ART STUDENT RESOURCES
We receive large volumes of mail and interview requests from GCSE, A-Level and Matric Art students working on projects about Corné Eksteen.
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Most recent update: Sunday | 11 January 2026 | 19:19 (SAST / GMT+2 / UTC+02:00)
Nexus Series (6)
What is the overall idea behind the Nexus series?
NEXUS (origin: latin, meaning: "a binding together")
In contemporary culture the term "Nexus" is often used as a suggestion to indicate links or associations between groups, objects or abstract concepts. It is also used to indicate a central point between these often, opposing objects or ideas. The visualisation of this central point or intersection, where a balance, a focal point or in its most rudimental form: symmetry, forms the visual basis for this body of work.
The concept of symmetry is deeply engrained and valued in the human psyche, from our physical form where it dictates who we find attractive and beautiful, through to how we design our spaces, clothing and cultural artefacts. This universal reverence of symmetry is used as a means to explore identity and create emotional "landscapes."
Through the creation of double and multiple portraits of sitters occupying a singular space - an added layer of symmetry is utilised to evoke an amplified connection with the image. This visual tactic mimics methods used in the Rorschach test, a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analysed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning.
Collectively these works explore links between the sitter, the artist and finally the viewer in search of the nexus of their combined experience.
There's a mini-site for this exhibition on this website at NEXUS where you can see a complete overview of the exhibition / body of works.
In contemporary culture the term "Nexus" is often used as a suggestion to indicate links or associations between groups, objects or abstract concepts. It is also used to indicate a central point between these often, opposing objects or ideas. The visualisation of this central point or intersection, where a balance, a focal point or in its most rudimental form: symmetry, forms the visual basis for this body of work.
The concept of symmetry is deeply engrained and valued in the human psyche, from our physical form where it dictates who we find attractive and beautiful, through to how we design our spaces, clothing and cultural artefacts. This universal reverence of symmetry is used as a means to explore identity and create emotional "landscapes."
Through the creation of double and multiple portraits of sitters occupying a singular space - an added layer of symmetry is utilised to evoke an amplified connection with the image. This visual tactic mimics methods used in the Rorschach test, a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analysed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning.
Collectively these works explore links between the sitter, the artist and finally the viewer in search of the nexus of their combined experience.
There's a mini-site for this exhibition on this website at NEXUS where you can see a complete overview of the exhibition / body of works.
What is the intent or concept behind these works?
Through using several visual tools and references, the work tries to comment on modern day personal identity. The idea that we are all capable of good and evil and that the balance (symmetry) and awareness of these two polar opposite aspects of ourselves is where the true human experience lies. Symmetry is considered the most fundamental visual building block of beauty. These works play on the idea that the ultimate human state is that of beautiful symmetry in all things. The balance of our inner world to match our physical appearance is presented as the ultimate “personal harmony”
There are many, many ideas and references contained in these works. In general I don’t normally discuss them as for me explaining a work and its intended meanings or references defeats the necessity for the work in the first place. I know it’s an industry thing where artists are expected to explain work, but for me the work should do the talking and artists constantly explaining everything is not creating a culture of visual literacy. We live in a very visual world and one would imagine that people have developed the ability to “read” images, but that’s not the case. As such something that is always contained in my work is an exploration of visual story telling or using a very basic elements in creating images to push across certain ideas. In the case of these works, I focussed on symmetry. Much of how these pieces are constructed relates to ideas and principles that points back to the theory of “Gestalt.” (Good article on Gestalt Art Theory ) or Download an informative PDF on Gelstalt.
Gestalt is not only an exploration of how to create captivating images, or more simplified, how our brains are hot wired to read / perceive / make sense of images, it’s also part of philosophies often used in everyday psychology. From there the psychological references in these works. (Good article on Gestalt Psychology)
There are many, many ideas and references contained in these works. In general I don’t normally discuss them as for me explaining a work and its intended meanings or references defeats the necessity for the work in the first place. I know it’s an industry thing where artists are expected to explain work, but for me the work should do the talking and artists constantly explaining everything is not creating a culture of visual literacy. We live in a very visual world and one would imagine that people have developed the ability to “read” images, but that’s not the case. As such something that is always contained in my work is an exploration of visual story telling or using a very basic elements in creating images to push across certain ideas. In the case of these works, I focussed on symmetry. Much of how these pieces are constructed relates to ideas and principles that points back to the theory of “Gestalt.” (Good article on Gestalt Art Theory ) or Download an informative PDF on Gelstalt.
Gestalt is not only an exploration of how to create captivating images, or more simplified, how our brains are hot wired to read / perceive / make sense of images, it’s also part of philosophies often used in everyday psychology. From there the psychological references in these works. (Good article on Gestalt Psychology)
What is the symbolism behind the use of blue in these works?
The use of blue in the mirror images that overlap the natural coloured images is a direct reference to Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padua and his use of blue in portraying the devil. Many scholars believe that the devil or "evil" was portrayed as blue in western cultures up until the middle renaissance and that red being associated with the devil / evil is very much a modern day phenomena, promoted by everything from cartoons to Hollywood movies.
Today we associate blue with serenity, peace and relaxation – so in many ways the work also comments on the idea that visual language often shifts it’s values, depending on the time period. In short the symmetrical versions of the same image can relate back to a Yin Yang idea (which is referenced in the title of the work as well), while at the same time I throw a spanner in the works by referencing a historic use of colour that suggests a balance between good and evil – where as most modern viewers will never pick up on that obvious idea when looking at the work.
Today we associate blue with serenity, peace and relaxation – so in many ways the work also comments on the idea that visual language often shifts it’s values, depending on the time period. In short the symmetrical versions of the same image can relate back to a Yin Yang idea (which is referenced in the title of the work as well), while at the same time I throw a spanner in the works by referencing a historic use of colour that suggests a balance between good and evil – where as most modern viewers will never pick up on that obvious idea when looking at the work.
Are there any references to technology in these works?
There are small parts of the image that directly references technology / technological display like "pixelated" areas in the image. There are also areas, which might not be easily seen on a photo of the work that is built up to create ridges. When painted over they resemble "scanlines" – something that is often found when scanning 3D objects in a 2D scanner. You can spot the blue scanlines in this detail image of "Dyad I" (See more detail images HERE )
These references imply that technology has somehow altered or played a role in the construction of the images. It suggest that our own understanding of ourselves are being influenced by technology.
These references imply that technology has somehow altered or played a role in the construction of the images. It suggest that our own understanding of ourselves are being influenced by technology.
Do you have any tips for creating a work based on your Nexus series?
1. Carefully consider the facial expression of your model / sitter.
Look at classical portraiture for inspiration, they can provide some guidelines for what constitutes a good portrait. The Nexus works are at their core portraits, so it’s a good idea to study portraiture and look at the history of portraiture. Avoid things like definite and clearly defined expressions. For example a laughing face, a frowning face etc. In the tradition of portaiture, a subject / sitter would have sat for the artist in their studio for hours to capture their image. A big open mouth smile on a portrait immediately tells the viewer you took a short-cut and possibly only reproduced a photo. No model could maintain that expression for hours. It also limits the emotional scope of the work and trust me, very few people can paint convincing teeth!
2. Lighting & colouring
Carefully consider the lighting of the sitter / model. You will most likely have to work from a photo. Avoid obvious blunders like using a flash that flattens all the visual information on the face. Play with different lighting, indoors, outdoors and lighting your sitter from different angles. Think of the temperature of the light when taking photographs. Avoid using models with excessive make-up, contouring and colouring can completely hide the real shape of a sitter’s face.
Don’t use blue just because it works in my pieces. Read up about the history of colour, what a certain colour was associated with throughout history. The idea is to add as much context and references to your work to help express your intent.
3. Symmetry
Symmetry, as explained is the central idea in these works. It would be much easier to edit your photo and create a mirror image as part of your reference material. It much be easier to work from two images, than trying to draw & paint a mirror image, from a single reference photo.
4. Edit / deconstruct / reconstruct with intent
Many of these double portraits have overlapping areas. When editing out areas of one portrait to expose a part of the portrait it overlaps, think in terms of form, line & direction. Think in terms of how lines and shapes create paths for your viewers eye to follow. The idea is always to keep the viewer’s eye inside the picture field and lead them back into another area of the picture field. Look at the Gestalt principles and think of how you can repeat forms/ lines / pattern to create cohesion in your image and tie together or separate parts of the portraits.
5. Keep it relevant
Remember “art” is a language. You are communicating, so always consider what it is that you’re saying. Incorporate visual references from your world, whether it be internet icons, a device or a certain style of clothing / hairstyle. One of the biggest ideas you need to bring across is that your work should clearly say: “I was made in the 2020’s”
Look at classical portraiture for inspiration, they can provide some guidelines for what constitutes a good portrait. The Nexus works are at their core portraits, so it’s a good idea to study portraiture and look at the history of portraiture. Avoid things like definite and clearly defined expressions. For example a laughing face, a frowning face etc. In the tradition of portaiture, a subject / sitter would have sat for the artist in their studio for hours to capture their image. A big open mouth smile on a portrait immediately tells the viewer you took a short-cut and possibly only reproduced a photo. No model could maintain that expression for hours. It also limits the emotional scope of the work and trust me, very few people can paint convincing teeth!
2. Lighting & colouring
Carefully consider the lighting of the sitter / model. You will most likely have to work from a photo. Avoid obvious blunders like using a flash that flattens all the visual information on the face. Play with different lighting, indoors, outdoors and lighting your sitter from different angles. Think of the temperature of the light when taking photographs. Avoid using models with excessive make-up, contouring and colouring can completely hide the real shape of a sitter’s face.
Don’t use blue just because it works in my pieces. Read up about the history of colour, what a certain colour was associated with throughout history. The idea is to add as much context and references to your work to help express your intent.
3. Symmetry
Symmetry, as explained is the central idea in these works. It would be much easier to edit your photo and create a mirror image as part of your reference material. It much be easier to work from two images, than trying to draw & paint a mirror image, from a single reference photo.
