Nellien Brewer: Nellien Brewer: Joburg Fringe 2015

Nellien Brewer: Nellien Brewer: Joburg Fringe 2015: Nellien Brewer: Joburg Fringe 2015 : Joburg Fringe 2015 This year the Joburg Fringe was held at Arts on Main, Maboneng Precinct. Claudia a...

Dowry/ Bruidskat

On 1 May 1852, a piece of land comprising 5993 acres, situated between the Umvoti and Tugela rivers, was granted ‘on perpetual quitrent’ to Christiaan Stephanus van Rooyen, by his Honor Benjamin Chilley Campbell Pine, Lieutenant Governor of the District of Natal, within the Settlement of the Cape of Good Hope. The farm was called Naauwkloof.

Comprising savannah grassland and wooded valleys between the sandstone cliffs, the land abounded with wildlife, and must have held a lot of promise for the prospective farmer. In a remote valley, on the portion of the farm referred to as ‘Craiglands’ (or the Zulu name ‘Gezane’), the farmer lovingly built a beautiful sandstone home for his bride. This house was regarded as one of the most beautiful homes in the district, and it was also the first to contain an indoor toilet. Legend has it, however, that the farmer’s fiancée left him before their marriage. Over the years, ownership of the farm was transferred a number of times, and many interesting stories were told about the inhabitants of the home. It even had a resident ghost!

Approximately a hundred years after the first registration, my grandfather, a doctor in the district, bought the farm to retire on. His son, my father, studied Agriculture at the University of Pretoria, where he met my mother. Like his predecessors, he brought his young (Afrikaans) bride to the predominantly English- and Zulu-speaking Natal valley where they raised four children.

Growing up on the remote farm, my siblings and I spoke Afrikaans, English and Zulu. We explored the sandstone cliffs and indigenous forests, and were taught about our own customs and those of the proud Zulu people. We would often find birds’ nests under the trees, and I would marvel at the complexity of the beautiful designs.

Our family lived in another home on Noukloof, as Craiglands was too far from the main road. My father, however, faithfully maintained the homestead and outbuildings, and my parents would occasionally let people live there who needed a place to stay. To me, Craiglands felt like something from a fairy tale – surrounded by dark green conifers, the home was silent and spooky, but lovely. The sense of history was palpable – it felt as if the farm would be there for ever, and I fantasised about living there when I grew up.

My brother shared my love for the land. Following in our father’s footsteps, he studied Agriculture at the University of Pretoria. He went on to complete a doctorate in America, where he met his future wife. As the farmers before him, the young man brought his bride to the remote Natal valley.

My American sister-in-law embraced her new life without electricity or cell phone reception. The couple valiantly struggled to make a living on the farm. Owing to crime and other factors, they eventually decided to move to America for the sake of their children. Soon after this, a land claim was registered on the land, and it was fortuitous that they had already made the decision to leave.

Times have changed. As expected, both houses and all outbuildings have been destroyed – stripped of all useful materials. A number of animal skeletons lie scattered amongst the ruins, and Wattle and Eucalyptus saplings abound, celebrating their freedom from the neatly defined plantations they were once restricted to.

When we visited the farm a few years ago, I found a man tending his vegetable patch in front of the ruins where my father used to plant lucern. We exchanged greetings, and he called his children over to explain to them that I had lived in the old house as a child. The ancient rhythms have simply continued as before - the approximately 160 years of farming in this particular valley leaving barely a ripple on the face of Africa.

We now live in Muckleneuk, Pretoria. I often think about the carefree days in the remote valley, and I trust that my children will also have fond memories of their childhood. We still find nests, albeit under the street trees, and I still marvel at their complexity.

Messum Crater Lichen

When I started experimenting with text in my art, it was mainly for visual appeal. I was studying towards a Visual Arts degree, and exploring the theories of evolution and creation. Text seemed to be an appropriate medium of expression. I really liked the result, and started using text more and more.

