[This article was taken from the newsletter Introducing#1]
Our brains need to stay exercised. You need to keep that spark, that enthusiasm, that inspiration. I do that by visiting exhibitions, because I find that seeing someone else’s creativity at work fuels mine.
This week we went to the National Gallery of Victoria, where an exhibition by Robin Rhode is currently showing. Robin Rhode is a contemporary artist living in Germany, but born, raised and educated in South Africa. I have a weak spot for artists with roots in Africa (especially SA and Ghana, of course), so I always have to check them out. My absolute favourite artists are Yinka Shonibare and El Anatsui. Their stuff has depth, feeling and message. And it’s just plain cool. Man, it’s cool.
Let’s be honest, there have been times when I though I’d go out to see some art and all it did was confuse me. A pile of hay in the middle of the room without any explanation, put there by some insider, white, rich male. All that did was for me to stand there questioning my sanity. No, I want to see something fresh, edgy and cool. Something that will make me question myself or the world around me, but I feel we can leave that question of ‘what is art’ for now. Let’s move on with the interesting stuff.
Robin Rhode’s work ticked that box. He goes back to Johannesburg to paint against outdoor walls and floors, photographing himself throughout. I guess you could call it street art, but it’s clearly not about what’s left on the wall, it’s about the story that comes out of the process. The work is shown either in a series of photos or stop-motion. It’s in simple colours, straight forward images, classic mediums, yet it’s edgy. Perhaps it’s the crossovers over mediums and ideas, such as street art, photography, stop motion and painting pictures. He’s clearly got a story behind his work, and I have an idea of what that could be, but it doesn’t really even matter what that message is. I came out and saw something cool. And seeing someone make something cool fuels my inspiration.
Brain & Guts 