4. Edit / deconstruct / reconstruct with intent
Many of these double portraits have overlapping areas. When editing out areas of one portrait to expose a part of the portrait it overlaps, think in terms of form, line & direction. Think in terms of how lines and shapes create paths for your viewers eye to follow. The idea is always to keep the viewer’s eye inside the picture field and lead them back into another area of the picture field. Look at the Gestalt principles and think of how you can repeat forms/ lines / pattern to create cohesion in your image and tie together or separate parts of the portraits.
5. Keep it relevant
Remember “art” is a language. You are communicating, so always consider what it is that you’re saying. Incorporate visual references from your world, whether it be internet icons, a device or a certain style of clothing / hairstyle. One of the biggest ideas you need to bring across is that your work should clearly say: “I was made in the 2020’s”
[NEW] Were there any artists, art movements or styles that inspired these works?
There are as many referenced artists, art movements and specific works as there are ideas that are contained in these works. For brevity I will only point out some of the most obvious / most referenced inspirations.
In terms of the painting of faces: I looked at a lot of Neoclassical portraiture. Specifically, Jacques-Louis David. He’s approach to lighting; choice of pigments and compositional posing of his sitters had a big influence on my execution of the portraits.
The more abstracted elements in the works were in large inspired by the Geometric Abstraction of artists like Samson Flexor, specifically works like “Invenção baiana no 1.”
Work by other artists like Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padua also had a direct influence.(See the question "What is the symbolism behind the use of blue in these works?" for details on this work's direct influence on the Nexus series.
Contemporary movements like Disrupted Realism and Glitch Art also inspired aspects of these works.
In terms of the painting of faces: I looked at a lot of Neoclassical portraiture. Specifically, Jacques-Louis David. He’s approach to lighting; choice of pigments and compositional posing of his sitters had a big influence on my execution of the portraits.
The more abstracted elements in the works were in large inspired by the Geometric Abstraction of artists like Samson Flexor, specifically works like “Invenção baiana no 1.”
Work by other artists like Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padua also had a direct influence.(See the question "What is the symbolism behind the use of blue in these works?" for details on this work's direct influence on the Nexus series.
Contemporary movements like Disrupted Realism and Glitch Art also inspired aspects of these works.
General Studio Practices & Processes (24)
How do you plan a painting or series of works?
My work is very conceptual, so before I start a new series / body of work, I normally fine tune the concept behind them. So there are very specific ideas that I set out to express even before I start working on images / sourcing images to base works on. I create visual story boards for every series / painting , with reference images, iconography and all possible visual references I want to incorporate in the work. Many of my concepts relate to technology and it’s impact on our universal visual language, so there is quite often “tech” iconography that comes into play in these story boards / conceptual fine tuning of the work.
I then start working with models in the studio. Using both photographic and drawn references created during sessions with models in my studio. (Every one of my paintings are based on an actual person) During the next step, I use both the story boards and collected reference materials to start building a basic outline for the image on canvas. This results in an often very detailed drawing on the canvas. The application of paint normally happens over a few stages, depending on the complexity of the image. Some areas are painted with very expressive marks, while others are treated with a photorealistic approach. Several painting techniques are used including stencils, “printing” into the wet paint with textural objects and stripping paint out of other areas using turpentine. The majority of paintings are done alla prima, with a very small amount of layering onto dry paint in selected areas. I allow the image / painting to lead me during painting, so the final image often looks completely different from the vision / planned painting… I allow myself the freedom to let the image evolve on the canvas. I'm more likely to use a certain technique to create a desired effect, than focus on an overall technique.
I then start working with models in the studio. Using both photographic and drawn references created during sessions with models in my studio. (Every one of my paintings are based on an actual person) During the next step, I use both the story boards and collected reference materials to start building a basic outline for the image on canvas. This results in an often very detailed drawing on the canvas. The application of paint normally happens over a few stages, depending on the complexity of the image. Some areas are painted with very expressive marks, while others are treated with a photorealistic approach. Several painting techniques are used including stencils, “printing” into the wet paint with textural objects and stripping paint out of other areas using turpentine. The majority of paintings are done alla prima, with a very small amount of layering onto dry paint in selected areas. I allow the image / painting to lead me during painting, so the final image often looks completely different from the vision / planned painting… I allow myself the freedom to let the image evolve on the canvas. I'm more likely to use a certain technique to create a desired effect, than focus on an overall technique.
Are any of your artworks meant to convey a message?
Yes. They all convey very specific ideas. It’s very important to me that the work is not “decorative” and represent a very specific concept. These concepts are often clouded / hidden in very personal references which could include anything from work by other artists, record covers, internet icons, video stills & pixels. My work primarily deals with identity, so many of the works touch on ideas that relate to identity. I often say that my work primarily deals with relationships, the relationship between gender, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, technology, religion, geography and society. To me it’s not important that viewers necessarily understand the concepts at first sight, I find it more thrilling when people find their own meaning in work.
Do you have a standard painting palette?
I do indeed. I tend to work with a lot of colours and there's a kind of mental wellbeing that I feel from having a tube of every colour a manufacturer produces on hand.
I also work with several paint brands including Windsor and Newton (both Winton and their professional range) Michael Harding paints, Lucas paints, Maimeri and Gamblin.
Having so many colours available allows me to experiment without any restraint when I want to mix a very specific colour. However there are colours that are always on my palette and are used in every painting. They form the base for everything:
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow
Cadmium Orange
Burnt Sienna
Alizarin Claret
Yellow Ochre
Dioxazine Purple
Sky Blue
French Ultramarine
Raw Umber
Ivory Black
Having so many colours available allows me to experiment without any restraint when I want to mix a very specific colour. However there are colours that are always on my palette and are used in every painting. They form the base for everything:
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow
Cadmium Orange
Burnt Sienna
Alizarin Claret
Yellow Ochre
Dioxazine Purple
Sky Blue
French Ultramarine
Raw Umber
Ivory Black
What does a typical day in the studio look like?
I work from home which allows me to work quite long hours, while I get to take short breaks to manage everyday household chores if necessary. Generally, my day starts at 5am with a quick walk around the block with my pug, Connor. I’ll dabble around the house a bit and be in the studio by 6am with coffee. I normally ease into the day with some journaling, setting up for the day and a quick catch-up on emails and general admin like website updates.
On an average day I’d be painting by 6:30am. The day will mostly consist of painting sessions of about 2 hours each, coffee breaks in between, where I get to look at what I’m doing from a distance. This process repeats throughout the day until around 8pm. I take one morning a week off for shopping, breakfast with family or friends, otherwise I’d be in the studio actively creating. There’s an unwritten / unspoken rule that I need to get a good 12 hours of painting in a day. By 9pm the studio is closed and I'm not permitted near it until the next day.
On an average day I’d be painting by 6:30am. The day will mostly consist of painting sessions of about 2 hours each, coffee breaks in between, where I get to look at what I’m doing from a distance. This process repeats throughout the day until around 8pm. I take one morning a week off for shopping, breakfast with family or friends, otherwise I’d be in the studio actively creating. There’s an unwritten / unspoken rule that I need to get a good 12 hours of painting in a day. By 9pm the studio is closed and I'm not permitted near it until the next day.
How did studying at university impact how you go about making art?
I honestly have no idea how studying art at tertiary level has changed over the last few decades since I was at university. This makes it difficult for me to draw a comparison as to what you may experience studying at university. My studies were part of a broader Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, which included several related fields of study like sociology and archaeology, alongside subjects like drawing, painting and art history. This broad foundation helped in developing a broader understanding of art and its role in society. I think its biggest impact is that there will always be an academic side to my work and a recognition of what came before. I want to compare it to a building, generation of artists that have come before has laid foundations, built walls and rooms and you as a living artist is contributing to that structure with your body of work. So the biggest impact I would say is the knowledge and understanding of what came before and how you can built on it or contribute to it.
It also opens up the idea of art being multidisciplinary field, your work can’t be relevant of you don’t have a broader understanding of history, how society works and how to spot movements and shifts within the world. University is a great at teaching analytical skills and critical thinking – something the world needs a lot of.
It also opens up the idea of art being multidisciplinary field, your work can’t be relevant of you don’t have a broader understanding of history, how society works and how to spot movements and shifts within the world. University is a great at teaching analytical skills and critical thinking – something the world needs a lot of.
What helps you work?
This is something that develops over time and often changes. Most of the time, there would be some sort of white noise in the studio. Mostly music – I consume a lot of music in the studio, but I’m not always aware of what is playing. I use it to block out sounds from my general surroundings. Almost like a type of self-hypnosis. A car driving past, a neighbour’s street gate opening can be very distracting. The music in the studio becomes predictable – subconsciously my mind already knows what to expect and helps to block out others sounds which can be jarring or unexpected, helping me stay in the “zone.”
Example of a typical studio playlist
On other occasions I would play podcasts in the studio, these are strangely never art related, I find it impossible to listen to art related discussions while making art. It would most likely be a true crime series like Wondery’s Kill List or Scamfluencers.
During very stressful weeks, like in the runup to a solo show, I’ll just pop on the first Netflix series I can find and just have the sound playing in the background. It forces my critical, conscious mind to follow a storyline allowing me to cut through the noise easier and let the creative process run on autopilot.
Most of these are often just ploys to shut down my thinking and get out of my own way. my biggest advice for studio work is to develop a schedule – start and finish every day at the same time. You develop the skill to step into your creative process faster and easier.
Example of a typical studio playlist
On other occasions I would play podcasts in the studio, these are strangely never art related, I find it impossible to listen to art related discussions while making art. It would most likely be a true crime series like Wondery’s Kill List or Scamfluencers.
During very stressful weeks, like in the runup to a solo show, I’ll just pop on the first Netflix series I can find and just have the sound playing in the background. It forces my critical, conscious mind to follow a storyline allowing me to cut through the noise easier and let the creative process run on autopilot.
Most of these are often just ploys to shut down my thinking and get out of my own way. my biggest advice for studio work is to develop a schedule – start and finish every day at the same time. You develop the skill to step into your creative process faster and easier.
What inspired your technique?