Lichen fascinated me - the beauty and variety of the little organisms. I tried painting and drawing them, but somehow I could never really capture the complexity. Then I tried interpreting the lichen in text, and loved the result. Somehow the abstraction and scale 

Recently I discovered that lichen is considered to be a primitive life form, consisting of a fungi and a bacteria. Suddenly I was back to the evolution/ creation debate, and it all came together.

In December 2014 we travelled to Namibia. The lichen in the Messum Crater was unlike anything I had seen before. The shapes and vivid colours against the volcanic rock were simply mesmerising.

Nellien Brewer: Altered Realities: 2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015)

Nellien Brewer: Altered Realities: 2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015): At the beginning of 2015 (or it may even have been toward the end of 2014) Johan Conradie informed us that he ...

Altered Realities: 2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015)

At the beginning of 2015 (or it may even have been toward the end of 2014) Johan Conradie informed us that he was planning a group exhibition at the Association of Arts in Mackie Street, Pretoria. The theme was to be 'Altered Realities', and the date was set for mid-August 2015. 

As the months passed, I had absolutely no inspiration. Johan asked me to do a digital work as he already had a number of artists who were going to submit painted works, and I knew that I wanted to use my Scripture lichen images (A new religion 4 Gospels (2010-2013) in some way. Lichen occurs all over the world, and always transforms the substrate into something beautiful. Especially in the harsh environments of inner cities, the resilience of the complex little organisms never cease to amaze me - a symbol of hope and regeneration amidst the hopelessness and despair.

In the past, if inspiration was slow in coming, I would panic and stress to a point where I'd be tempted to cancel my participation in the exhibition. Nowadays, I pray about it and then leave it to the Lord. I am slowly getting used to the idea of trusting Him regardless of my human need to instantly have the inspiration, media, material and techniques under control. As I thought about the theme, I remembered an inspiring series done by Elizabeth Olivier-Kahlau  a few years ago using graffiti as the central theme. Graffiti is often an expression of isolation, hurt, despair and misery, and I began to sense that this would be an appropriate background to the lichen growing over and transforming the site. 

At the end of June we went to KZN. Time was running out. I now had a concept of what I wanted to do, but still hadn't found a suitable graffiti image, and I didn't even know if the idea would eventually work out. One day, driving along the highway between Umhlanga and Durban, I spotted the graffiti below. It was perfect - a combination of anger, resignation and despair - an expression of the hope which people have when they migrate to the cities only to be disillusioned in the poverty and squalor of the back streets. 

And that was how 2 Chronicles 15:3 happened. 

• With thanks to Johan Conradie and KarlGustav Sevenster for their critique and assistance.

Nellien Brewer: Human Trafficking Awareness Week

Nellien Brewer: Human Trafficking Awareness Week: Eros is known as the god of love. According to Freudian theory this includes the sexual instinct which may lead to the pursuit of unin...

Human Trafficking Awareness Week

Eros is known as the god of love. According to Freudian theory this includes the sexual instinct which may lead to the pursuit of uninhibited pleasure. The negative results of uninhibited self-gratification in the absence of a transcendent authority in the post-modern world include activities such as pornography, prostitution, child molestation and human trafficking. Gratification for the perpetrator invariably leads to the destruction of the victim, mentally and often physically.

In these works a decaying leaf becomes a metaphor for the fragility of the victim. Scripture becomes a metaphor for the soul of the victim which is set free, often only through death.

Nellien Brewer: Joburg Fringe 2015

Nellien Brewer: Joburg Fringe 2015: Joburg Fringe 2015 This year the Joburg Fringe was held at Arts on Main, Maboneng Precinct. Claudia and Sarie put out an open call for ...

Shards

Many South Africans have a religious background. We are taught that God will protect us, and to have faith in His Word. At the same time, South Africa is inundated with crime and violence which put these theories to the test. Broken glass and bullet holes are relics of the crime we face on a daily basis.

