APOSTLES OF ENTROPY Deconstructing mortal dichotomies

APOSTLES OF ENTROPY Deconstructing mortal dichotomies A solo exhibition by Reece Swanepoel NWU Botanical Gardens Gallery 04 – 25 October 2019

Life is easy. It becomes less easy with every question we ask. The biggest question we can ask is “what happens when we die?”.

The title of the exhibition is as much direct as it is indirect. “Apostles of Entropy: Deconstructing Mortal Dichotomies” refers to the one natural law we have been fighting against since the dawn of civilization itself: entropy. Even as the universe expands to all directions, so all heat steadily cools – including human life. Choosing the word “apostles” immediately suggests a religious undertone to the exhibition, but this does not suggest a dogmatic connection. It merely refers to an ongoing strive to answers to said questions.

The portraits and figures show a clear melancholia in this search for meaning in a dying universe. We observe the clear degeneration of all that we see, yet we cannot reconcile ourselves a as part of this. In our nature we strive toward both order and chaos. It is the backdrop to our own human condition. We inherently want to make sense of the world around us, but at same time we would fool ourselves if we thought our ways aren’t destructive.

Ultimately, this exhibition shows a struggle between two loose ends: order and chaos and how we pursuit meaning amidst those two in a universe that will inevitably turn cold and lifeless.

Top Right: Repentance 2 Spray paint and acrylic pva on canvas 400mm x 400mm, 2019

Below Right: The reply to Sisyphus Spray paint and acrylic pva on canvas 500mm x 400mm, 2019

Opposite Page: Catharsis 1 Spray paint, acrylic pva and thread on canvas 500mm x 400mm, 2019