For me it’s more important to create my own personal visual language than focusing on a technique. They way I work and create is influenced by centuries of art that came before me, so in a way I don’t have a technique, but rather “stand on the shoulders of giants” and use what they have already figured out to do. My focus is on creating a visual language that is “now” and represents our time and the images / iconography that is fueling our current culture, while referencing what came before.
How long does one artwork take to finish?
Anything from 9 hours to two months, depending on things like size, the complexity of the images, whether it’s all painted alla prima1 or layered. Generally a large canvas will be completed in roughly a week. I do also often work on up to 5 paintings at the same time.
1 Alla prima is a painting technique where wet paint is applied to wet paint, usually in one sitting, without waiting for the paint to dry. The term comes from the Italian phrase alla prima, which means "at first attempt". It's also known as wet-on-wet, direct painting, or au premier coup in French.
1 Alla prima is a painting technique where wet paint is applied to wet paint, usually in one sitting, without waiting for the paint to dry. The term comes from the Italian phrase alla prima, which means "at first attempt". It's also known as wet-on-wet, direct painting, or au premier coup in French.
How Green is your practise?
My practice is quite eco-friendly.
In terms of my material choices, oil is probably the most environmentally friendly paint. The binder being a natural oil and as such completely biodegradable. I work exclusively on 100% cotton canvas and use wooden stretchers. Canvasses are primed with a completely biodegradable gesso.
I no longer use any turpentine or solvents in my practice. Thinning and cleaning is done with oil.
The studio lights and computers are run on solar panels. All packaging is re-used. I retain all packaging used by the manufacturer to ship my canvasses to me and they are reused when I ship completed artworks to galleries. It’s an evolving practice and I’m always looking for more ways to lower the carbon footprint of my practice.
In terms of my material choices, oil is probably the most environmentally friendly paint. The binder being a natural oil and as such completely biodegradable. I work exclusively on 100% cotton canvas and use wooden stretchers. Canvasses are primed with a completely biodegradable gesso.
I no longer use any turpentine or solvents in my practice. Thinning and cleaning is done with oil.
The studio lights and computers are run on solar panels. All packaging is re-used. I retain all packaging used by the manufacturer to ship my canvasses to me and they are reused when I ship completed artworks to galleries. It’s an evolving practice and I’m always looking for more ways to lower the carbon footprint of my practice.
What methods do you use to create the glitch effect in your artwork?
This question relates to a series of works titled: Anomaly. Before I get into how the images are constructed, here’s the artist statement for these works which will give you some insight into the concept behind the works.
You can see an overview of the exhibition that launched this body of work HERE
As much as contemporary art is about commentary on art itself, some of its fundamental intent remains. Art is about reflecting (in some cases even defining) our times, values and culture.
When one looks back at the legacy of art and the timeline in human history it represents, you become aware of our ever growing, ever expanding visual language. Our ability to continuously develop new modes of expression. Our capacity for and vigor in constantly creating new visual metaphors, incorporating imagery from an ever changing world in new and innovative reflections of that world. Today more than ever, a good level of visual literacy is as important as a higher education in navigating a culture that is visually driven in every aspect.
It is this highly developed visual language of the 21st century, with "dialects" of symbolism, iconography and branding, that serves as primary reference for this body of work. Our visual culture is largely driven by technology. Much of our everyday experience of the world is now filtered through a screen of some kind. Our technology is not flawless and often presents us with "glitches" or visual malfunctions.
As a starting point I'm "capturing" and incorporating these moments of malfunction; both accidental and intentional in the creation of a new series of portraits. Using these imperfections as a vehicle for social commentary and commentary on art itself.
Works in the series explore the polarities between the controlled and unpredictable. It focuses on the repurposing of intentionally corrupted imagery and questions what it means if we reclaim the "errors" in our technology and use them as tools in representing and defining ourselves.
The process by which these works were created was quite simple. Photographs taken of my models in the studio were edited in Photoshop into an array of colours. The results is a large selection of the same image in a range of colours (similar to the mock-up below), these were printed out and then randomly cut into horizontal strips of different sizes.
These strips are then used to create a collage where the register of the strips building the image is intetionally out and the different colours are used to create the glitchy feel. Sometimes "boring" areas in the collage is replaced with pixels and thin lines. The completed collage served as the reference image for the painting. The painting process involved more intentional techniques to make the image "disintegrate." These included textural scraping, throwing paint at the canvas and "printing" into the wet paint with textural objects like plastic placemats. This would remove paint and leave subtle patterns on the paint surface. Effects as shown in the detail shots of some of the Anomaly works below.
You can see an overview of the exhibition that launched this body of work HERE
As much as contemporary art is about commentary on art itself, some of its fundamental intent remains. Art is about reflecting (in some cases even defining) our times, values and culture.
When one looks back at the legacy of art and the timeline in human history it represents, you become aware of our ever growing, ever expanding visual language. Our ability to continuously develop new modes of expression. Our capacity for and vigor in constantly creating new visual metaphors, incorporating imagery from an ever changing world in new and innovative reflections of that world. Today more than ever, a good level of visual literacy is as important as a higher education in navigating a culture that is visually driven in every aspect.
It is this highly developed visual language of the 21st century, with "dialects" of symbolism, iconography and branding, that serves as primary reference for this body of work. Our visual culture is largely driven by technology. Much of our everyday experience of the world is now filtered through a screen of some kind. Our technology is not flawless and often presents us with "glitches" or visual malfunctions.
As a starting point I'm "capturing" and incorporating these moments of malfunction; both accidental and intentional in the creation of a new series of portraits. Using these imperfections as a vehicle for social commentary and commentary on art itself.
Works in the series explore the polarities between the controlled and unpredictable. It focuses on the repurposing of intentionally corrupted imagery and questions what it means if we reclaim the "errors" in our technology and use them as tools in representing and defining ourselves.
The process by which these works were created was quite simple. Photographs taken of my models in the studio were edited in Photoshop into an array of colours. The results is a large selection of the same image in a range of colours (similar to the mock-up below), these were printed out and then randomly cut into horizontal strips of different sizes.
These strips are then used to create a collage where the register of the strips building the image is intetionally out and the different colours are used to create the glitchy feel. Sometimes "boring" areas in the collage is replaced with pixels and thin lines. The completed collage served as the reference image for the painting. The painting process involved more intentional techniques to make the image "disintegrate." These included textural scraping, throwing paint at the canvas and "printing" into the wet paint with textural objects like plastic placemats. This would remove paint and leave subtle patterns on the paint surface. Effects as shown in the detail shots of some of the Anomaly works below.
What effect does your art style have on how people perceive your art?
My works has gone through so many transformations over my career that it’s almost impossible to honestly reduce reactions to a specific response, so I will focus on how my current “style” is often received.
Most people initially respond the recognizable image contained in the work, so the opening remarks would be something along the lines of “That’s a beautiful still life” but they are immediately aware that there’s something disrupting the image and many ask: “Do you paint while looking through fluted glass planes?” It’s my experience that this weird disruption in the image field draws them closer to the image and leads them to discover that what looked like a flower from across the room is just a collection of weird flowing patterns up close. It sparks an internal conversation in viewers… what are they looking at?
Viewers with a more academic approach to art appreciation struggle with where to position the work as it doesn’t fit neatly into any “ism”
For me the most important thing is that the work is noticeable. It’s horrible when people walk past artworks and do not even become aware of them. Overall, I think my work screams quietly on walls and most people find them confusing, which is an easy way to make them memorable. I find it far more important that I like them because essentially I’m making it for myself and I actually have no control over that people think of them or how they respond to them.
Most people initially respond the recognizable image contained in the work, so the opening remarks would be something along the lines of “That’s a beautiful still life” but they are immediately aware that there’s something disrupting the image and many ask: “Do you paint while looking through fluted glass planes?” It’s my experience that this weird disruption in the image field draws them closer to the image and leads them to discover that what looked like a flower from across the room is just a collection of weird flowing patterns up close. It sparks an internal conversation in viewers… what are they looking at?
Viewers with a more academic approach to art appreciation struggle with where to position the work as it doesn’t fit neatly into any “ism”
For me the most important thing is that the work is noticeable. It’s horrible when people walk past artworks and do not even become aware of them. Overall, I think my work screams quietly on walls and most people find them confusing, which is an easy way to make them memorable. I find it far more important that I like them because essentially I’m making it for myself and I actually have no control over that people think of them or how they respond to them.
How do you choose the subject of your pieces?
My choice of subject matter is often a combination of the need to celebrate traditions in art and the need to break or reinvent them. Although I often get stuck in one tradition like portraiture, in recent years I’ve tried to explore other traditions like still life and landscape painting.
A good example of the idea of having one foot planted in history and the other in virtual reality, so to speak is my “Anachronism series.” The work has its roots in floral and still live paintings by the 17th and 18th century Dutch masters, while exploring the vibrational nature of matter through my conceptual portrayal of matter as a vibration. All my subject matter always has a reference point in an accepted and celebrated art tradition.
A good example of the idea of having one foot planted in history and the other in virtual reality, so to speak is my “Anachronism series.” The work has its roots in floral and still live paintings by the 17th and 18th century Dutch masters, while exploring the vibrational nature of matter through my conceptual portrayal of matter as a vibration. All my subject matter always has a reference point in an accepted and celebrated art tradition.
What has been your most meaningful project to date, and why?
I often think of correlations between how I work and how other artistic industries work. I regularly compare myself to a musician releasing a couple singles and then an album. Albums being solo exhibitions. They always launch a new direction or context for my work. There have been many and I can’t choose a favorite, so I’ll just mention the two most recent. They all form part of a timeline that not only represents my body of work, but periods in my life.
soundWORKS (You can see the soundWORKS MINI-WEBSITE HERE )
For this show I collaborated with several programmers and created a very basic neural network or AI application. The application analyzed the sinusoidal waveforms in my paintings and matched them to the waveforms of over 1000 sound samples I collected. Once matched it would arrange these samples into a short piece of music or a soundscape. Each painting in the show was exhibited with a QR access point to listen to the painting as sound via mobile devices.
