• Restraint and Relief

    Date posted: January 7, 2011 Author: jolanta
    My paintings are montages of portraits, figures, miniature landscapes, fragments of objects, and an eclectic array of cherished objects. I tend to think of it as a collection of objects in a “curiosity cabinet” similar to those of the 17th century. Every image I paint is a picture or object that I have collected for certain reasons. I need to relate to an object that I select. This can be determined by color, aesthetic value, its expression as an object, and its relation to the other images.

    Jaco Benade

    Jaco Benade, Urban Madonna VI. Oil on board, 80 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

    My paintings are montages of portraits, figures, miniature landscapes, fragments of objects, and an eclectic array of cherished objects. I tend to think of it as a collection of objects in a “curiosity cabinet” similar to those of the 17th century. Every image I paint is a picture or object that I have collected for certain reasons. I need to relate to an object that I select. This can be determined by color, aesthetic value, its expression as an object, and its relation to the other images. Then by interweaving these objects and their connotations, I create an artificial representation of a previous reality. A reality dictated by the unrelated interaction of the objects and the observer’s view of this reality. Suddenly, new relationships develop between these people, objects, and landscapes, and this reality that I create becomes narrative in its content.

    I think people relate to my work because of its arbitrary nature, because the pieces form a personalized whole for each viewer, as opposed to an already existing concept. The predominantly monotonal color scheme enhances the melancholy of my works, and I reinforce this using isolated figures and objects against flat surfaces.

    I find it interesting to juxtapose African elements with those of different cultures. For example, placing a white female nude next to an African woman in a traditional dress to contrast the preconceptions of Western society against the apparent exhibitionism and freedoms of other cultures. Cultures that seem to live tranquil and simple lives, as opposed to the skepticism seen in the white figure.

    To me, putting a painting together is as much about the process as the finished piece. The photos used were conceived, cherished, stored, or discarded by others and then, by me finding them again, they receive a new life in a new medium. I try to create unity within the opposing forces that each item carries, to create a single expression of beauty. In the end I value the aesthetic worth of the painting above all else. 

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