Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct Exhibition Catalogue

ste pha n era s mu s | r econs tr uct

st e p h a n e r a sm u s | r e co n s tr u c t 20 O ct o ber - 06 No ve mber 2 013

NI R OXp r o j e c ts | 264 F o x S t reet | A rt s o n M ain | M A B O NENG PREC INC T | Johannes burg C BD

re•con•struct tr.v. re•con•struct•ed, re•con•struct•ing, re•con•structs 1. To construct again; rebuild.

2. To assemble or build again mentally; re-create: reconstructed the sequence of events from the evidence.

3. To cause to adopt a new attitude or outlook: a diehard traditionalist who could not be reconstructed.

In Stephan Erasmus’s work structure plays an important role with particular focus on the encryption process. In preceding exhibitions he has used encryption systems as structures to turn the selected text into visual love letters addressed to an ever changing muse. In these exhibitions the focus was placed on the final structure as it relates to the muse this can clearly be seen in works from ‘Hartland’ where the final image in some way referenced the manifestation of the muse: the landscape, creating a direct link between the muse as Gaia. In ‘Hartland’ Gaia manifests as South Africa and the exhibition explores the artists relationship with the country as muse, sometimes as a lover and at other times as a rejected and ridiculed lover.

‘Reconstruct’ departs from the muse as the main character as seen in the previous exhibitions. In this exhibition Erasmus continues exploring the act of writing love letters through the sampling of existing text and transforming the text into two dimensional and three dimensional objects. The act of writing love letters into artworks remains a central point around which Erasmus constructs his work. However, the focus moves away from the muse as the intended reader of the love letters, in a form that resembles the muse, and focus of his production is shifting to the act of writing and the encryption of the love letters, where the letter becomes a pattern, an object that entraps the reader/muse.

It has been suggested by Nick Cave at a series of lectures that the act of writing love letters can be equated to the binding of the recipient to the writer. Cave speaks of the act of writing as a ‘magical act’ of weaving a web and trapping the beloved in the web, binding the recipient to the writer.

In ‘Reconstruct’ Erasmus continues to encrypt selected sections of existing text taken from love songs and poetry. In this body of work the text becomes an incantation to bind the muse to the words. For Erasmus the act of writing/weaving/reconstruction of the text becomes the focus. The process of encryption becomes in a very physical sense the weaving or the building of a web that would entangle the reader.

Stephan Erasmus is a Johannesburg based artist.

Installation view of Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct | NIROXprojects | 2013

Installation view of Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct | NIROXprojects | 2013

Installation view of Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct | NIROXprojects | 2013

Installation view of Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct | NIROXprojects | 2013

Installation view of Ascension | Digital print on archival paper, cotton thread and nylon thread | 2013

Installation view of Ascension | Digital print on archival paper, cotton thread and nylon thread | 2013

Installation view of Ascension | Digital print on archival paper, cotton thread and nylon thread | 2013

Installation view of Untitled Mapping | Digital print on archival paper | 2013

Untitled Mapping | Digital print on archival paper | 245 x 174 cm | 2013 (Photo credit: Ryan Hitchcock)

Installation view of Black Hair: 3 Sirens | Cotton thread and black paper | 2013

Black Hair: 3 Sirens | Cotton thread and black paper | 182 x 125 cm | 2013 (Photo credit: Ryan Hitchcock)

Installation view of Crystal | Digital print on archival paper | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 1 - 3 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 4 - 6 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 7 - 9 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 10 - 12 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 13 - 15 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 16 - 18 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 19 - 21 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 22 - 24 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 25 - 27 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 28 - 30 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 31 - 33 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Crystal 34 - 36 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 50,5 cm (framed) | 2013

Installation of view of Sound Wave | Digital print on archival paper | 2013

Sound Wave 1 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 102 x 35 cm (framed) | 2013

Sound Wave 2 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 102 x 35 cm (framed) | 2013

Sound Wave 3 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 102 x 35 cm (framed) | 2013

Installation view of Circle | Digital print on archival paper | 2013

(l-r) Circle 1 - 2 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 58 cm (framed) | 2013

(l-r) Circle 3 - 4 | Digital print on archival paper | Edition of 6 | 35 x 58 cm (framed) | 2013

Convergence | Wood | 93 (w) x 30 (d) x 54 cm (h) | 2013

Winter Woud | Wood | 100 (w) x 8 (d) x 30 cm (h) | 2013

Linear Construction | Wood | 132 x 96 cm | 2013

Untitled | Wood | 223 x 120 cm | 2013

Installation of view of Crystal | Digital print on archival paper | 2013

Installation view of Stephan Erasmus | Reconstruct | NIROXprojects | 2013

CU RR I C U L U M VITAE EDUCATION 2007 Completed a Masters degree in Fine Art at the University of the Witwatersrand 1999 B-Tech degree with Honours in Fine Art at the Technikon Witwatersrand (T. W. R.) now called the University of Johannesburg (UJ) 1997 Completed National Diploma in Fine Art at T.W.R. (Merit Award). Majors: Sculpture and Printmaking NON – ACCREDITED COURSES 2005 17th Century Book Binding course with Peter Carstens.