Fifty (You can see the 50 MINI-WEBSITE HERE )
During this show I introduced the first works using sinusoidal wave patterns vertically. It was a celebration of my 50th birthday and explored how our perception of time changes with age. Time seems to speed up the older you get. The show was driven by blurry images based on sinusoidal waves, creating the idea of life rushing past at an ever-increasing pace.
soundWORKS (You can see the soundWORKS MINI-WEBSITE HERE )
For this show I collaborated with several programmers and created a very basic neural network or AI application. The application analyzed the sinusoidal waveforms in my paintings and matched them to the waveforms of over 1000 sound samples I collected. Once matched it would arrange these samples into a short piece of music or a soundscape. Each painting in the show was exhibited with a QR access point to listen to the painting as sound via mobile devices.
Fifty (You can see the 50 MINI-WEBSITE HERE )
During this show I introduced the first works using sinusoidal wave patterns vertically. It was a celebration of my 50th birthday and explored how our perception of time changes with age. Time seems to speed up the older you get. The show was driven by blurry images based on sinusoidal waves, creating the idea of life rushing past at an ever-increasing pace.
How does technology influence your art?
Technology is a vital element in my work. Not only does it fuel change and innovation in my thinking and practice but allows me to extend my work into other fields and create work that interacts with new technology to conceptually take traditional painting to new frontiers.
As a teenager I was obsessed with Alvin Toffler’s “Future shock” and it set the tone for much of the conceptual exploration in my work with the focus on the relationship between culture and technology. Read more about this astounding book HERE .
Our current tech wave has also come with the rise of iconography, creating a whole new visual language that is universally accessible.
This tech language has been incorporated into my work for some time. Events and terms that is associated purely with our technological experience, like a glitch has spawned a whole series of works.
Examples of tech iconography in my work
As a teenager I was obsessed with Alvin Toffler’s “Future shock” and it set the tone for much of the conceptual exploration in my work with the focus on the relationship between culture and technology. Read more about this astounding book HERE .
Our current tech wave has also come with the rise of iconography, creating a whole new visual language that is universally accessible.
This tech language has been incorporated into my work for some time. Events and terms that is associated purely with our technological experience, like a glitch has spawned a whole series of works.
Examples of tech iconography in my work
What themes or messages do you find yourself exploring in your work, and why?
There are many themes that have been explored in my work. With my work being concept driven, the main theme in my work is often adjusted to allow me to explore new fields of interest. My work is always changing and evolving. To get a bigger picture of my work you can use my Catalogue Raisonné HERE . It contains the biggest online collection of my work and is regularly updated.
The main thread running through my work as a whole is the study of relationships. Whether this be the relationship between identity and gender or the relationship between scientific interpretations of reality and historic / religious views of the world. This idea of how we relate or have a relationship with a belief or a social norm and how these affect our relationship in other areas of our experience of the world.
The main theme in recent work is the exploration of the world through the lens of science (fields of study like Quantum Physics) and how we can change our relationship to our bodies, time, reality and the physical world by thinking of all matter as energy or vibration. This idea of vibration and the waveforms that can visually represent this vibrational nature of matter has been the central idea of my work over the last 5 years.
Other themes have emerged from this approach and has let to studies of the relationships between the physical and audible. Sound is represented by the same wave patterns as vibrations and as such opened the door creating sound based on images. The science behind it (Wave-particle duality is a quantum mechanics concept that states that matter can exhibit both wave and particle properties, depending on the circumstances) also suggests that if all matter vibrates then every object & person could have their own sound, that we are unable to experience due to the limitations of our own sensory perceptions. These ideas have substantially changed how I observe the world as an artist and has opened a whole new world of ways to express it.
The main thread running through my work as a whole is the study of relationships. Whether this be the relationship between identity and gender or the relationship between scientific interpretations of reality and historic / religious views of the world. This idea of how we relate or have a relationship with a belief or a social norm and how these affect our relationship in other areas of our experience of the world.
The main theme in recent work is the exploration of the world through the lens of science (fields of study like Quantum Physics) and how we can change our relationship to our bodies, time, reality and the physical world by thinking of all matter as energy or vibration. This idea of vibration and the waveforms that can visually represent this vibrational nature of matter has been the central idea of my work over the last 5 years.
Other themes have emerged from this approach and has let to studies of the relationships between the physical and audible. Sound is represented by the same wave patterns as vibrations and as such opened the door creating sound based on images. The science behind it (Wave-particle duality is a quantum mechanics concept that states that matter can exhibit both wave and particle properties, depending on the circumstances) also suggests that if all matter vibrates then every object & person could have their own sound, that we are unable to experience due to the limitations of our own sensory perceptions. These ideas have substantially changed how I observe the world as an artist and has opened a whole new world of ways to express it.
How have the themes surrounding your artwork changed over the years?
Very much so, yet the thread that connects old work and the latest work is still the study of relationships.
One of the big themes in my early work was the relationship between our bodies and identity. In the 90’s these ideas didn’t get the same coverage as they do today. In many ways these works could conceptually be more relevant today than they were back then. There was a series titled “La Mort” (a French phrase that translates to "death") which consisted of 27 large works of nude males with their genitals removed. The images were influenced and presented in an almost Neo-Classical manner with the figures on draped beds. Their genitals appeared to have been removed in a violent manner with blood-soaked bedding and blood splatter across their bodies. One could almost summarize the whole series with the question: Who and what are you without your genitals?
A theme in my work about 10 years ago was a study of the relationship between our sprawling technology and identity. Check out the Assimilation series HERE and the Anomaly series HERE for works that were strongly influenced by this theme. The works explored how our identity and understanding of self were being altered by technology and the onslaught of social media. There was also a focus on flaws or glitches in this new technology that could serve as metaphors or society in the 2010’s, to use a simple example, the way a printer would print a portrait photo when it was running out of ink.
A theme in the Nexus series (see works HERE ) was the relationship between our perception of the world and sensory input. Our brains are amazing in the way that it interprets visual sensory input, but it is rigged to follow certain rules and almost has its own little algorithm by which it processes information from the eyes. Our idea of beauty is also rigged by how the brain processes information: the more symmetrical a face the more attractive / beautiful we find it. These works explored this relationship between beauty and symmetry and over time have proven to be my most popular works, (some of them re-pinned on Pinterest over 250 000 times) almost serving as an affirmation that our brains equate symmetry with beauty.
One of the big themes in my early work was the relationship between our bodies and identity. In the 90’s these ideas didn’t get the same coverage as they do today. In many ways these works could conceptually be more relevant today than they were back then. There was a series titled “La Mort” (a French phrase that translates to "death") which consisted of 27 large works of nude males with their genitals removed. The images were influenced and presented in an almost Neo-Classical manner with the figures on draped beds. Their genitals appeared to have been removed in a violent manner with blood-soaked bedding and blood splatter across their bodies. One could almost summarize the whole series with the question: Who and what are you without your genitals?
A theme in my work about 10 years ago was a study of the relationship between our sprawling technology and identity. Check out the Assimilation series HERE and the Anomaly series HERE for works that were strongly influenced by this theme. The works explored how our identity and understanding of self were being altered by technology and the onslaught of social media. There was also a focus on flaws or glitches in this new technology that could serve as metaphors or society in the 2010’s, to use a simple example, the way a printer would print a portrait photo when it was running out of ink.
A theme in the Nexus series (see works HERE ) was the relationship between our perception of the world and sensory input. Our brains are amazing in the way that it interprets visual sensory input, but it is rigged to follow certain rules and almost has its own little algorithm by which it processes information from the eyes. Our idea of beauty is also rigged by how the brain processes information: the more symmetrical a face the more attractive / beautiful we find it. These works explored this relationship between beauty and symmetry and over time have proven to be my most popular works, (some of them re-pinned on Pinterest over 250 000 times) almost serving as an affirmation that our brains equate symmetry with beauty.
What inspires your artwork?
Inspiration is such a tricky thing to pin down! I think the gateway to inspiration is curiosity. I’m incredible curious and when I come across ideas, concepts or images that I’ve never seen before, I’d be first down the rabbit hole. I think I have an innate desire for knowledge and understanding. I am completely aware that I will never know everything, but that will never stop me from trying. I am a sponge!
The power in constantly learning and absorbing new information, images and ideas is that you start spotting connections. That’s where my inspiration lies, in that sweet spot where seemingly unrelated fields of study connect and spark ideas.
In terms of concepts and themes, I read a lot of non-fiction, listen to copious amounts of podcasts and documentaries. For more visual inspiration I’ll visit as many galleries and museums as often as possible. Otherwise, I’ll be scrolling on Instagram or watching music videos. Music videos have had a major impact on my approach to visual story telling.
The power in constantly learning and absorbing new information, images and ideas is that you start spotting connections. That’s where my inspiration lies, in that sweet spot where seemingly unrelated fields of study connect and spark ideas.
In terms of concepts and themes, I read a lot of non-fiction, listen to copious amounts of podcasts and documentaries. For more visual inspiration I’ll visit as many galleries and museums as often as possible. Otherwise, I’ll be scrolling on Instagram or watching music videos. Music videos have had a major impact on my approach to visual story telling.
What is the overall narrative of your work?
Tricky question… I think a broad statement on my overall narrative is perhaps a bit premature. Hopefully when I’m done creating and dead the narrative will reveal itself – but I’m far from done. There is so much work that still needs to be done. For now, I’ll settle for something along the lines of an ever evolving, growing exploration of a changing world at a time when society is going through some of the biggest changes in our history compacted into a very short period of time.
What influence did music videos have on your work?
Firstly, I’m an obsessive music lover, which makes my massive consumption of music videos no surprise. (My Spotify Wrapped has never shown less than 250 000 thousand tracks played a year.) Visually music videos have had as much impact on my work as have some of the painters whose work I credit with making me want to paint in the first place. In its most rudimental form, the combination of a song title, lyrics and visual story telling opened the door to conceptual thinking for me at a very young age. I really think of music videos as the foundation of my visual literacy. (Spoken like a true M-TV generation X’er)
Apart from the conceptual thinking it encouraged it also provided a vast array of effects and graphical elements flashing across screens, building a vocabulary which I still use everyday in my painting. It established ideas of overlapping images, glitches, split picture fields, monochromatic colours, over saturated colours and abstraction combined with realistic elements as established visual metaphors and means of communication. All the possibilities of lighting faces to create mood. It provided me with a vast visual language long before I even decided to pursue painting as a career.