In the works Shards #1 and Shards #2 (oil on digital prints, 2014), I have combined Scripture with images of shattered windshield glass. The glass shards have a beauty in spite of the horror. It obscures the Word in some areas, while the Word remains clearly visible in others. This becomes symbolic of the push-and-pull between faith and fear - a spiritual and psychological battle faced by most of us.

Nellien Brewer: 2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015)

Nellien Brewer: 2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015): Inner cities fascinate me – the socio-economic make-up; the different cycles of decay and regeneration that keep repeating over and o...

2 Chronicles 15:3 (2015)

Inner cities fascinate me – the socio-economic make-up; the different cycles of decay and regeneration that keep repeating over and over. Wealth is found adjacent to abject poverty. Slum buildings rub shoulders with ultra-modern or beautifully restored architectural gems. At the same time, inner cities are hostile environments which often isolate people from families, wholesome values and nature. This hopelessness and despair is expressed in various ways – crime, violence, neglect, vandalism and graffiti – the expressive art of the streets. 

This image was created for the Altered Realities exhibition at the Pretoria Art Association. It shows existing graffiti photographed on a wall in Durban. Various foliose and crustose lichens are growing over the image. The lichen consists entirely of Scripture and partly obscure the graffiti. The image is a comment on society and the reality of its rejection of traditional values, while the lichen, in overcoming harsh reality through complex resilience, becomes a symbol of regeneration and hope.

Digital photographic print, digital print on Perspex, framed, 900 x 600mm

2 Chronicles 15:3 (detail)

Lichen in oil on digital print

Lichen #1 (2013)                  Lichen #2 (2013)

Lichen continues to fascinate me, and I love exploring ways to represent these exquisitely intricate little organisms. These two images show foliose lichens painted in oil on digital prints of text lichen.

The digital image was created in Photoshop and shows organic lichen 'growing' over a background of lacy text. The background was created in Old Testament Scripture (Psalms), while the lichen images are New Testament (Gospels). Conceptually this symbolises the modern church where non-traditional, organic forms of worship and gatherings co-exist with the formal traditional churches.

Nellien Brewer: Lichen

Nellien Brewer: Lichen: I am fascinated by lichen. I have been photographing it for years in various locations – from the deserts of Namibia to the a...

Lichen

I am fascinated by lichen. I have been photographing it for years in various locations – from the deserts of Namibia to the architectural masterpieces of Europe. Lichen occurs all over the world and in areas where nothing else will grow, yet many people are completely unaware of the existence of these visually exquisite, complex little organisms which are not plants but consist of two and sometimes three different organisms (a fungus plus a photosynthesizing alga and/ or bacterium).  Many urban spaces are devoid of vegetation, but lichen can be found growing on the walls or paving. For me lichen is not only a symbol of resilience and regeneration but also a silent witness that covers history while watching it being made.

Once I became aware of the complexity and beauty of the little organisms, I started doing art about them - experimenting with sculpture and painting. However, as in the case of the fig leaf, it seemed that nothing I did adequately conveyed the complexity. It called for a unique interpretation, and once again text and magnification was the answer.

I have completed 4 lichens (1000mm x1000mm) which each contain an entire Gospel - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The completed work - A new religion - 4 Gospels - was selected for the 2014 Sasol New Signatures exhibition.

Ficus carica: Whose design is it anyway? (2013-2015)

We have a fig tree outside our kitchen. For years I have noticed the beauty of the leaves - especially when backlit by the sun. Over the years I have tried a number of techniques to ‘artistically interpret’ the leaves until I finally realised that the natural design was simply too strong and as such, perfect.

The vein pattern on the leaf has been interpreted in Biblical text which I use as a metaphor for the design code underlying all natural systems. The fig leaf contains four complete books of the Bible – Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. The scale of the work and the laborious, time-consuming act of typing the text word by word means that I have worked on it for 2 years.