2004 Papermaking workshop with Robin Silverburg, New York.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2011 - Hartland, Brundyn + Gonsalves , Cape Town, South Africa.

2010 – Hartland, Absa Gallery, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa..

2008 – Die Middernag Son, Woord Fees, University of Stellenbosch Museum Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa 2007 – Die Middernag Son – Oliewenhuis Art Museum Bloemfontein 2005 – Requiem for a Cipher, Gordart Gallery, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

1999 - The God Prosthetic, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2013 – Weerberig, Aardklop Arts festival, Potchefstroom, North West Provence.

2012 – Pointure, UJ Art Centre, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Gauteng 2010 – Bitter Fruit / Bittervrug, Jozi art:lab, Arts on Main, Johannesburg, Gauteng.

2010 – Skilder met Woorde II - Dis Afrikaans, Aardklop, Potchefstroom, North West Provence.

2010 – The 4th International Biennale for the Artist Book, Bibliotheca Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt 2010 - Transgressions and boundaries of the page-project, Woordfees, Stellenbosch, Western Cape.

2010 - Transgressions and boundaries of the page-project, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg.

2010 – Current Matters, Grand Provence Estate, Franschoek, Western Cape.

2010 - Transgressions and boundaries of the page-project, NWU-Gallery, Potchefstroom. Northern Provence 2010 – The Land Revisited, KKnK, Oudtshoorn, Western Cape 2010 - Transgressions and boundaries of the page-project, Woordfees, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 2009 – Angels4Good, Grand Provence Estate, Franschoek, Western Cape.

2009 – Obsession, KKnK, Oudtshoorn, Western Cape.

2009 – Sub-Text, Woord Fees, University of Stellenbosch Museum Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 2008 – intervention – UNISA Art Gallery, UNISA, Pretoria.

2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2006 2005 2003 2003 2000 2000 2000 2000 1999 1999 1999 1998 1998 1997 1997 1995 1995

– (re)view – Gorilla Gallery (experimental gallery), Johannesburg.

– Secrets and Love Letters Gordart Gallery, Johannesburg.

– Cultivaria Festival Paarl, Cape Town.

– Love Story, IArt Gallery Cape Town.

– Rendezvous Focus on Sculpture, Johannesburg.

– 40 x 40 exhibition, KKNK and Aardklop, curated by G Froud.

– 4th International Artist Book Exhibition, St King Stephan Museum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary – Imprints: Work on Paper, Axis Gallery. New York, USA – Student exhibition for the launch of the Wits School of Art, Gertrude Posel Gallery, Johannesburg.

– Performance Piece for the launch of the Wits School of Art, WSOA Johannesburg.

– Weft and Warp, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

– Wasting Time, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

– New Blood, Sparks Gallery, Johannesburg.

- Bottled at source at the Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

- Renaicide / Mortenaissance, Millennium Gallery, Pretoria.

- Book exhibition at Carfax, Johannesburg and.

- Babel Tower, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

- Tongue in Cheek, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

- Buttons curated by Gordon Froud, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

- Group exhibition, Springs Library Gallery, Springs.

- Elvis kidnapped by Aliens, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg.

- T.W.R. Fringe student exhibition, Johannesburg.

- Response to HIV. Paper Prayer exhibition, Johannesburg Art Gallery

AWARDS 2009 Merit Award ABSA L’Atelier art competition.

2008 Top 10 ABSA L’Atelier art competition.

1997 Merit Award T.W.R. FELLOWSHIPS AND RECIDENCIES 2011 – Stiftung kunst:raum Sylt Quelle Foundation 2004 Ampersand foundation, New York, USA. TALKS AND WORKSHOPS 2012 Artist talk, Pretoria University, Pretoria.

2012 Artist’s Bookbinding workshop, University of Johannesburg, FADA.

2011 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009 2008 2007 2006

Artist’s Bookbinding workshop, University of Johannesburg, FADA. Artist’s Bookbinding workshop, University of Johannesburg, FADA. Bookbinding workshop, Artist Proof Studio, Johannesburg.

Bookbinding workshop, Vaal University of Technology, Kempton Park.

Bookbinding workshop, University of the North West, Potchefstroom.

Artist Book talk, Pretoria University, Pretoria.

Bookbinding workshop, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein.

Bookbinding workshop, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein.

Artist talk, Pretoria University, Pretoria.

COLLECTIONS Benetton Foundation, Telkom Foundation, ATKV, The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt (Artist Book Collection), Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Hollard Insurance Ltd (SA), ABSA Collection, St King Stephan Museum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary (Artist Book Collection), UNISA Artist Book Collection as well as several private collections nationally and internationally including Jack Ginsburg Artist Book collection.

Catalogue layout and design by Neil Nieuwoudt | 2013