My favourite music videos to this day can largely be attributed Dutch genius Anton Corbijn (learn more about him HERE )
Here's a short list of videos that I think of as essential viewing and that has influenced some of painting work:
Depeche Mode's Never let me down again 1987 (Anton Corbijn)
U2's Even better than the real thing 1991 (Kevin Godley)
Garbage's Push it 1998 (Andrea Giacobbe)
Editors' No harm 2015 (Rahi Rezvan)
Phantogram's You don't get ne high anymore (Lyric version) 2016 (Dexter Brierley & Erik Nuenighoff)
Apart from the conceptual thinking it encouraged it also provided a vast array of effects and graphical elements flashing across screens, building a vocabulary which I still use everyday in my painting. It established ideas of overlapping images, glitches, split picture fields, monochromatic colours, over saturated colours and abstraction combined with realistic elements as established visual metaphors and means of communication. All the possibilities of lighting faces to create mood. It provided me with a vast visual language long before I even decided to pursue painting as a career.
My favourite music videos to this day can largely be attributed Dutch genius Anton Corbijn (learn more about him HERE )
Here's a short list of videos that I think of as essential viewing and that has influenced some of painting work:
Depeche Mode's Never let me down again 1987 (Anton Corbijn)
U2's Even better than the real thing 1991 (Kevin Godley)
Garbage's Push it 1998 (Andrea Giacobbe)
Editors' No harm 2015 (Rahi Rezvan)
Phantogram's You don't get ne high anymore (Lyric version) 2016 (Dexter Brierley & Erik Nuenighoff)
Is there a colour or pigment you can't paint without?
Anything Orange! I've always loved orange in all of it's shades, whether it is a bright fluorescent orange or an earthy burnt sienna.
I almost want to say it's the colour I most identify with and has always made it's way into every one of my paintings. Even in the Nexus series which was
predominantly blue works, many of the different blue tones were created by mixing orange into it.
[NEW] How do you create your compositions?
Most of my paintings are primarily based on my reference photos. In most cases a photograph taken in the studio or on location. There’s much planning that happens before a photoshoot, which includes research and rough drawings or storyboards. Generally, the composition is finalized by the time I do a photoshoot for my reference photos. For more insight into the overall process refer to the question: "How do you plan a painting or series of works?" on this page.
[NEW] Do you utilise past experiences to create your works?
This depends largely on the concept of the artwork. My work is concept driven and as such any references to past experiences of my own in the work are secondary. They don’t represent conclusions or reflections on experiences but can rather be seen as a visual enquiry or question with the explicit function of the viewer being to provide the answer or conclusion. The intent is to trigger the viewers’ own stance, views or highlight their own past experiences in relation to the subject matter or concept.
[NEW] What element of your work do you feel is most important?
Just as a reference the full expansion of the original question sent in by Lilly:
What element of your work do you feel is most important? (e.g. lighting, colour scheme, texture, shape, line, perspective)
All of the above! LOL
Honestly, these are all very important elements in my work, but the most defining element is my approach to creating the image. The incorporation of the waveform motif into almost every aspect of the painting. The process is explained in detail elsewhere under the waveWORKS section on this page. This is the thing that makes it “my” work. It works alongside and interacts with all the elements you listed. Without all of them the image would just become a whole bunch of wavey lines.
What element of your work do you feel is most important? (e.g. lighting, colour scheme, texture, shape, line, perspective)
All of the above! LOL
Honestly, these are all very important elements in my work, but the most defining element is my approach to creating the image. The incorporation of the waveform motif into almost every aspect of the painting. The process is explained in detail elsewhere under the waveWORKS section on this page. This is the thing that makes it “my” work. It works alongside and interacts with all the elements you listed. Without all of them the image would just become a whole bunch of wavey lines.
[NEW] If you used a different medium what would it be and how do you think this would affect your art style?
This question fills me with dread - I would be beside and outside myself if all the oil paint in the world just suddenly vanished. They would have to sedate me! There would be memes of me on TikTok having a meltdown!
I have experimented with other mediums and the only other medium that could possibly be viable for me is Acrylic. What I found though, even when using top of the range acrylic paint was the lack of pigment density. The effect was that my work seemed dulled down – it just didn’t have the same intensity as oil. I also find the quick drying time of acrylic frustrating and that emotion would translate into the painting on some subtle level. I think acrylic is great for big bold expressive work that is created layer upon layer, but I work alla prima so ideally, I need paint to stay “wet” for up to five days. My work would probably change completely if I was forced to work in another medium.
I’m all about the oil! You know that feeling that you get when you walk past a bakery on the high-street early in the morning after a rainstorm, when the morning sun is softly touching your face and the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air – that’s how linseed oil makes me feel.
I have experimented with other mediums and the only other medium that could possibly be viable for me is Acrylic. What I found though, even when using top of the range acrylic paint was the lack of pigment density. The effect was that my work seemed dulled down – it just didn’t have the same intensity as oil. I also find the quick drying time of acrylic frustrating and that emotion would translate into the painting on some subtle level. I think acrylic is great for big bold expressive work that is created layer upon layer, but I work alla prima so ideally, I need paint to stay “wet” for up to five days. My work would probably change completely if I was forced to work in another medium.
I’m all about the oil! You know that feeling that you get when you walk past a bakery on the high-street early in the morning after a rainstorm, when the morning sun is softly touching your face and the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air – that’s how linseed oil makes me feel.
The Art of being an Artist (16)
How are the prices for your work calculated?
My prices are generally market related. In other words the bigger the demand, the higher the prices. I do however try to regulate and sustain prices, in the sense that when work reaches a certain price bracket, I won’t reduce the prices again. I don’t do “sales” / special offers or give discounts. I’m in a position where I am lucky to have representing agents and galleries that help determine pricing collectively. I don’t sell work myself / deal directly with collectors or the public. So whether you buy a painting from a gallery in Berlin, Munich, Durban or in Cape Town – the price will be the same, depending on the size of the work & exchange rates.
Overall the biggest guide in terms of pricing is the secondary market and specifically collector's resale which is the best guide to the value of your work.
Overall the biggest guide in terms of pricing is the secondary market and specifically collector's resale which is the best guide to the value of your work.
What is your art background & how did you get into art?
I was interested in images from a young age, so as a child I was obsessed with drawing etc. I decided in high school to become an artist and studied fine art at two different tertiary institutions after school. After my studies I worked in several related fields, fashion design, digital design and graphic design for a few years before embarking on a full time art career.
What art do you most identify with?
To me art is a language with many different dialects. I’m more interested in the language itself than in a specific “dialect” like POP, or Abstract art. I think it is important for an artist to be open and to appreciate every possible genre or style of art to truly understand this visual language we call art.
What inspires you as an artist?
I think every artist has a need to understand and analyze the world, so my inspiration often comes from cultural shifts and changes I observe around me. In the last few years technology has been one of my major inspirations. I’m interested in how our universally understood visual communication structures are being altered by technological advances such as VR, AR & AI.
What do you like about your work?
That it is always evolving – a painting from 10 years ago is completely different from one created a year ago. It is always new and different, yet if you look closely you can see a thread running through it.
What is your biggest motivation?
As an artist it is part of your responsibility to self-regulate and keep yourself motivated. For me it is both an active choice, but also a result of loving what you do and actively pursuing your highest passion. I prefer painting and creating above most things and activities in life and as such, the motivation to create comes naturally.
What is your favourite artwork and why?
Another tricky question! I honestly can’t choose a favourite work, there are simply too many I love for different reasons. For brevity (because I can probably write a book on all the work I love) I’ll keep it to mentioning just a few.
Francis Bacon
“Three Studies for a Crucifixion” 1962
I absolutely adore Bacon’s work. This triptych is at the top of my list of work to see in person. Currently at the Guggenheim in New York, this work represents everything I love about Bacon. The raw emotion of his brushwork and unflinching commitment to portraying his experience of the world he was living in. A bonus is also that he is known for the use of orange in many of his works – a colour that I’m obsessed with.
David Salle
“Landscape with Two Nudes and Three Eyes” 1986
I’m a huge Salle fan, I love his combination of imagery on one canvas where it could read as separate artworks. The way he combines the mundane and everyday with sometimes almost pornographic portrayals of figures.
Victor Vasarely
“Sinlag II-Blue w/ Red” 1990
I am an enormous fan of Opt-art and consider Vasarely as a God-like creature in that movement. His work to me, represents one of the first waves of art movements to announce the coming and rise of the information age. I’m also a huge fan of work that presents itself as being simplistic, yet these works close-up and in person are incredibly complex.
Francis Bacon
“Three Studies for a Crucifixion” 1962
I absolutely adore Bacon’s work. This triptych is at the top of my list of work to see in person. Currently at the Guggenheim in New York, this work represents everything I love about Bacon. The raw emotion of his brushwork and unflinching commitment to portraying his experience of the world he was living in. A bonus is also that he is known for the use of orange in many of his works – a colour that I’m obsessed with.
David Salle
“Landscape with Two Nudes and Three Eyes” 1986
I’m a huge Salle fan, I love his combination of imagery on one canvas where it could read as separate artworks. The way he combines the mundane and everyday with sometimes almost pornographic portrayals of figures.
Victor Vasarely
“Sinlag II-Blue w/ Red” 1990
I am an enormous fan of Opt-art and consider Vasarely as a God-like creature in that movement. His work to me, represents one of the first waves of art movements to announce the coming and rise of the information age. I’m also a huge fan of work that presents itself as being simplistic, yet these works close-up and in person are incredibly complex.
What's the best advice you've been given?
“Think of your artistic career as means to discover who you are”
This is a life-long journey and as you grow, your work will change. This has become a bit of a mantra for me and it took me a very long time to realise that there is not a “right” or “wrong” way to be an artist.
