Artists as curators and co-authors
PARKWOOD - "The idea of the curator as artist... comes into play, and is hopefully dismissed, seeing as the curator in this case is merely a co-author... not a publisher."
Co Author, Olaf Bisschoff’s collaborative solo exhibition at Lizamore & Associates Gallery, will explore debates around the curator as artist and the artist as curator, and once more give witness to the artist’s fascination with books.
“Sometimes the fruits of the artist’s labour [are] realised when products from different lonely studios, [an] untidy workplace and… small rooms can be put together to form one exhibition that was worked on together from different spaces,” said Bisschoff.
“It is not at all unlike being a co-author on a book. So that’s what we did.”
For this exhibition, Bisschoff collaborated with artists who he admires and respects, including Stephen Rosin, Gordon Froud and Vusi Beauchamp.
The gallery’s Suen Muller said, “Most of the work will be centred on the use of found books, which are used as the primary canvas for the artworks. The focus is on oil painting and the permeating landscape.”
She explained that the artist’s linking artworks of different disciplines brought the “sculptural, abstract and visceral elements of the book” to the fore.
“The exhibition is a play between art forms… where the act of making carries equal parts of method and meaning,” said Muller.
“The various artworks were not necessarily made with the other in mind, but rather given a breath of life as [companion pieces] to each other. Often the used books will act as middleman, giving up… title, content, dog ears or cover for a new dimension in a singular piece.”
According to Muller, the exhibition also builds tension between Modernist and Post-Modernist schools of thought.
“Modernist landscape painting is continuously confronted by Post-Modern mediums and techniques, challenging traditional ideas around landscape painting,” she said.
This is the fourth of Bisschoff’s exhibitions to focus on books, having been preceded by last year’s Biblioteek/Library, Streeksbiblioteek and Landmeter/Land Surveyor.
Froud will open the exhibition on 5 February at the gallery, 1 Chester Court, 142 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, at 6pm. The exhibition will run until 1 March.
Details: 011 8880 8802; www.lizamore.co.za
