{"id":1213,"date":"2006-06-20T07:47:50","date_gmt":"2006-06-20T05:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2006\/06\/20\/solid-light-opens-at-david-krut-arts-resource\/"},"modified":"2006-06-20T11:30:52","modified_gmt":"2006-06-20T09:30:52","slug":"solid-light-opens-at-david-krut-arts-resource","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2006\/06\/20\/solid-light-opens-at-david-krut-arts-resource\/","title":{"rendered":"Solid Light opens at David Krut Arts Resource"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

Solid Light
by Sean Slemon at David Krut Arts Resource
opens on 22 June at 18:00 @ 140 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood<\/font><\/strong><\/font>.<\/font><\/p>\n

Lightness and Being<\/u>
by nathaniel stern<\/p>\n

Sean Slemon’s latest body of work strikes an almost sublime balance between the frivolous, and the momentous. Both a departure from, and continuation of, his last series – which saw three Gauteng solo shows, and won him the Sasol New Signatures award in 2005 – it accents the absurdity, and necessity, of space.<\/p>\n

In an informal chat with Slemon while browsing through images of his work, we talked about how architecture is really just a carving out, a framing, of Nothing. His pieces literally draw out this relationship. <\/p>\n

Slemon follows beams of light from a windowpane to the floor, and builds solid-but-transient structures of string around them. There’s a witty lightness – literally and metaphorically – to these constructions, which have to make you smile. They are performances within performances, ephemeral arrangements that play off the daily magic of the setting sun. The impossibility of the light’s refractions and distortions, played up by occasional twists or turns in the string, is almost surreal. Slemon simultaneously extrudes, maps and warps light and space, curiously, rather than forcefully.<\/p>\n

But there’s also an incredible weight to the questions these installations implicitly ask.  What would the world be like if we could build a home out of light and shadow? What would it mean to Soweto, to New Orleans? Conversely, Slemon highlights the commoditization of Nothing, the sociopolitical questions around finance and ownership. Who gets to build, sell or live inside?<\/p>\n

In another of Slemon’s works, he gained legal permission from the Chief of Forestry
at New York City’s Parks and Recreation Department to  down several dead street trees, throughout the island of Manhattan. The hassle of obtaining a permit and finally securing the trees, from what it sounds like, was a comedy of bureaucratic errors worthy of Telkom-like performance art on its own. The plan from here is to splice these trees in half and install a sculptural forest within the confines of a public foyer.  Again, Slemon interrogates notions of inside\/outside, growth and light, but with a nuanced allusion to death and the cityscape. The genius is in its simplicity, and how comfortable windows and trees make us feel, even in a restricted space.<\/p>\n

For Solid Light, Sean Slemon’s solo show @ David Krut Arts Resource, he will create one of his site-specific window\/light installations, and is producing a series of etchings that both document and dialogue with the aforementioned works. These are drawings that portray light-casted edifices, interior forests, and memorialized street trees – all relaying a tangible softness and careful humor, with his trademarked hint to larger uncertainties.<\/p>\n

Slemon’s work is fragmentation, distortion and refraction, framed. From his new sketches that turn trees into bound marionettes, to his now-known possession of space through careful measuring, he is confusing our notions of constitution, and asking us to enjoy being confused. Don’t miss this fascinating exhibition @ David Krut Arts Resource on Thursday June 22nd at 18:00.<\/div>\n

140 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood.
 Tel: 011 880 4242
 www.davidkrutpublishing.com
 www.davidkrut.com
 09h00-17h00, Sat 09h00-16h00<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solid Light by Sean Slemon at David Krut Arts Resource opens on 22 June at 18:00 @ 140 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood. Lightness and Beingby nathaniel stern Sean Slemon’s latest body of work strikes an almost sublime balance between the frivolous, and the momentous. Both a departure from, and continuation of, his last series – […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,3,7,25,17,2,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-art-and-tech","category-me","category-reviews","category-sean-slemon","category-south-african-art","category-uncategorical"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9blZT-jz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1266,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2006\/07\/06\/david-krut-print-workshop-new-work-2006\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":0},"title":"David Krut Print Workshop: New Work 2006","author":"nathaniel","date":"06 July 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Preview of some prints of mine that'll be part of a DKW box set will be up, this Saturday. Sadly, I can't make the opening, but will be there in spirit.... From Krut site: Opens Saturday 8 July at 12h00 This exhibition of prints produced and published at David Krut\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DKFA_05_06_06_022.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davidkrutpublishing.com\/dkp\/wp-content\/uploads\/ArtGallery\/DKFA_05_06_06_022.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":799,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2005\/09\/26\/doin-the-sean\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":1},"title":"doin the Sean","author":"nathaniel","date":"26 September 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"For those of you who didn't notice, we added yet another guest blogger to our ranks a short while ago! Sean Slemon, a South African artist currently doing his MFA at Pratt in NYC (and winner of the 2005 Sasol New Signatures award), will be doing occasional write-ups of exhibitions,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "sean slemon"","block_context":{"text":"sean slemon","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/old-categories\/sean-slemon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1375,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2006\/11\/24\/new-work-krut\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":2},"title":"new work @ Krut","author":"nathaniel","date":"24 November 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Click to enlarge.From DKW:We are launching a new portfolio set by Nathaniel Stern and showing new works by William Kentridge, Deborah Bell, Colbert Mashile, Avhashoni Mainganye, Wilma Cruise, Alastair Whitton and Sean Slemon.Join us for a drink, art and snacks.See printmakers, Jillian Ross and Niall Bingham at work in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/11\/krut.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1449,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2007\/04\/26\/sean-slemon-pratt-brooklyn\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":3},"title":"Sean Slemon @ Pratt, Brooklyn","author":"nathaniel","date":"26 April 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"My favorite South African displaced in New York, and an inspired\/inspirational sculptor and artist, Sean Slemon, is having his Masters Solo Show at the Pratt Studios in Brooklyn, 30 April - 4 May. If you're around, do yourself a favor and attend (and tell him I said hi - he's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"nonexclusiveinvite.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/nonexclusiveinvite.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":721,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2005\/08\/20\/sean-slemon-at-premises\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":4},"title":"sean slemon at premises","author":"nathaniel","date":"20 August 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"OK, so I forgot my camera and you will not be getting any images, but I can at least talk about the show. Sean Slemon really left SA with a bang! He had three successive solo shows (one at Outlet in Pretoria, then two at The | Premises in Joburg),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5307,"url":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/06\/sean-slemon-and-alfred-whitehead-on-self-enjoyment-and-concern\/","url_meta":{"origin":1213,"position":5},"title":"Sean Slemon and Alfred Whitehead: on self-enjoyment and concern","author":"nathaniel","date":"06 September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Disclosure: South African-born and New York-based artist Sean Slemon is a long-time friend. That relationship grew precisely out of a mutual respect for each other's work, and interesting conversation about cultural difference, politics, and life. When we met, he was a South African about to move to New York with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "art"","block_context":{"text":"art","link":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PublicPropertyStills-e1504705324333-1024x741.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PublicPropertyStills-e1504705324333-1024x741.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PublicPropertyStills-e1504705324333-1024x741.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nathanielstern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}