This is a life-long journey and as you grow, your work will change. This has become a bit of a mantra for me and it took me a very long time to realise that there is not a “right” or “wrong” way to be an artist.
Do you have any advice for young or aspiring artists?
Always be careful who’s advice you buy into. Remember there is no “right” or “wrong” way to be an artist. Don’t worry about things like finding your voice, it’s already there, you just need to work at refining it. Allow yourself the freedom and grace to make mistakes, they are the keys to understanding what you don’t want to do with your art. Always be curious!
You are in the most incredible position as a young, rising or aspiring artist. Never has any generation of artists had so many options available to them for creating work. We’ve never had this much pigment and colours available to us. We’ve never had this much access to art, other artists and their work. Nothing should be stopping on holding you back, unless you decide to limit your expression… get out of your own way and start creating!
You are in the most incredible position as a young, rising or aspiring artist. Never has any generation of artists had so many options available to them for creating work. We’ve never had this much pigment and colours available to us. We’ve never had this much access to art, other artists and their work. Nothing should be stopping on holding you back, unless you decide to limit your expression… get out of your own way and start creating!
How do you overcome creative challenges?
Having worked as a full-time artist for quite some time now, I can honestly say that creative challenges are welcomed. This is part of the deal after all.
Being an artist is not some label that others bestow on you, it is a deep commitment to your own growth and development. For many of us, it can be a lonely life, when every aspect of your daily routine, lifestyle, relationships, friendships etc. must account for the fact that as an artist, you will be spending a large proportion of your existence alone. Creating is not something that will only take up a few hours of your day if you want to make a living from it. The real trick is finding a balance between your creative pursuits and your life outside the studio.
To pull this off without doing harm to yourself or your relationships with others you will need well-set boundaries, get enough sleep, get enough exercise, have a routine, be as balanced as possible in all areas of your life. I often think of it as “parenting” myself. If you have that foundation to rely on then creative challenges are part of the excitement of the creative process – when you can give a challenge or a perceived block 100% of your attention, solutions come much faster than when you’re worried about whether you remembered to feed the dog or if you’re boyfriend is feeling neglected.
Being an artist is not some label that others bestow on you, it is a deep commitment to your own growth and development. For many of us, it can be a lonely life, when every aspect of your daily routine, lifestyle, relationships, friendships etc. must account for the fact that as an artist, you will be spending a large proportion of your existence alone. Creating is not something that will only take up a few hours of your day if you want to make a living from it. The real trick is finding a balance between your creative pursuits and your life outside the studio.
To pull this off without doing harm to yourself or your relationships with others you will need well-set boundaries, get enough sleep, get enough exercise, have a routine, be as balanced as possible in all areas of your life. I often think of it as “parenting” myself. If you have that foundation to rely on then creative challenges are part of the excitement of the creative process – when you can give a challenge or a perceived block 100% of your attention, solutions come much faster than when you’re worried about whether you remembered to feed the dog or if you’re boyfriend is feeling neglected.
Can you describe a moment of inspiration that led to a break through in your work?
Nothing comes to mind – honestly most inspiration happens while you’re actively working. There is never this external moment where you’re having a conversation with the cashier at the supermarket that gives you a solution to that one spot in a painting that’s not working. When you’re actively painting, that’s when something in the painting snaps together and solutions come. Conceptual ideas are sparked while doing other things, when your reading a book and your presented with a new theory in science or listening to a podcast and two seemingly unrelated ideas find a connection that excites you.
Do you earn a living from your artwork alone?
Yes! 100% of my income is derived from selling paintings.
What outlets do you use to sell your work?
I have great relationships with several local and international galleries and dealers. Some galleries also sell work online, but most of my work is sold via brick-and-mortar galleries. A small selection of work is also available from the studio.
How do you deal with negative reactions to your work?
I know my work is not always received in the most positive way, but this also depends hugely on who is looking at it. It is one of the primary reasons I do not work directly with the public or collectors. In this way I cut out a lot of the noise that often comes in doing so. Not all members of the public have a good understanding or are knowledgeable about contemporary art, in these cases gallerists with years of experience in working with the public can deal better with statements or requests like: Can this be done in colours to match my couch!
In terms of negative critique of the work, it’s a bit more difficult to distance yourself from it. I always acknowledge negative remarks but try to look at the point of view that it’s coming from. If a collector or a critic favours a certain style or technique for example Photo Realism, then they won’t have anything good to say about my work and I can dismiss it as a point of view based on their personal preference. It’s all part of the package – your work is never going to resonate with everybody.
I do not tolerate personal attacks though. I’ve had experiences where people have looked at paintings and called me a satanist, a pornographer etc. - These are people who can keep going... yes, walk right past the painting, you don't have to look at it... yes keep going!
In terms of negative critique of the work, it’s a bit more difficult to distance yourself from it. I always acknowledge negative remarks but try to look at the point of view that it’s coming from. If a collector or a critic favours a certain style or technique for example Photo Realism, then they won’t have anything good to say about my work and I can dismiss it as a point of view based on their personal preference. It’s all part of the package – your work is never going to resonate with everybody.
I do not tolerate personal attacks though. I’ve had experiences where people have looked at paintings and called me a satanist, a pornographer etc. - These are people who can keep going... yes, walk right past the painting, you don't have to look at it... yes keep going!
[NEW] How did you manage to get your art to be successful?
This is a very broad question, and I can write several essays on the topic, but to keep it brief and without going off on too much of a tangent, I think the essence of any of my responses would be more concerned with what your idea of success entails.
Success can mean different things for different artists. It is a concept that you must define for yourself. It speaks to your true motivation as an artist. What is it that you want to achieve? Create amazing art, make a living from your art, become famous? It’s about setting clear goals, figuring out what you’ll have to do to work towards and achieve those goals. Also, what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve these goals? It’s a journey that, most of the time, will be as distinct as the art you make, making the idea that there’s only one way to be a successful artist obsolete.
In short, we live the stories we tell ourselves. Define your idea of success and then work your way towards it.
Personally, my definition of success has always been about making the best art I can conceive, putting it out into the world and watching how it takes on a life of its own. If you do that long enough, people start taking notice. I don’t consider myself a ‘’famous” artist and that was never part of my goals, I want the attention to be on the work – not on me. I do not subscribe to any of the modern tropes about artists: the tortured genius, the business artist who has their works produced in warehouses by other artists / craftsmen, the sensitive soul overcome by drug fueled excess, dead by 27. I have no judgement towards artists who choose those paths, but I always wanted a simple, quiet life – just me painting my days away. I consider myself the definition of normal and everyday… the art however may never be that!
To give the most concise answer to the question: I worked relentlessly, every detour that life threw at me was accepted with the clear understanding that it was just that, a temporary detour. All my roads led back to art, because that’s what I chose them to do. I’ve always had an unmovable conviction that my purpose in this life was to be an artist. So to summarize: An unmovable conviction in your purpose and relentless hard work.
In short, we live the stories we tell ourselves. Define your idea of success and then work your way towards it.
Personally, my definition of success has always been about making the best art I can conceive, putting it out into the world and watching how it takes on a life of its own. If you do that long enough, people start taking notice. I don’t consider myself a ‘’famous” artist and that was never part of my goals, I want the attention to be on the work – not on me. I do not subscribe to any of the modern tropes about artists: the tortured genius, the business artist who has their works produced in warehouses by other artists / craftsmen, the sensitive soul overcome by drug fueled excess, dead by 27. I have no judgement towards artists who choose those paths, but I always wanted a simple, quiet life – just me painting my days away. I consider myself the definition of normal and everyday… the art however may never be that!
To give the most concise answer to the question: I worked relentlessly, every detour that life threw at me was accepted with the clear understanding that it was just that, a temporary detour. All my roads led back to art, because that’s what I chose them to do. I’ve always had an unmovable conviction that my purpose in this life was to be an artist. So to summarize: An unmovable conviction in your purpose and relentless hard work.
[NEW] Any tips for building a successful art practice?
This is a necessary, but not always pleasant part of being an artist today: the business of art.
Firstly define your goals, whether this is for the next 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, or the next 30 years. When thinking about your goals, keep in mind that some goals are pizza and some are elephants. You can probably eat a pizza in one sitting; the elephant however is a different story. Getting that done is a lot of small elephant servings over a long period of time. Be realistic and even more importantly, kind to yourself.
Learn some basic business skills. Bookkeeping, administration skills and some basic PR skills. In fact, as an artist, you run a business and everything that a regular business does to operate will become part of your responsibilities. Yes, all this can be outsourced, but when starting out, wouldn’t you rather do it yourself and invest money spent on art supplies?
Develop a grassroots media strategy. Build a social presence on every possible platform. Try not to limit your social footprint to certain platforms. Yes, all the cool young artists are on TikTok, but you don’t have any idea who is going to buy your art… the older crowd on Facebook might turn out to be your biggest collector base. Develop a universal aesthetic. I hate using the word “Branding” but it is the most effective term in this case. Try to get your website, social profiles etc. to have a distinct uniform look.
Get a website! Many experts currently claim that you don’t need a website these days if you’re on social media, but I disagree. Your website is an online presence where you are in control, you can host a catalogue of your work, use it as an easily accessible portfolio to point potential buyers and galleries too. You create the look and the info you want out there. Get your own domain – you read as much more professional and serious when someone receives an e-mail from a domain that is your name compared to a gmail account.
Then the most difficult, taxing and time-consuming part – getting your work out there:
Start entering any and every art competition out there. Competitions are a great way to get some shows listed on your portfolio. Start researching galleries. Go to every opening at the galleries you’re interested in working with. Get to know the staff, curators and owners. Build grassroot networks, social circles. The adage of it’s not how good you are, but who you know applies. This is about opening doors and getting your portfolio under the right eyes. Join artist organizations in your area, they are often gatekeepers for annual shows and art fair stands. The primary mission is to get into as many shows as possible. Contrary to what we’re being told – art sells much better in brick-and-mortar spaces than online. Go to local art fairs – network with galleries who have stands there. Many of your local dealers will be represented there. Talk to them about their business models. I’ve worked with galleries that exclusively show at art fairs only. Talk to other artists – what is working for them in your area / city.
