Procession: After the Citizens of Calais
This large scroll drawing explores the psychological and spiritual experience of the self reflected in and through the experience and life story of the other - in this instance, reflecting upon a multi-layered cross cultural narrative, in which case, human experience transcends cultural and gender difference in its innate transformative potential.
Conceptually, this charcoal drawing can be regarded as a multi-layered reflection on my own individual experience, the personal experience and suffering of one of the prison inmates that I work with in South Africa, as well as the emotional, physical and spiritual experiences explored by the French Artist, August Rodin, in his particular depiction of his well known sculpture entitled - the "Citizens of Calais" (otherwise known as the "Burghers of Calais"). In this drawing, I also draw additional narrative parallels with the biblical story of three characters called Shadrach, Mishach and Abed-Nego that were cast into a burning, fiery furnace for not bowing to, or submitting to the command of King Nebuchadnezzar (the Persian King at the time). The story goes that through there willingness to lay down their lives for their faith and for the salvation of others, God, in turn, brought them supernatural deliverance from ultimate destruction and inevitable death.
Furthermore, due to the size of the drawing it becomes almost reminiscent of an operatic backdrop in front of which "other life stories might be enacted". The drawing explores the dramatic sense of movement in the appearing and disappearing images and also explores the luminal quality of being and becoming through the actual drawing trace which, in places, seeks to become less representational and becomes more of a psychological and spiritual exploration through the conduit of human emotion.
Finally, this scroll drawing (measuring 8 x 2 m) should be regarded as part of a greater body or series of scroll drawings that I am currently producing as part of a solo exhibition that will be displayed as a body of works in a particular underground gallery space in South Africa (in May/June 2017) In this body of scroll drawings I am currently exploring the transformative aspects of the sublime through suggestive drawing trace - particularly focusing on large scale drawings. This investigation of the sublime through suggestive drawing trace is the focus of my current research towards my final practice-led PhD studies in Visual Art, hopefully commencing 2017/2018...
Please note: Due to the size of this work, I have only uploaded one image, but please also refer to my "Personal Page" on the Celeste network for more detailed images of this drawing.
Conceptually, this charcoal drawing can be regarded as a multi-layered reflection on my own individual experience, the personal experience and suffering of one of the prison inmates that I work with in South Africa, as well as the emotional, physical and spiritual experiences explored by the French Artist, August Rodin, in his particular depiction of his well known sculpture entitled - the "Citizens of Calais" (otherwise known as the "Burghers of Calais"). In this drawing, I also draw additional narrative parallels with the biblical story of three characters called Shadrach, Mishach and Abed-Nego that were cast into a burning, fiery furnace for not bowing to, or submitting to the command of King Nebuchadnezzar (the Persian King at the time). The story goes that through there willingness to lay down their lives for their faith and for the salvation of others, God, in turn, brought them supernatural deliverance from ultimate destruction and inevitable death.
Furthermore, due to the size of the drawing it becomes almost reminiscent of an operatic backdrop in front of which "other life stories might be enacted". The drawing explores the dramatic sense of movement in the appearing and disappearing images and also explores the luminal quality of being and becoming through the actual drawing trace which, in places, seeks to become less representational and becomes more of a psychological and spiritual exploration through the conduit of human emotion.
Finally, this scroll drawing (measuring 8 x 2 m) should be regarded as part of a greater body or series of scroll drawings that I am currently producing as part of a solo exhibition that will be displayed as a body of works in a particular underground gallery space in South Africa (in May/June 2017) In this body of scroll drawings I am currently exploring the transformative aspects of the sublime through suggestive drawing trace - particularly focusing on large scale drawings. This investigation of the sublime through suggestive drawing trace is the focus of my current research towards my final practice-led PhD studies in Visual Art, hopefully commencing 2017/2018...
Please note: Due to the size of this work, I have only uploaded one image, but please also refer to my "Personal Page" on the Celeste network for more detailed images of this drawing.
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