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Anthology 2014 | Everard Read Gallery

I take great delight in nature and in ordinary, simple objects. When I was very young, I could watch for hours and with great fascination the way an army of ants would carry off a still wriggling worm to their nest. This fascination resides within me still. Within the image of a dead bird I find delight in the way it has been created; the fragility and exquisite detail of each barb of each feather. For me, to draw this creature is a celebration of its life, as well as being a meditation on the vulnerability we find within each being, and within each one of us.

In my art, I attempt to unearth, explore and reveal, within the ordinary, the beauty that resides inside. I explore the fascination I have for the object, be it a natural one, like a stone, a feather or a rose hip, or a mechanical object like a piano, typewriter or a revolver.

I have been working for some years with purely mechanical objects on a three dimensional level, but began focusing also on the two dimensional a couple of years ago. My enjoyment of drawing, of making use of the liquid qualities of ink and the delicious crumbliness of charcoal, have recently resurfaced, and I have allowed myself the simple pleasure of working with these as well.

Alongside these themes, I continue to create works using the words of great human beings. I have specifically chosen Nelson Mandela’s inspiring words, sensing the need to stir within us, again, an awareness of the importance and value of the ideals for which he lived.

The result is an exhibition in which I present a selection of drawings in ink and charcoal as well as three dimensional works incorporating deconstructed found objects and writings in wire.

- Paula Louw, April 2014


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