An exhibition titled Between Dreaming and Daylight by Salomi Prinsloo is currently
running at the Imbizo Gallery in Ballito.
Usually artists make it their concern to
present the foreground as the primary subject or visual focus but in Salomi
Prinsloo’s works, it appears as if the subjects often from the rainforests
forcefully pop out of the tumultuous Turner-like background with a visual voice
of conservation and eco-friendly living strategies.
These green and eco-friendly art works are
personal reflections of Salomi Prinsloo’s experience and her observations of
research done by NASA upon the ability of certain plant species to combat
indoor air pollution.
As described by Dr P. Pienaar: “The royal,
spontaneous and yet calculated dressing of the background becomes visual music
which supports the strategic placement of the often simplistic foreground or
subject loudly and this is particularly applicable to the flower studies. The
backgrounds are reminiscent of the “Pollockian” way of treating the surface by
deliberately adding “aggressive” spattering, liberating contrasts and creating
texture cracks.
“The flower paintings become visceral,
landscape based paintings. Each piece conveys a sense of endless wonder and
imagination. Salomi’s stylistic approach reminds of reflections, memories and
dreams combined with reality. Salomi constructs layers of associations and
meaning navigating between lyrical abstraction and realism. The works are
thoughtful yet moving, encouraging the viewer to establish a personal reality.
“The trained art viewer or artist can
recognise a dedication in the working of the background that bears witness of
years of experimentation. The warmth and intensity in the textures and the
variety of colours captured in the background testify that Salomi Prinsloo is
an artist who makes it her concern to treat the picture or painting as a
complete unit and each part thereof she treats with equal importance. Each
component is artistically described until the whole work becomes a moment of
visual “repose” of which the parts cannot be separated and the spectator can be
fascinated by the completed work and the detail in particular, too.
“A new technique evident in the flower
studies of this exhibition is the use of poetic lines which simply suggest
forms, thus leaving a silence on the canvas which the spectator can then
imaginatively complete. These forms are described with chalk and they
masterfully break the high-intensity areas in some backgrounds and therefore
the spectator is forced to become aware of the magnificent textures and the moment.”
“The panoramic landscapes on the spacious
canvases are based on Salomi Prinsloo’s personal anchoring moments with the
soil. Her landscapes share a Fauvistic or jovial colour play which creates
“mischievous” moments that can resemble a display of fireworks where sparks
appear in unexpected places and blaze for attention. It is the opinion of Dr Pienaar that Salomi
enters the realm of the old South African masters with these landscapes.”
The exhibition runs until the end of October. The Imbizo Gallery is situated in the
LifeStyle Centre Ballito next to Beira Alta and opposite Zara's. More
information on 032 946 1937 or email: info@imbizogallery.co.za
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