6 Fine Artistes at the Alliance.F this week
We’re always raving about the EXCELLENT cultural projects put on by both the Alliance Francaise and IFAS (French Institute). Rest assured if you need a quality arty or musical experience that you can count on, head on over to a French gig with confidence. BRAVO! There’s a new art exhibition opening at the Alliance from Wed 6 June featuring 6 female artistes – it’s only on till Friday so do your best to get there as soon as you can! For those who of us who like to hang around pouting and eating fromage with French flowing all round, click on the flyer image for more info on opening night. Read about the artists below and for more info and directions visit the Alliance website here . VALERIE SAVARY – Valérie Savary, Portrait de femmeacrylic, 60 x 50 cm Valerie Savary started painting at the age of eight and, for the following 10 years, took drawing lessons which taught her the techniques of mastering subjects such as the ocean, trees and portraiture. She then completed her basic training by drawing nudes for another two years. Acrylics are her preferred medium, which she finds more modern and practical than oils or watercolours. KIRA OWEN – Kira Owen, Ngwene womanacrylic on canvas, 76 x 61 cm Since childhood, Kira Owen has lived in many different countries and has always had a keen interest in art and design, often influenced by her immediate surroundings. She studied decorative painting, specialising in faux finishes and trompe l’oeil, at the Hampstead Decorative Art School in London and undertook a number of commissions for private clients. In the late 90’s she spent four years in New York City working for a graphic design agency where she was exposed to many different creative techniques. AUDE FACQUET – Aude Facquet, Femme Zuluacrylic, 26 x 21 cm Aude Facquet paints primarily with oils, preferably with a palette knife. For the past year, she has been trying to use other mediums such as acrylics, pencil or Indian ink and paint different subjects such as portraits or perspective. She says that, for her, painting is not only a matter of serious study and relaxation but also a way of analysing her own sensibility. CATHERINE BEILLARD-DIJKHOF – Catherine Beillard, Afriqueoil, 40 x 40 cm Catherine was born in 1945 in Gray, France. Her father was a doctor (GP). Her mother, a teacher of classics, was also a painter who exhibited with the Salon des Independants from 1965 to 1969. In 2000, after 34 years as a medical practitioner in different parts of France and overseas, as well as raising four children, she retired from professional life and moved with her...
Represent Reminder: Sasol New Signatures closing!
*ARTISTS this is just a reminder to get entering! Entries close 6 June* For the last two years now we’ve supported the Sasol New Signatures competition, the search for the freshest artistic talent coming through the ranks…last year they had a fat R100k to give away to the winners and this year it’s the same (what no inflation?). What we love about the competition is that there is a dedicated section for NEW MEDiA – yes that’s all you digital designer gurus. And you can enter your work online – now there’s no excuse but to give it a bash. The other two categories include installation, photography, drawing, sculpture and painting so it’s pretty broad. You’ve got a month to create your winner… so Artists get going. Make sure you’re over 18 and make sure you abide by the rules and get your work in by/on Tues 5 June and Wed 6 June. More info here. Online entries for the Sasol New Signatures Competition 2007 are open. Aspiring young artists can register and enter their works between 2 May and 6 June 2007 at www.sasolsignatures.co.za. The online facility provides artists with a secure and cost-effective platform to present works for the first round of judging. It also extends accessibility to the competition beyond the six national collection points and physical submission dates. To enter online, artists are required to register a profile on the website before submitting a work. Online entries must be submitted in one of three categories: * Category A includes all two dimensional artworks and incorporates drawings, photography and all types of paintings. * Category B includes three dimensional artworks such as sculptures and installations. * Category C is for all new media. This may involve videos and electronic applications. Feedback from last year’s entrants showed that the cost of transporting works to the exhibition is a barrier to entry for many young artists. For the 2007 competition Sasol has entered into a partnership with Stuttaford Van Lines to sponsor the transportation of works selected for the exhibition from the regional collection points in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Bloemfontein to Pretoria. Artists will be responsible for the secure packing and of crating works for transportation. The online submission facility and a transportation partnership with Stuttaford Van Lines provide an inexpensive and safe option for young cash-strapped artists to take part in the competition. Physical submissions will be accepted on Tuesday, 5 June 2007 and Wednesday, 6 June 2007 between 10:00 and 16:00 at the national collection points in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria. The competition is open to up-and-coming South African...
