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12 February 2006 by nathaniel

Rhona Gorvy @ the new Art on Paper

For those of you who have not heard, Art on Paper has moved into 44 Stanley; a newly renovated ex-Franchise is looking fab with all kinds of nooks and crannies for prints and marks… Admittedly, I always thought this space was a bit big, and the art tended to sometimes get lost in it, but it’s already working better than before at its launch, and I’ve no doubts that as time goes on the AoP gallerists will figure the best ways to enhance the work. The space itself is, as always, stunning….

Denigration, from The Dream and The Abuse. Rhona Gorvy. Pic by Daniel Hirschmann
^{Denigration, from The Dream and The Abuse. Rhona Gorvy. Pic by Daniel Hirschmann}

Rhona Gorvy has been quietly producing loud prints (etchings, aquatints, drypoints, the list goes on…) for over forty years, and her grandson (none other than Daniel Hirshmann, recently featured on this blog and at Upgrade! Johannesburg), decided it was time for a solo show. He spent approximately one year sifting through piles of gems (he related to me a story, in fact, of finding a Kentridge print in with his grandmother’s at some point – turns out she had done some workshops with him) simultaneously reminiscing, curating and constructing a representative body of work. Gorvy’s prints are mostly surrealist in nature, with strong narrative components that tend to question (at least to my eye) structures of power: religion, government, race and gender. Recommended.

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11 February 2006 by nathaniel

Daniel Hirschmann @ Upgrade! Joburg

As you can see, our first Upgrade! here in Johannesburg was a huge success! Nice big attendance for a Soiree (upgraded), and there was general excitement around being plugged in to a global network of artists and curators, about MTAA and turbulence.org‘s upcoming virtual and physical visitations to our space, respectively.

Hirsch mostly talked about his experiences at Benetton’s creative industry venture, Fabrica. It was interesting to hear about the importance of networking, proposal-writing, quality images and representation of not-yet-formed projects… It was comforting to know that creative industry, like the art world, is also largely based on who you know and how you know them.

Of course, Daniel also spoke about his work in Nice, his upcoming show at the Pompidou, and some of the projects he proposed that may one day yet get produced. Mostly, his energy, can-do attitude, excitable charm and technical know-how made the day – a personality that kept us all on our toes….

^{Daniel Hisrchmann @ Digital Arts, WSOA. photo credits: me}

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07 February 2006 by nathaniel

Relational Clothing – collecting fragments

RC2 by Jose Ferreiera
^{RC2 by Jose Ferreira}

As covered by Carine Zaayman on Artthrob, the Very Real Time project launched its second phase at the Drill Hall (Point Blank Gallery, downtown Jozi) this past weekend, hosting, "Two panels of selected speakers… chaired by Gregg Smith and … an intervention by Johannesburg based artist, Jose Ferreira."

Ferreira’s RC2 (courtesy of the artist):

This work consists of a series of journeys and a garment. Appearing to be an ordinary overall, it unfolds and translates into various forms, provoking unusual relationships. It is at once a vessel for shelter, a protective unit, and gatherer of ephemera. … The focal point of the work is to extricate new readings of social interactions in this urban context that may have become accepted, habitual and even suspicious. The work is an exploration of urban survival, self-preservation, and a dreaming of possibilities. … My intention is to make a work that embraces the multiplicity of an urban Johannesburg experience.

Read and see more.

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05 February 2006 by nathaniel

artthrob artbio feature

Nathaniel Stern

Ralph Borland writes:

Nathaniel Stern is an artist, a teacher, a technologist, a blogger, a social catalyst and constant networker in the art community. As an artist, his works spans performance, poetry, interactive installation and video, net.art and print. … Nathaniel’s artwork often touches on the mutability of personal identity, as in his assumption of multiple personas through his video performance work. His ideas around the body, a centre in much of his art and his focus in recent academic work around The Implicit Body, speak of the body and person ‘enfolding’ the world around them into themselves, and so constantly transforming….. Read more

It’s a very generous and comprehensive overview of my current work, and most of my arts career. "ArtThrob is South Africa’s leading contemporary visual arts publication, reporting on the national arts scene and the involvement of South African artists in the international art world." See the full bio.

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02 February 2006 by nathaniel

PWO (post whites only)

^{still: dineo bopape}

Kagablog, ex-guest blogger Aryan’s own space, writes about a showing of South African art he curated for the Rotterdam Film Festival (obviously, ironically titled – that’s info for my overseas readers who don’t know Aryan, who is, ironically, also ironically titled…):

post whites only digs deeper and provides an encounter with the more disturbing realities of the south african condition. identity is always a concern with artists working in a neo-colonialist context, and it is no surprise that some of the most rigorous and challenging work coming out of south africa today is directly concerned with interrogating issues of identity and self manufacture.

It’s a lucid and long post, detailing all featured artists and their works. He’s also been added to the ‘roll and the ‘reader. We miss him over here, but are also glad to see some consistent text about his other work online! See his daily – I would not call them rants. They are too articulate to be rants. uuuuuuum – posts. My ‘sentimental deconstruction,’ A Song for The, is a video made sometime mid-last-year, specifically for the festival and at Kaganof’s request. It’s a ‘slammy’ exploration of growth and listening, inspired by conversations with my father, Marshall Blonsky and Edmundo Desnoes. There’s a hot line-up on Kag’s reel, and I hope he considers re-showing it in Joburg etc sometime soon!