PE brings the G'town fest closer
[caption id="attachment_39676" align="alignright" width="405"] ENLIGHTENED CREATIONS: Duncan Stewart's figures in 'On Friday we have half days' are drenched with light in his paintings.[/caption]
THE mountain is inching closer and closer to Muhammad, with more Fringe exhibitions and this year also plays featuring in Port Elizabeth as well as in Grahamstown during the National Arts Festival.
There are several diverse yet fascinating art displays almost within walking distance of each other in historic Central, and they include:
CITY ILLUMINATED, at GFI Art Gallery, Park Drive, today until 1pm, Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, until July 18.
"City Illuminated: Looking for Extraordinary Light in Ordinary Places" is Duncan Stewart's thoughtful look at this city including both its people and places.
Stewart has an artist's eye for light and this exhibition of his paintings – mostly oils and acrylics – throws a spotlight on both the dark and sunny sides of our city.
His notes show him as a spirit- driven artist and his beliefs are echoed in his paintings which are full of "glorious light, made even more brilliant by the light in people's hearts".
So much so that he imbues paintings of Algoa Bay icons such as the Campanile with a philosophical twist, while a light-flooded canvas of what appears to be the wooden steps to the sands between Hobie and Pollock beaches is titled "Ascension."
Gigi's Design Shop causes him to search his soul for the meaning of light and there are a few despairing comments on our consumer-driven society. His superbly executed work, though, is accessible without reading the accompanying notes as the artist manages to capture precision and fluidity in one image, with a masterly use of perspective.
XPRESSIONS 2014, ART Gallery, 51 Cuyler Street, daily from 10am to 4pm.
MORE than any other single person, we have ART Gallery owner Anthony Harris to thank for these artistic festival offerings in Port Elizabeth and that's not all, as Harris still organises solo and joint shows in Grahamstown over the same period.
For this exhibition, "Xpressions 2014" , ART presents the work of 36 leading artists in the Eastern Cape, the third time since it started in 2010, and they were asked to work to the theme of an orb or spiral.
The ceramics in particular shine, from Bianca Whitehead's bright baubles, Lydia Holmes's slyly humorous figures, Anton Momberg's gorgeous bronzes, Lynnley Watson's delicate porcelain and more.
All in all, it's a wonderful capsule collection featuring household names.
PARERGONS OF THE DIVINE VIRGULE, at ArtEC, 36 Bird Street, until July 12.IT is hard to sum up this exhibition other than to say it is the ideal festival offering: quirky, creative, engaging and, well, totally unlike the "typical" ArtEC exhibitions of the past.
Basically, it is a collection of worksin-progress, potential art works, doodles on scraps of paper, fleeting impressions wild imaginings which compiled into one exhibition read like a visual stream-of-consciousness narrative.
The viewer feels like a voyeur as many of the works are small, and one needs to peer in to see the delicious details that have sprung from the artistic cortex.
Contributors range from novice to professional, with names like Cedric van der Linden and Cleone Cull spotted among them.
"Laws should be flexible, mild and few" was the first condition of entry, and gallery manager Wayne Matthews – who conceptualised and curated "Parergons" – notes that it has challenged members of the ArtEC establishment. Wonderful!
95 MANDELA POSTER PROJECT TRAVELLING EXHIBITION, at the Athenaeum, 7 Belmont Terrace, daily from 9am to 5pm.
IT is a pity it's school holidays because this exhibition would make a stunning outing for pupils of all ages. The MBDA and Athenaeum are presenting a collection of 95 posters submitted by graphic designers from around the world as a 95th birthday tribute to the late, Nelson Mandela.
More than 700 posters were submitted from artists in 70 countries and it is incredible to see the impact Tata Madiba has had on their visual iconography.
It is also slightly spooky to see so many similarities in the artistic community – whether it is South Korea, Australia or Mexico – with several opting for a mosaic or collage "face" portrayal.
Others have used the metaphor of our rainbow nation, moving from the apartheid of black and white to the "full colour" new South Africa, the dove, and many have used a selection of Mandela's wise words. - Gillian McAinsh