DURBS: Represent Recommends – Off the Wall2
Durbanites! Anyone into graf, comics, hiphop, art and performance art make sure to get down to Off the Wall 2 opening at the tres trendy artSpace on Monday – it looks brilliant – wish we were there. We’ll try and interview some of the guys for ya, interesting to see blogging and real life merge through sketching! Durbs we expect nothing less than the most progressive of movements from you. When you bringing it to Jozi? Beautiful artwork “Cosmic Love” from Jeff Rankin. DON’T FORGET TO PULL IN FOR OFF THE WALL 2 A visual arts performance exhibition featuring The Sketchbook Project Opening Monday, May 7 at 6:30pm continuing on through Saturday, May 26, 2007 COME AND ENJOY: *exciting new visual art hybrids that combine comix, graph-X, hip hop & blogging.. *a retina-searing onslaught on the neo-bourgeois sensibilities of the postcolonial mainstream… *a melting pot spiced with slam, hip hop and live comix jamming… *paintings & drawings, original comix & prints, artists’ books & micro-zines, original sketchbooks & editioned facsimiles, animated blogs, anti-brand caps & tees, graffiti workshops, comic jams & slam performances. OFF THE WALL 2 features more than 20 artists, both established and up-&-coming, including (at last count): Zapiro, Rico, Themba Siwela, Wesley van Eeden, Jason Bronkhorst, Ewok, Alastair Findlay, Ben Hodson, Tyron Love , N.D.Mazin, Jeff Rankin, Andrew Mogridge, Mogorosi Motshumi, Jeremy Nel, Mike Scott, Wild Beast, Luke Molver, Leonora van Staden, Senyol, Scott Siveright, Ross Turpin, Adelle O’Connell, Thabani Gumede, Andrew Schnetler, Alastair Laird, and Unknown Graf Writers… The show will also include a CHEAP STUFF WALL with works priced to sell at R300 or less. A POP GOES YOUR WALLET CHEAP STUFF AUCTION with a maximum wallet of R300 will also be held on the opening night. SKETCHBOOK VIEWINGS: The artists’ original sketchbooks will be displayed behind glass at the opening event. But for those who wish to browse through these original works of art, the artists will be showing their sketchbooks at the gallery during the day on Monday 7 May, before the exhibition opening. Thereafter, the sketchbooks may be viewed at the gallery on request and under supervision for the duration of the exhibition. RESPONSIBLE GRAFFITI PROJECT: Cape Town street art guru Senyol and Durban graf-X ranter Ewok will be running a “Responsible Grafitti” workshop in the gallery on Sunday, 6 May. The mural art produced on that day will be on exhibition for the duration of the show. THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT: For a sampling of what’s been going on in the Sketchbook Project, go to http://www.sketchbookproject.blogspot.com/. Most of the work on exhibition will relate back to the sketchbook pages the participating artists have...
Represent Interview: Billie Zangewa
We remember reading about Billie Zangewa when she won the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award Exhibition in 2004 for her gorgeous handbags. We were very envious of her prize – a return ticket to Paris and a few months in the incroyable city d’amour…but at the same time we were delighted for her. Billie has been on quite a journey since then and is now holding a solo exhibit at the Afronova gallery in Newtown from Friday 4 May 07 (opening night) to Saturday 2 June 07. Email afronova@tiscali.co.za for queries. Represent caught up with Billie: So Billie, give us the short version of your backstory if you don’t mind… from birth to now, how did you find yourself where you’re at? Born in Malawi. Grew up in Gaborone, Botswana. My dad is Malawian and mom South African (Sotho from Aliwal North). I am somewhere in between. After varsity I moved to Jhb as there are more opportunities for an artist here than in Gaborone. What inspired you to become an artist? Where did you study and how long did it take? It’s a bit like it was pre-destined because I have known it since I was 9 yrs old. I got my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) at Rhodes university and that was a 4 year degree. How do you define and describe yourself? I am a visual artist, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, girlfriend….I am a simple person just trying to fulfill my dreams with the support of those that care about me. Have you been lucky in life, if so, tell us how? I FEEL as if I have been lucky. Because every time I have been trying to do something the “universe” has sent me an earth angel (or several) to help me. What was the last exciting thing that happened to you? This journey in general is really exciting. Being awarded a residency in Antwerp at the Dak’art 2006 was awesome. Being on the ski slopes for the first time this past December was pretty exciting too. What do you love about Johannesburg? Jhb CBD, which is full of exciting visuals. The blinding sunlight – even in winter! The level of cuisine – we can find so many kinds (Japanese, thai, Indian etc) and its all extremely good. What would you change about Jozi if you could? The crime! It’s cramping our style. What’s your ideal city to live in and why? I am eternally in love with Paris. I spent 5 months there and did not want to leave. I love French culture and you can walk around the city pretty much anytime of...
Support Michaelis 4th years CT tonight.
Lovers of art in Cape Town support the next breed of artists coming through the ranks by attending the 4th year of Michaelis School of Fine Art students at their “early friday pub” fund-raising and networking endeavours. There’s one tonight which is so early for a Friday it’s on a Thursday! Click on the flyer for more but here’s the scoop: We’re the 4th years of Michaelis School of Fine Art, it’s our final year and we need to raise money for a catalogue of essays and student’s work to be published at the end of the year. For this reason we have picked up on something that was started by graduates of a previous year – the early friday pub – which provides students, the art community (and anyone and everyone else, 18 and over) to network, party and shake their rump. Every week since the beginning of March Early Fridays have featured a different theme of music, DJs, dress code and other specials, while the tequila raffle has become a returning feature – lately forming part of an established artist’s special edition series (a future investment?!). We’ll continue Early Fridays throughout May, and possibly right till the end of the year. Upcoming Fridays are: Thu 26/4 – Early Early Friday: New Media DJs & VJs, bottle by James Webb. Fri 4/5 – Early Friday Art Stars: DJs Joao Ferreira (tbc), Suzie Bell and Ed Young. Featuring polaroid booth Fri 11/5 – Early Friday Sexy Death (rock night): assorted DJs and dress up Fri 18/5 – Early Friday Karaoke with competition, dress up and more Always 4-8pm, always The Waiting Room 273 Long Street, always...
Proudly brought to you by:
