In the Cathedral of St John the Divine we came across this exhibition by the South African artist - Jane Alexander. The sculptures were scattered around the Cathedral without titles or comments. The artist obviously wants the observer to think about the works and to draw their own conclusions.
Jane is from South Africa and was brought up during the apartheid regime. Her work reflects social and political issues. In this exhibition called
Surveys (from the Cape of Good Hope) the leaflet in the Cathedral describes her work as follows:
In these recent works, dominant themes have included the extension and resilience of racially based prejudices and forms of discrimination, the reproduction of neo-colonial forms of domination, the ever growing obsession for security, and the parallel global proliferation of fortified borders and systems of surveillance.
Where known I have added the names of the figures.
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The Harbinger is the figure at the front
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| Infantry |
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| The beast |
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| Harvester |
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| Lamb with stolen boots |
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| Attendant |
How intriguing! Why is it that knowing the sculptor's background makes viewing the artworks more meaningful?? Maybe it's because 'artspeak' leaves me cold ...
ReplyDeleteSurreal looks like something out of a horror movie.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very special exhibition, with intriguing figures.
ReplyDeleteSome of the statues are quite scary to be kept in a Cathedral! Nevertheless, very fascinating!
ReplyDeleteSome of the statues are quite scary to be kept in a Cathedral! Nevertheless, very fascinating!
ReplyDeleteVery evocative art. I like her approach, but it's haunting to see it. I'd love to see it in person, but your pictures give me a very good idea of how she evokes emotions.
ReplyDeleteWow, these are amazing sculptures. Some do look scary. Very interesting, great photos.
ReplyDeleteHaunting....interesting exhibit. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting display... I'd love to go to a lecture by Jane Alexander to get her thoughts as to the meaning. I can make my own conclusions --but I'd still love to hear more about hers. Wouldn't you? Interesting sculptures for sure!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
I would love to see this!! I really loved visiting St. John the Divine when we were there.
ReplyDeleteStrange is the first thing that comes to mind! Sadly I'm afraid I don't usually "get" modern art...
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