Public Art

Centenary Sculptures, Merensky Library walkway, University of Pretoria (2008)

Medium: Bronze and Belfast granite | Photo by Elizabeth Olivier-Kahlua

With an artwork the artist would try to capture your attention and to invite you as the viewer in. Once we have you we would like to keep you (same as Vodacom), we must therefore give the viewer something once we have drawn you in. Text as surface texture has as far as I know not been used in sculpture, I started with this on a small piece called: Dis net 'n...

The idea develop further to using other peoples writing as surface detail whilst I only sculpt, a collaboration of sort. The text on this sculpture is the same as to the previous work with text as surface texture, it is not necessary but contributes another dimension. This sculptures priority does not lie in decoration although all the basic fundamentals of design always apply to me, for example the composition, continuity etc. The four columns were inspired by Da Vinci's 'Uomo Vitruviano' drawing where the earthly element is interpreted as square and the intellectual and spiritual aspects as spherical. "The spherical forms symbolise the growth of the University as a complex entity with different faculties and disciplines with overlapping roles. I therefore believe that one form cannot contain this, whereas several entities that are in contact with one another, like a molecule, can," The four separate pieces are perceived as a unit. Each quarter's information is only to be seen on one column and the viewer is asked to proceed from one to the other. Repeating form and dialogue between the columns unites the work. In this way I would like to pull the viewer in by means of contemplation and involvement. We are living in the information age and it surrounds our world, as well as the sculpture."

If I displayed it as smaller Columns with the spherical shapes resting on top it would have been easier to relate to as sculpture and plinth, something we would have been more familiar with, but I am not presenting a precious piece of bronze on a plinth, more a mixed media sculpture with both man made laborious lost-wax cast bronze with found object, larger than life stone fence poles. Reminiscent of our platteland and origin.