear witness to change and evolution.”

Willem Pretorius, who has been a top 40 finalist in Sanlam’s Portrait Awards four times (2013, 2015, 2017,2019), has created a series of work that portray abandoned homes, swimming pools and buildings. The subject of his work is mainly concerned with the decay and abandonment of places within the South African Platteland.

Willem Pretorius, Abandoned Pool, Nelspoort’, 54 x 3cm, oil on canvas, (Detail)

Chris Kriek, Abandoned 3, charcoal on fabriano, 44.5 x 55.5cm

Chris Kriek, Abandoned 4, charcoal on fabriano, 44.5 x 55.5cm. Opposite Page: Danielle Jordaan, The space in between (ii), 50 x 30cm oil on wood panel

Anthony Harris, DEEP TIME, Communication Lines, 50 x 50cm

“By painting these scenes I want to capture their essence, stripped of all pride. Almost like a snapshot in oil, a moment frozen in time. I like to document these man-made structures and the way nature reclaims them. I find beauty in the decay and find these empty, wide open spaces, devoid of humans, very evocative. It’s almost as if they mirror our own inner landscape and feelings of loneliness, abandonment and disillusionment. I think it reminds us of our own transcience and the brutality of time,” says Pretorius.

Young Stellenbosch based artist, Danielle Jordaan has chosen to paint a series of abandoned interiors and says that she finds intrigue in the duality that lies between the inside and outside spaces and places we inhabit.

“The distinction between what is sacred and the everyday is broken down in my work and I took

inspiration from scenes abandoned by human presence, depicting places I’ve travelled to and contrasted with everyday bedroom scenes.”

Cape Town based Chris Kriek, who specialises in analogue art photography explains that for this exhibition he worked with 8mm film that he collected from second hand shops over the years. “The actual abandoned nature of the film footage started my exploration into the memories we choose to abandon as oppose to the ones we keep. And on a more personal note, which parts of the social belief systems from our cultural heritage we choose to abandon – those connected to religion, masculinity, gender, environment and more.”

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