Nirox Projects at Arts on Main presents a new series of works from the Animal Series by Johan Thom. Central to this series of works is Thom’s ongoing investigation of his own material encounter with an African elephant skull.
The exhibition is divided into three bodies of works: etchings; drawings and sculpture. Over the period of eight months Thom produced a set of five large-scale etchings in collaboration with Willem Boshoff, Diane Victor, David Koloane and Bevan de Wet. In collaboration with Thom, each artist was invited to create an aesthetic response to the elephant skull: Thom would first work on the plate by for example making a full body print or scratching the plate’s surface with the elephant skull. After this, the plate was given to the collaborating artist to work over and layer by adding further marks, visual or conceptual elements, drawing from the encounter with the elephant skull.
The exhibition also includes a set of charcoal and mixed media drawings that remind of Rorschach patterns. These observational drawings appear almost ghost-like in their rendering of the three-dimensional shape of the skull in shades of white upon blotches of ordinary blackboard paint.
Also showing as part of this exhibition is a bronze and mixed media sculpture produced in collaboration with Guy du Toit.
The artist wishes to thank the Nirox Foundation for their generous support throughout this project and the Artist Proof Studios.
Opening Sunday 16 February @ 12:00
Exhibition runs until 9 March 2014
For more information, please contact Neil Nieuwoudt on T: +27 (0)11 7887902 | M: +27 (0)72 350 4326 |
E: neil.nieuwoudt@gmail.com
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Nirox Projects | 264 Fox Street | Arts on Main | MABONENG PRECINCT |
Johannesburg
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ALSO SEE: Animal – a new series of works | May – July 2013