SUE GREEFF
Solo exhibition, Acetone Veils Eclectica Contemporary www.eclecticacontemporary.co.za Story Clare Patrick
Round the cliff on a sudden came the sea, And the sun looked over the Mountain’s rim: And straight was a path of gold for him, And the need of a world of men for me. ~ Parting at Morning, Robert Browning (1812–1889) Bodies are used and loved, admired and exploited, pressured and cherished. Bodies are political, imbued with power and presence – challenging and vulnerable. Over recent years, bodies have regained attention, across media platforms and political debates. The conversation is universal because everybody has a body and every body deserves recognition and respect. In recent years, from the trial of Brett Kavanuagh to the Handmaid’s Tale and its iconographic uses in protests around the world, the manipulation and representation of womxn’s bodies has come into focus. For her solo exhibition with Eclectica Contemporary, Sue Greeff reflects on these topical issues alongside her own practice of working with latex and painting, that draw on her experiences of working as a midwife. The exhibition narrates themes of strength in the face of pain and complacency; Sue Greeff has woven motifs of fluidity and defiance, both figuratively and literally through each artwork. Working predominantly on canvas, Greeff grapples with the media of traditional painting and uses a referential visual language, looking to imagery from popular culture. In this way, she confronts both the history of a medium which has long objectified women for the male gaze, alongside contemporary critique of political and sociological concerns of the impact of patriarchal culture. Dialogue is a painting in which Sue Greeff confronts the viewer with an irrefutable presence, a gaze that reaches beyond the frame and holds an entire world. Acetone Veil, 2018, oil on canvas, 73 x 91cm
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