Build a catalogue. I cannot begin to explain how important this is. Document every artwork you create, with as many photographs and as much detail on the specs as possible. Everything from the dimensions to the type of canvas, what varnish you used on it, where it is signed, where it was painted, who the model was etc. Authenticate your work properly. You have no idea how many future problems this can resolve and prevent. I know you think you’ll remember every artwork that you’ve ever made, but trust me 30 years from now, someone will pitch at your studio with a piece that you’ll have no memory of ever making, but once you run it against your catalogue you’ll realize that you did actually make it back in 1993 when you were going too far too many raves and taking way too much ******!
Now that I’ve admitted to my wild youth… Do not slip up on this. Your catalogue is one of the most important parts of your practice. It’s the only proof you will ever have of your body of work – a documentation of your entire professional career – it is priceless!
I’ve had some crazy things happen to me and my very well-maintained catalogue has saved the day, time and again. Example. In 2005 I was commissioned to do a portrait, regular thing, not very exciting, I had done many of these by then. All went well – very happy client – super excited to present her husband with this commissioned oil painting of him. She expresses that she would love to get into painting as a hobby and I graciously point her in the direction of a friend who teaches painting for beginners.
Roll on to 2009, Facebook arrives and it’s not long before I come across this client on Facebook. She’s now a professional artist. She’s taking commissions. Look here is an example of her work! A beautiful portrait of her husband! Only it’s not her work – it’s mine! She had painted over my signature and painted hers in its place. Get my point? No catalogue and proper documentation – no recourse!
Learn some basic business skills. Bookkeeping, administration skills and some basic PR skills. In fact, as an artist, you run a business and everything that a regular business does to operate will become part of your responsibilities. Yes, all this can be outsourced, but when starting out, wouldn’t you rather do it yourself and invest money spent on art supplies?
Develop a grassroots media strategy. Build a social presence on every possible platform. Try not to limit your social footprint to certain platforms. Yes, all the cool young artists are on TikTok, but you don’t have any idea who is going to buy your art… the older crowd on Facebook might turn out to be your biggest collector base. Develop a universal aesthetic. I hate using the word “Branding” but it is the most effective term in this case. Try to get your website, social profiles etc. to have a distinct uniform look.
Get a website! Many experts currently claim that you don’t need a website these days if you’re on social media, but I disagree. Your website is an online presence where you are in control, you can host a catalogue of your work, use it as an easily accessible portfolio to point potential buyers and galleries too. You create the look and the info you want out there. Get your own domain – you read as much more professional and serious when someone receives an e-mail from a domain that is your name compared to a gmail account.
Then the most difficult, taxing and time-consuming part – getting your work out there:
Start entering any and every art competition out there. Competitions are a great way to get some shows listed on your portfolio. Start researching galleries. Go to every opening at the galleries you’re interested in working with. Get to know the staff, curators and owners. Build grassroot networks, social circles. The adage of it’s not how good you are, but who you know applies. This is about opening doors and getting your portfolio under the right eyes. Join artist organizations in your area, they are often gatekeepers for annual shows and art fair stands. The primary mission is to get into as many shows as possible. Contrary to what we’re being told – art sells much better in brick-and-mortar spaces than online. Go to local art fairs – network with galleries who have stands there. Many of your local dealers will be represented there. Talk to them about their business models. I’ve worked with galleries that exclusively show at art fairs only. Talk to other artists – what is working for them in your area / city.
Build a catalogue. I cannot begin to explain how important this is. Document every artwork you create, with as many photographs and as much detail on the specs as possible. Everything from the dimensions to the type of canvas, what varnish you used on it, where it is signed, where it was painted, who the model was etc. Authenticate your work properly. You have no idea how many future problems this can resolve and prevent. I know you think you’ll remember every artwork that you’ve ever made, but trust me 30 years from now, someone will pitch at your studio with a piece that you’ll have no memory of ever making, but once you run it against your catalogue you’ll realize that you did actually make it back in 1993 when you were going too far too many raves and taking way too much ******!
Now that I’ve admitted to my wild youth… Do not slip up on this. Your catalogue is one of the most important parts of your practice. It’s the only proof you will ever have of your body of work – a documentation of your entire professional career – it is priceless!
I’ve had some crazy things happen to me and my very well-maintained catalogue has saved the day, time and again. Example. In 2005 I was commissioned to do a portrait, regular thing, not very exciting, I had done many of these by then. All went well – very happy client – super excited to present her husband with this commissioned oil painting of him. She expresses that she would love to get into painting as a hobby and I graciously point her in the direction of a friend who teaches painting for beginners.
Roll on to 2009, Facebook arrives and it’s not long before I come across this client on Facebook. She’s now a professional artist. She’s taking commissions. Look here is an example of her work! A beautiful portrait of her husband! Only it’s not her work – it’s mine! She had painted over my signature and painted hers in its place. Get my point? No catalogue and proper documentation – no recourse!
The Artist's Personality (4)
Do you indentify as LGBTQ?
Yes, I identify as a gay cis-male (with an ample sprinkle of queerness) and my pronouns are he & him.
How is your name and surname pronounced?
Name phonetic spelling: [ K OH R n ai ]
Pronunciation Tip: Sounds like: COR-ne
'COR' - sounds like 'core' and rhymes with 'more' | ne - sounds like 'nay' or 'neigh'
Surname phonetic spelling: [EH K S T IY AH N]
Pronunciation Tip: Sounds like: EX-tea-en or XTN
'Ex' like ex in ex-boyfrined or the letter X | 'tea' like the drink or the letter 'T' | 'en' like the letter N
Pronunciation Tip: Sounds like: COR-ne
'COR' - sounds like 'core' and rhymes with 'more' | ne - sounds like 'nay' or 'neigh'
Surname phonetic spelling: [EH K S T IY AH N]
Pronunciation Tip: Sounds like: EX-tea-en or XTN
'Ex' like ex in ex-boyfrined or the letter X | 'tea' like the drink or the letter 'T' | 'en' like the letter N
How would you describe your personality?
I am an ambivert with a diplomatic demeaner. A Solo by choice as my commitment to my work has always outweighed my commitment to a romantic relationship. My heart currently belongs to my Pug, Connor. Generally friendly, open and easy to get along with which is only countered by a terribly bitchy resting face. LOL
What are your current obsessions?
I’m laughing out loud here! I am prone to a bit of obsession!
I’m obsessed with Quantum Mechanics alongside social trends like the deconstruction of religion movement. I’m completely consumed by Sinusoidal waveforms and how it relates to sight and sound. I want to work with AI in creating work that is based on Sinusoidal waves which can be presented as both image and sound. I want to make paintings that can be “read” by a sound player and turn painting into a multisensory experience. This is something I’m actively working on since my soundWORKS exhibition.
In terms of popular culture, I’m obsessed with the films of Yorgos Lanthimos (Killing of a sacred deer & Kinds of kindness) and Andrew Haigh (Weekend & All of us strangers)
Billie Eilish, Fontaines D.C., The Irrepressibles, junodream & Woodkid
Michael Harding’s Alizarin Claret, Lucas Paint’s Sky Blue and Maimeri’s Titanium White
I’m obsessed with “Fitness trainers” on social media peddling soft porn to get followers, they are both funny and deeply disturbing.
I’m obsessed with Quantum Mechanics alongside social trends like the deconstruction of religion movement. I’m completely consumed by Sinusoidal waveforms and how it relates to sight and sound. I want to work with AI in creating work that is based on Sinusoidal waves which can be presented as both image and sound. I want to make paintings that can be “read” by a sound player and turn painting into a multisensory experience. This is something I’m actively working on since my soundWORKS exhibition.
In terms of popular culture, I’m obsessed with the films of Yorgos Lanthimos (Killing of a sacred deer & Kinds of kindness) and Andrew Haigh (Weekend & All of us strangers)
Billie Eilish, Fontaines D.C., The Irrepressibles, junodream & Woodkid
Michael Harding’s Alizarin Claret, Lucas Paint’s Sky Blue and Maimeri’s Titanium White
I’m obsessed with “Fitness trainers” on social media peddling soft porn to get followers, they are both funny and deeply disturbing.
waveWORKS Series (9)
How did the technique for the waveWORKS series develop?
This approach to creating images developed over a period of almost 10 years. I became very interested in how we process visual information and did a series exploring basic visual “tools” – mostly related to the writings of Johannes Itten. He wrote many books on how to “build” images and did in-depth studies of the effects of symmetry on our visual observation. It created an intense obsession with symmetry in my work (check out the Nexus series of works) Eventually this started to mutate into creating smaller and smaller symmetrical breaks in my images and led to my current technique. It was almost like stumbling onto a new visual language of my own.
It is a very complex and labour intensive process creating these images. Basically every image is broken into 100’s of vertical / horizontal strips. Every second strip is replaced with a symmetrical / mirror image and as such creating new forms, shapes and patterns, But the fundamental idea is that there as 100’s of symmetrical strips that create the over-all image.
Pattern is central to my work and related to how we process stimuli. Our brains are rigged to find pattern and process that information into understandable experiences. As humans we try to predict everything based on it’s relation to pattern, so for me it is an essential aspect of all visual language. I often use pattern to disrupt normal associations with an object or subject matter.
It is a very complex and labour intensive process creating these images. Basically every image is broken into 100’s of vertical / horizontal strips. Every second strip is replaced with a symmetrical / mirror image and as such creating new forms, shapes and patterns, But the fundamental idea is that there as 100’s of symmetrical strips that create the over-all image.
Pattern is central to my work and related to how we process stimuli. Our brains are rigged to find pattern and process that information into understandable experiences. As humans we try to predict everything based on it’s relation to pattern, so for me it is an essential aspect of all visual language. I often use pattern to disrupt normal associations with an object or subject matter.
What is the concept behind these works?