Sura 8:12

 

Sura 8:12 (2015)

The literal interpretation of the Quran by Isis and other terror groups such as Boko Haram, Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab has led to unspeakable atrocities, the destruction of ancient sites and the persecution of many.

This work was inspired by the beheading videos which too often adorn our screens and the heads are those of actual victims. The heads of such victims are usually displayed as trophies to be mocked and ridiculed, or even kicked around as soccer balls. The symbol shown in the work is the symbol painted on the homes of Christians during the destruction of the city of Mosul.

One feels helpless in the face of such horror. There is a need to speak out, to protest, to do SOMETHING – to not be found ‘fiddling whilst Rome burns’.

With this artwork I hope to give the victims dignity and prominence in a way which lauds their courage in the face of certain death.

Termites

One of the systems in nature that I find truly fascinating is that of termites. The beauty of the African landscape with its termite mounds is well known. The order and complexity of the termite colony was described by Eugene Marais in his work The soul of the white ant (1973) in which he describes a termitary as having the characteristics of a body whilst being ruled by an exterior intelligence. The individual termite possesses no free will or power of choice, but the 'group soul' is controlled from without.

A joint German-Chinese study using behavioural mathematics (reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) found that the group has an ability to process information 'far more efficiently than Google'. According to study co-author Jurgen Kurths, single ants may appear random, but the group quickly becomes an ordered line in their search for food. A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology revealed that ants' skills at building stable tunnels in loose sand could aid in the design of a new generation of search-and-rescue robots.


Termite patterns on a tree trunk reveal order and intricacy, despite the destruction wreaked upon the host structure. A new system takes over the old one - evocative of human civilisations/ societies which are continually built up or broken down. Remnants of the old remain but things can never be the same.

A study of termite patterns combined with grids and text as a metaphor for Intelligent Design led to the works Termitary  and newsociety in 2009. I continue to collect reference material, and hope to continue the exploration of this fascinating subject.

newsociety (2009)

Termitary (2009)

How the text works started

At one of my  2nd year BVA crit sessions in 2007 I had masses of work. My father had passed away and our family farm had been lost in a land claim. My foundations had been viciously shaken and so I was obsessively working with loss, the ghosts of the past and memories.

One of our lecturers was Frikkie Eksteen , an artist whom I find tremendously inspiring. The one thing he found most interesting about my entire presentation was a tiny (accidental) stain on one of the photographs in my workbook! After my initial shock I decided to look for ways to explore this stain - possibly as a 'ghost' in other works. The result was Kraakbeeld (2007).

Kraakbeeld (2007).

I had no use for this image other than as an addition to other digital work, but the image did have a strange beauty which continued to intrigue me. I had previously used text in my art, and decided to interpret the image in text as an experiment. This resulted in Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight (2008). 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditaion of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight (2008)

The work received the 'Art on Paper Merit Award' at the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards 2009, and was selected by Ms Elfriede Dreyer for the Me3 exhibition at Fried Contemporary in 2012. It was also included in the Me. Ek exhibition she curated for the 2013 KKNK. 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditaion of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight (2008). Detail.

The physical typing of each word is extremely time-consuming, and the digital files are enormous. Yet this allows me to explore minute detail in a variety of scales impossible to achieve by hand, and I am constantly challenged to find out how far I can push this - I am truly hooked.

Detail from Fig Leaf (2014)

2015 is already one month old. I continue to be fascinated by the intricacies of nature, and the incredible design behind everything. I simply do not have enough hours in every day to explore all the ways of giving visual expression to my sense of wonder!

The size of my digital fig leaf image is 1500mm x 1000mm. It originally contained the Book of Psalms which hadn't filled all the cells. I then added the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes and finally the Song of Solomon and I now feel it is complete. The layered image provides a host of options for printing. I am thinking of printing each book on a separate layer of perspex and then combining all 4 layers into one work.

Fig Leaf (2013) - Book of Psalms

Fig Leaf (2015) - Book of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon