EN(In)VISION
"It has been meaning for meaning to be made"
Presented by Jordan Anthony
The following journeys present windows into the soul of the world as we experience, perceive, as we are, as we en(in)vision. In comparison to the growth of the tarot in its re-emergence in social media, popular culture and fashion as a site for inspiration and embedded stereotypes around the idea of the tarot, these artists seek to look within and among each other – so as to add flavour to the currents by highlighting transformative art-making processes that inform their lives and works.
The importance of this exhibition lies in the works that transpired over the past month and their inherent effort of staying present and acknowledging the journey. This is not a regurgitation of the spiritual path, but an evocation of the present. In a time where many artists are surviving a deadly pandemic, trying to make a living, keeping themselves afloat throughout the ups and downs of life as we experience it, this encounter brings us together.
Seven artists have been selected to respond to the curatorial prompt informed by the idea of ‘the fool’s journey’ as located within the narrative of the tarot. However, the journey of life is not straightforward or circular, hence the artists were tasked with presenting works that embody their current, particular journey or encounter that transforms, incites and en(in)visions.
Artworks included in this exhibition are both existing pieces and new works which draw conversation between that which has been created and re-envisioned towards what the encounter seeks – presence. Collectively, these artists have produced their own Major Arcana through recognition of self within each individual process. The following journeys that the viewer encounters in this exhibition traverse arcana within the personal: with self, negative spaces, the body, re-imagining queerness, sexuality and representation, ancestral influence, belonging and acceptance. Simultaneous to these encounters are the inclusion of varied media, such as video, sculpture, data bending, painting, digital collage, photography, illustration and drawing which provide insight into the different windows through which one can encounter an event that shapes self - even on the digital.
Artwork above: Ophelia Collective (Tristan Baia, Raphaela Cocotos and Ciara Talisa Pillay) presented by Jordan Anthony, Still from Ophelia, 23.6 x 42 cm, photo print, edition of 6, R2,520 ex. VAT
Ciara Talisa Pillay presented by Jordan Anthony
Shame me, Shape me IV, 2021, 30 x 42 cm, photo print series, edition of 20
R2,100 ex. VAT
FEATURED ARTISTS
EXHIBITION CURATOR, JORDAN ANTHONY
Jordan Cassidy Anthony (b.1999) is a Durban based artist who recently completed her Bachelor of Art in Fine Art (Hons) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Her practice includes working with memory, healing and the self as part of an ongoing process in painting using intuitive self-expression as her main driving force in making. Anthony is influenced by her immediate physical and spiritual environment and draws from her interest in disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, visual cultures and the esoteric. She is currently focused on expanding her journey of healing by exploring different methodologies of self-location and making sense of the affect from cycles within human consciousness and their place in moving forward.
“I have always been drawn to the possibilities that differing disciplines can bring to the art space and how, as an artist, an intuitive being, a researcher– one can begin to play and experiment with knowledge. I had never studied art in high school and taking the leap to go to a formal institution to explore the fine arts was challenging. However, it was a leap I needed to take to test myself and discover what art could be for a young, inquisitive, and inexperienced, brown girl from Durban. My interest in the arts began as a way to deal with emotionally trying experiences, and like some, little doodles and painting offered much comfort. As a young artist, although the tribulations are many – I find much healing in my art-making processes, be it through creative writing, painting or simply embracing the unorthodox.”
Tristan Baia, ULTRASOUND99, 2021, video
Gilbert & George
Bag-Men 2020
302 x 571 cm | 118 7/8 x 224 13/16 in.
© Gilbert & George. Courtesy White Cube
Ciara Talisa Pillay, Shame me, Shape me I, 2021
Photo print series, edition of 20, 30 x 42 cm
R2,100.00 ex. VAT
To enquire about any of the artworks in this exhibition
Further Reading In Articles
African Artist Directory