(Joan Martin’s “Fast Moon Soul”, mixed media on board)Maggie Strachan, Joan Martin and Lara Mellon are presenting their exhibition Two Goats and a Dog at Fat Tuesday in Kloof.
The title of this exhibition refers to three artists who, not very domesticated themselves; enjoy the quirky nature of domestic animals that have inhabited and still inhabit their familiar spaces. Lara Mellon grew up on a farm and was familiar with goats, chickens and all sorts of domesticated farm animals. Maggie Strachan and Joan Martin both love and over-indulge cats in their homes.
This exhibition is part of an on-going dialogue that takes place between these three artists. They spend a fair amount of time in each other’s company and studios; and part of their working method is to exchange and respond to each other’s artwork. They swap small A5 artworks and make art in response to this specific stimulus. Points of connection are apparent in the resulting artwork, whether it is colour choice, theme or mark making. Despite this connection, each artist still retains identifiable characteristics that mark their personal style, whether it is Mellon’s love of landscape and texture, Strachan’s keenly observed and meticulous rendition of forms or Martin’s obsession with surface decoration and layering.
As the artistic “conversation” has progressed between these three artists some interesting themes and directions have emerged. This includes a light hearted and often idiosyncratic examination of fairy tales. All three artists have made reference to the Three Billy Goats Gruff Norwegian fairy tale. Strachan’s paintings often include the moon and this already suggests a dreamlike state.
The number 3 (Martin’s obsession) is used in an obvious manner in quite a few of the artworks and, makes in this particular exhibition, a connection to its use in many folktales, (three wishes, three guesses, three little pigs, three bears etc.)
Strachan’s use of the colours indigo and Indian red has been adopted by Mellon in some works and she has also started introducing more decorative elements (influenced by Martin) in her brooding landscapes.
The use of the animal (both domestic and wild) has persisted in many paintings perhaps alluding to the unconscious or sometimes, not so unconscious, concerns of these artists. Martin has picked up more on conceptual links between the artworks but has started introducing more landscape elements (influenced by Mellon) into her work. The love of texture in both Martin and Mellon’s work is obvious and it is this textural quality that further links their pieces.
The exhibition runs until March 26 at Fat Tuesday, Bellevue Campus - Bellevue Road, Kloof. More information on 031 717 2785/9 or visit http://www.fattuesday.co.za
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