New Favorite Artist - El Anatsui
(photo: the October Gallery, UK)
It is never too late nor difficult to hop onto the bandwagon especially when the art is so good. I caught the last day of the El Anatsui exhibit "Gawu" at the Fowler Museum on the UCLA campus yesterday, and was completely mesmerized by the beauty of the sculptures on view not only in the materials used but by the artist's ability to seamlessly encapsulate his life and culture into one wholistic and unique vision. Stunning! Martin Barlow, director of the Oriel Mostyn Gallery in Wales and the organizer of this travelling exhibit of El Anatsui's works, quotes the artist in a moment of early reflection on art (from the catalog) that, "Art grows out of each particular situation and I believe that artists are better off working with whatever their environment throws up." You'll know what El Anatsui means when you see the work and where it is derived from but you can also learn more about the artist and view some other nice examples here - the Fowler Museum and here - the October Gallery, UK.
El Anatsui is originally from Ghana and is currently Professor of Sculpture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. For those of you who may have missed the show at the Fowler, you'll get a second chance to see it at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona - November 1, 2007 - January 20, 2008. Not to be missed.
El Anatsui's exhibit then got me thinking about a Belgian artist I had the opportunity to work with on ocassion by the name of Arlette Vermeiren, who ramassed as well the detritus of a consumer life, albeit a specialized sort of healthier Trader Joe's upscale European market sort of refuse and gourmet want nots, specifically in her use of the "packaging" as in the paper used to embellish and protect these imported luxuries from bruising. Ah yes, these were individually tissued oranges from Valencia printed in four-color offset with the company's logo in gold lettering, grapes from Chili bundled in a 3-color abstract motif swirling across the tissue's surface or a solid black with red dotted highlights enveloping mangos from India. An avid orange eater, designer, knitter, embroider and jack of all trades seamstress not to mention accomplished artist, Arlette's message was less about globalization and fruitful economic returns then it was about being eco-friendly and working with "whatever the environment throws up."
Much like El Anatsui or Amy Orr who fabricates quilts using traditional quilting technics and designs not with fabric but with twist ties, Arlette is using discarded material, in this case printed paper squares as her primary source for weaving her hanging curtains into veils of diffused color and light. Arlette does this by simply twisting the tissue paper into an elongated bow tie, leaving the ends open like a butterfly and then attaches the strands to one another by a simple shoe tying manoeuvre, attaching row after row into whatever size, dimension and effect she desires - they are endlessly adaptable to any environment and as poetic as they appear. I've included several images below for you're viewing pleasure.
Arlette Vermeiren
Arlette Vermeiren
Arlette Vermeiren
Arlette Vermeiren(detail)