Kiepersol pendants

Kiepersol enamel and silver pendants

Etched copper and enamel set in embossed sterling silver, with cotton string.

Phenomenal Engagement

A collaborative exhibition with fellow artist Chris de Beer at the KZNSA Gallery July 2011.

The collaborative selection of work forms part of an auto-poetic and phenomenological exploration of identity with the understanding that identity is uniquely embedded within social, cultural and personal experiences. The process involves self reflection and interaction with the phenomenal world as part of an inter-subjective construction of meaning manifesting as a three dimensional conversation. The construction of meaning includes a critical inquiry into structures of representation which forms part of the process of situating the self within the world. This translates into an opportunity for the construction of individual consciousness and subjectivity.

Please follow the link below for details of all the work as well as a collaboration with Mari Pete in the form of haiku:

http://phenomenalengagement.blogspot.com/

Inspiration – Durban Art Gallery Archive show (Artspace Durban)

Marlene de Beer, For King, and Country, 2011, Two objects consisting of printed canvas over board and sterling silver medals on webbing, including embroidery cotton, stoneware slip cast cameo and pearls, Dimensions Variable

This is my interpretation of the painting (Nell Gwynn by Sir Peter Lely) for the exhibition at Artspace.

http://artworksartspace.blogspot.com/search/label/Marlene de Beer

For King and country….
In its metaphorical structure, we find a world where we encounter things not as facts to be discovered, or as screens for our mental projections, but as invitations, or even temptations, or as occasions to participate in the world’s continuous unfolding and realization (Brooke 2000: 39).

Eleanor “Nell” Gwyn (1650 –1687) is remembered for being a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England. She is regarded as being the typical rags to riches heroine such as depicted in fairy tales and popular myths; Cinderella, Pygmalion and Pretty Woman. She started her career by selling oranges to theatre audiences before becoming an actress at the age of fourteen. After having had numerous lovers she became the mistress of King Charles II whom she bore two children. As the illiterate child of an alcoholic brothel owning mother it provided her, as a woman of her time and standing, with a fairly reliable method to survival until her death from a stroke at the age of thirty seven. She is also remembered for an apparent remark made by her to her coachman while he was attempting to defend her honour; “I am a whore; find something else to fight about”.
My interpretation of the painting is in response to the subject matter and includes the metaphorical interpretation of a worldview and the cultural evolution of consciousness within a historical context. My intention is to create a dialogical interpretation of the historical roles of women. As experienced from an existential phenomenological perspective the individual finds herself temporally and spatially ‘thrown’ into a specific family, society, culture and historical epoch within which she has to ‘become herself’, as part of human possibility and existence as ‘Being-in-the-world’. Woman’s prescriptive and ‘glorified’ goal has traditionally been that of being a wife, lover and mother, as a producer, nurturer and container in sacrifice to the male and therefore also to country. Nell Gwynn was therefore presented as an offering to the male connoisseur gaze, a performance of a culturally constructed identity

cameo…

 

Slip cast stoneware cameo set in silver pendant with white glass bead detail. My first piece (and only as yet)for the “Local is Lekker” exhibition.

Collaboration

collaboration

‘Medals to Women’ jewellery (with embossing by Chris) for exhibition at the KZNSA gallery 

“Lovebirds” Ring

My contribution for the “Rings and Things” exhibition at Artisan Gallery this month is a silver ring with two birds as the centre, titled “Lovebirds Ring”. This is very much a prototype piece which I intend to develop further as part of an exploration of stereotypical roles and perceptions.

“Poppie” (Doll) medal

The word “Poppie” (doll) is a diminutive form of  “endearment” and “objectification” often used by men when referring to women. The medal could be worn by women as a form of micro-resistance and subversion of the above term.

Embroidered heart medal

I used the technique of embroidery (a historically feminine craft) to turn the medal into a medal to womanhood.  The heart is an association with the psychological principal of Eros. I added a piece of tape measure from my sewing box as a demonstration of identity, as sewing is usually done by the woman in the house. The tape measure also “plays” with the idea of being measured/judged (according to physical appearance) by the world.

Detail from panel “Medals to Women”

I used the cameo with its  traditional feminine values, and subverted it by turning it into a medal, which has historical masculine connotations of honour, valour and sacrifice.

Detail from panel

Detail of the found objects used as references