(Ivor Hamilton’s image of John
Smith at work)
Running
at Artisan Gallery in Morningside is a fascinating exhibition titled Excellence which displays the work of 12
exceptional KZN artists and photographers.
Owner of
Artisan, Ingrid Smith, came up with the idea that a photographer and an artist
would form a team which would document the artist at work. So she invited six
photographers and six 'other' artists to participate with the idea of
documenting the creative process. The resulting photographs are displayed
together with a few completed items of work by the artist.
“So
often the viewer sees the completed artwork with little or no idea of what
making the piece entails,” explains Smith. “So I selected artists who have
links to Artisan and teamed them up … and off they went!
The
artists are sculptor Carl Roberts; Ardmore Ceramics; Clyde Neumann who does woodturning;
silversmith Songezo Baleni; Guido van Besouw who does glass blowing, and John
Smith who paints in oils.
The
photographers are Barry Comber; Harry Lock; Ivor Hamilton; Mike Loveridge, Dawn
Rouse, and Thomas Vermeulen.
“Artists
are very special and amazing people, who are not given nearly the recognition
they deserve,” adds Smith. “We hope that we can work towards rectifying this,
and by giving an insight into what goes into the creative process possibly make
the public more aware of the dedication, skill and sheer hard work involved.
The myth that artists sit around waiting for inspiration and then the
masterpiece just happens is just that. A myth. I want to give credit where
credit is due.”
Excellence runs until July 12 at Artisan Gallery which is situated at 344 Florida Road, Morningside,
Durban. The gallery is wheelchair friendly. More information on 031 312 4364 or
083 301 5747, email: info@artisan.co.za or visit www.artisan.co.za
(The next exhibition to look
forward to will be Jane Bedford's exquisite “uDoli” collection and her striking
photography, which will be opening on July 16.)
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