Roz Cryer: Past Work 2010

artSPACE durban

Adornment in Borderland

http://artworksartspace.blogspot.com/2010/09/adornment-in-borderland_19.html

http://www.newsonline.co.za/article_detail.asp?Article_ID=2305

Chalice - 80cm x 65cm -

Oil and Embroidery on Canvas - SOLD

Blue Cup - 100cm x 55cm -

Oil and Embroidery on Canvas - SOLD

In this exhibition I have delved into the history behind, the definitions of and the boundaries between Fine Art and the Decorative Arts.

I have always been drawn to those elements synonymous with the Decorative Arts which seemed to lead seamlessly in the direction of textile design. After 5 years study and with a BA Hons and an MA in printed textiles, the discipline on its own never completely held my attention. There needed to be something more both in terms of the meaning behind the piece, a need for there to be an almost arcane, veiled expression of philosophy somewhere within and the desire for, perhaps as Aristotle put it ‘the human affinity for imitation’. Not just imitation, but inspired by Turner, Rembrandt and all those famed for their representations of light and its impact on nature and all that is seen, I also aspired towards capturing some of that magic in my own work without leaving behind my original discipline.

I have progressively added more and more textile elements to my canvas work with the aim of integrating both aesthetically and metaphorically what I paint and the surfaces on which I paint. As with previous work, the fabrics on which I paint allude to the observation that often times both paintings and concepts are rarely painted on blank canvases but are laid down on cultural fabrics that alter or impact our perceptions.

Each piece of work develops organically in its first stage. This involves treating the canvas as I would treat my paperwork. I use un-mounted primed canvas which I then paint on, sand down, cut up, embroider on and paint again. Only when it is able to stand in its own right as a sensuous intriguing piece of work will I then paint my still life objects onto the surface.

My aim is to blur the line between Fine Art and the Decorative Arts, fully embracing both and reveling in the question ‘What is Art?’