3 minute read
Threads that Bind – A colourful tapestry of human interrelation
“This practice of drawing on hand-made paper, stitching, knotting, threading, combining, weaving and sorting, reminds me of the lightness of childhood, singing, playing, inventing and thinking. ”Urte Remmert bares her childlike soul in Threads that Bind, presenting a colourful collection of faces drawn from memory, and shaded with embroidery yarns, glass-beads and buttons – “layered explorations of relationships between individuals of all walks of life.”
Along with portraits of family, friends, everyday acquaintances, pupils, and teachers, the selection features recollections of chanceacquaintances, like that of the little San girl from Ombili, the Ghanaian weaver, or the shepherd and fisherman from a village in Greece. Favourite artists, like William Kentridge, and composers like Beethoven also form part of the set. “For this new exhibition I have used drawings that I did as a student and young adult, but also recent sketches and photographs.” The final artworks – “my wall-hangings” – are stitched together from pieces of cloth, lace, jeans, old mielie-bags, “and the beautiful embroidery of both my grandparents”, explains Remmert.
For the artist, “working with small parts, put together to create an image” is not an unfamiliar concept, but links in with previous exhibitions in college, including Stars and Ashes (2019), Amor Mundi (2020), and Patchwork People, her prize-winning entry for the Bank Windhoek Triennial in 2021. This piece forms what Remmert calls the base of her new thought processes, namely, art that highlights the “polyphony of human layers”. It is again presented in this exhibition as a reminder of how the acts of layering and patchwork can be symbolic for exploring our personal complexities, and interrelations with others. “The colourful threads that I use in my latest art have the same function: Binding people, connecting them, criss-crossing and knotting them together into a web of experience and togetherness.”
In her creative space, Remmert describes her routine as being most productive when alone, “with background music to let my creative juices flow”. But even with musical stimulation by the likes of Bach, Johnny Clegg and Katie Melua, she admits, “it takes a long time to reach what I want to express”. Part of her artistic practice includes keeping record of thoughts, quotes, sketches, paintings and spontaneous ideas in a logbook, which is entrusted to the audience as part of the final body of work. These creative diaries allow a very intimate and personal view into the artist’s mind, and at the same time the opportunity for a deeper connection. Remmert notes, “I think, creating art in many ways is as if the artist turns herself insideout to reveal deeper layers of experiences, relationships and connections…”
In closing, she states, “Maya Angelou describes best what I am trying to say”: We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry. And we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their colour.
Explore Remmert’s rich tapestry of personalities through Threads that Bind, on view at The Project Room from 16 September – 1 October.
Marita van Rooyen