Conceptually the focus of the work has one foot in several artistic traditions and the other in science. Works tend to fall within established traditions like portraiture, still lives etc. (I’m never trying to “re-invent the wheel”) Much of my work thus focusses on everyday situations, people and objects. On the other hand the technique itself opened conceptual possibilities that relate more to science than it does to art. Quantum mechanics has become an obsessive field of interest after discovering that how I was creating these images, visually connected to sinusoidal waveforms. So in many ways the work conceptually explores how the everyday / mundane can be viewed as “energy fields,” and how our entire understanding of the sensory world is just a response to vibration. According to quantum mechanics all matter vibrates at some frequency, every colour has it’s own frequency, every sound is a vibration, so my work explores those ideas within established artistic traditions. I have to admit there’s not much of an emotional process that plays into creating my work, my approach is almost academic.
How much computer manipulation goes into creating your waveworks paintings?
Virtually none! Apart from some colour adjusting of the original photograph that the work is often based on, nothing else is done digitally. Once I’m happy with the saturation and colours of a reference photo, it gets printed out. This print is shredded into either horizontal or vertical strips.
Every second strip is removed to create the final reference image, which is basically a sequence of strips with empty space between them. This is drawn onto my canvas and then I start the process of creating mirror images of each adjacent strip in the drawing. The entire wave pattern is created by these mirror images of the strips, combined with what I imagine a shape, line or form would do when mirrored.
Every second strip is removed to create the final reference image, which is basically a sequence of strips with empty space between them. This is drawn onto my canvas and then I start the process of creating mirror images of each adjacent strip in the drawing. The entire wave pattern is created by these mirror images of the strips, combined with what I imagine a shape, line or form would do when mirrored.
Do you identify with the "Disrupted realism" movement?
I have a deep appreciation for the Disrupted Realism movement and to a certain degree my work could fit into the definitions that shape the movement, but by the same token my focus has shifted into a completely different field over the last few years. Like our culture my work is constantly shifting. I’ve also always been very careful not to completely embrace a trend or a movement, but rather focus on finding a visual language of my own. My current work is deeply rooted in Science and the potential it has, through fields like Quantum Mechanics, to free us from many belief structures and limitations in the development of a sustainable future and society.
[NEW] For the piece 'Memory eroded over time' why would you say it is titled this?
Find artwork specs and images for "Memory eroded over time" HERE
This work was part of a group show "Time & Tide, wait for no man" hosted by STATE of the ART GALLERY in Cape Town, South Africa during February / March 2023.
To contextualize the title, I need to point out that this work is part of my waveWORKS body of work and was the conceptual root for a solo exhibition “FIFTY” later the same year. You can read more in-depth about the focus and concepts behind the waveWORKS series on this page.
The painting is a portrait of a man from my past with whom I had a brief but troubled relationship. He is painted as an “energy field” but from the perception of my own memory. Natural skin tones are replaced by saturated tones of orange – a colour I associated with him. The work plays with concepts related to memories of people becoming less defined, less clear in detail and more about the energy that people represented or how they made us feel. It explores the idea of memory as a reconstruction and not a playback. Thus, this is a painting of the energy and vibration of a person reconstructed in my mind.
Interesting article that I used as part of my research for the exhibition:
American Psychological Association – Seared in our memories
This work was part of a group show "Time & Tide, wait for no man" hosted by STATE of the ART GALLERY in Cape Town, South Africa during February / March 2023.
To contextualize the title, I need to point out that this work is part of my waveWORKS body of work and was the conceptual root for a solo exhibition “FIFTY” later the same year. You can read more in-depth about the focus and concepts behind the waveWORKS series on this page.
The painting is a portrait of a man from my past with whom I had a brief but troubled relationship. He is painted as an “energy field” but from the perception of my own memory. Natural skin tones are replaced by saturated tones of orange – a colour I associated with him. The work plays with concepts related to memories of people becoming less defined, less clear in detail and more about the energy that people represented or how they made us feel. It explores the idea of memory as a reconstruction and not a playback. Thus, this is a painting of the energy and vibration of a person reconstructed in my mind.
Interesting article that I used as part of my research for the exhibition:
American Psychological Association – Seared in our memories
[NEW] Why are most of your subjects male?
There are many reasons for this:
Authenticity. Primarily I'm observing the world and creating from my own perspective. I have a male body therefore it is something I’m intrinsically familiar with. I know its form, how it moves, how light interacts with it, how water runs over it etc. I’ve always felt that to paint something you must know your subject. It’s pointless to paint a lemon if you’ve never held one, smelled it, bit into it, see what happens when it decays.
Preference. I am a gay man. Most of my relationships other than family are with men. I have many female friends I adore, but they are a staggering small number compared to the males in my life. Men are the people I have intimate relationships with, otherworldly connections – people I know deeply. They represent my world and life – therefore they are a constant presence in my work.
Subversion of historic artistic notions. I adore the hundreds of years of paintings of woman (nude and dressed) but question the role of the male gaze in these works. Art needs more voices when it comes to exploring gender in art. I’m doing my part, by simply just painting from my own experience.
Authenticity. Primarily I'm observing the world and creating from my own perspective. I have a male body therefore it is something I’m intrinsically familiar with. I know its form, how it moves, how light interacts with it, how water runs over it etc. I’ve always felt that to paint something you must know your subject. It’s pointless to paint a lemon if you’ve never held one, smelled it, bit into it, see what happens when it decays.
Preference. I am a gay man. Most of my relationships other than family are with men. I have many female friends I adore, but they are a staggering small number compared to the males in my life. Men are the people I have intimate relationships with, otherworldly connections – people I know deeply. They represent my world and life – therefore they are a constant presence in my work.
Subversion of historic artistic notions. I adore the hundreds of years of paintings of woman (nude and dressed) but question the role of the male gaze in these works. Art needs more voices when it comes to exploring gender in art. I’m doing my part, by simply just painting from my own experience.
[NEW] What inspired you to paint some subjects nude or partially nude?
Many reasons for this - here's the two main ones:
Building on and subverting historic art traditions. Nudity, whether full or partial, has been part of major art movements for as long as we know. I am intentionally building on that tradition while at the same time subverting the notion by focusing on male nudity.
Authenticity. I grew up in southern Africa. Things work differently in the Southern Hemisphere. For example, a typical Christmas day here would be around 30 degrees Celsius and instead of drinking eggnog and lounging by the fireplace, we’ll be in the pool or at the beach eating watermelon and drinking cocktails. The same goes for cultural notions relating to nudity. African culture celebrates the body and even while I grew up under Apartheid, there is a wider acceptance (in a non-sexual way) of nudity. Western religious and social influences have been challenging this, but for the better part of my life it was not shocking or out of the ordinary to see exposed female breasts, men walking barefoot and topless down the street. Perhaps more a climate thing than a cultural thing. I grew up thinking of nudity as practical and normal. I also see the human body as astounding in it’s complexity, why hide it in paintings.
Building on and subverting historic art traditions. Nudity, whether full or partial, has been part of major art movements for as long as we know. I am intentionally building on that tradition while at the same time subverting the notion by focusing on male nudity.
Authenticity. I grew up in southern Africa. Things work differently in the Southern Hemisphere. For example, a typical Christmas day here would be around 30 degrees Celsius and instead of drinking eggnog and lounging by the fireplace, we’ll be in the pool or at the beach eating watermelon and drinking cocktails. The same goes for cultural notions relating to nudity. African culture celebrates the body and even while I grew up under Apartheid, there is a wider acceptance (in a non-sexual way) of nudity. Western religious and social influences have been challenging this, but for the better part of my life it was not shocking or out of the ordinary to see exposed female breasts, men walking barefoot and topless down the street. Perhaps more a climate thing than a cultural thing. I grew up thinking of nudity as practical and normal. I also see the human body as astounding in it’s complexity, why hide it in paintings.
[NEW] Do you explore the male identity in your works?
Yes. Although not an obviously central theme in my work, it does cross into work from time to time. This almost always is from a gay / queer male perspective. I’m in a unique position where I’m very much a minority within a minority in South Africa. (Almost the opposite for someone who looks like me in Western countries.) A blessing, where it allows me to see gender identity from multiple different perspectives. It is a multi-cultural country, where traditional male roles differ vastly from culture to culture, region to region. When I do address male identity, it comes from my own perspective where the focus is more often on the dynamics of relationships between men. As a younger artist it was far more important to me. In the late 90s I did a series of full frontal reclined male nudes, where their genitals had been violently cut off, with blood soaking through crisp white linen draping. A type of “who and what are you without your genitals” moment. (The "La Mort" series if you want to go dig in my catalogue.) In general my focus is more on figuring out the bigger picture of how this whole manifestation of physical reality works.
[NEW] My coursework theme is memories and dreams - does your work relate to these themes?
Yes, to a degree my work can be interpreted as exploring memory. There are a few works that speak directly to the theme of memory loss – you can look at these examples:
“Memory eroded” Images and details HERE
“Memory eroded over time” Images and details HERE
My works in general (waveWORKS) are built on one central motif – the sinusoidal wave pattern. These patterns are generally used to represent things like sound which is essentially a vibration. By they same token they can represent light – for example different colours are vibrations at different frequencies. What they found in Quantum mechanics and Quantum physics is that all matter vibrate (this is a very, very simplified statement – this is incredibly difficult science to properly explain without handing you 10 books to read)
These wave patterns are the motif through which I paint. It plays on the concept that all matter is vibrating, so in essence our entire physical world consists of vibrations. It’s an awareness that we have without even really understanding the implication… when they say “Good vibes only” or “We are vibing” – we are acknowledging that everything is just energy / vibration.
Here's how it relates to memory – memory is a function of the brain and guess what our brainwaves look like?
Memory is interesting in the sense that it’s not a playback event but a reconstruction of a past event or person and it’s believed that every time we access a memory it gets altered a little bit. The key element connecting my work to memory is that it is constructed and reconstructed by brainwaves.
Thinking about the world this way has been the most comforting experience ever. There’s a fundamental law in science that energy cannot be destroyed only transformed. In a way we are all and everything around us from thoughts, memories perhaps even consciousness, everything is just vibrating energy – never destroyed, never lost just often transformed.
“Memory eroded” Images and details HERE
“Memory eroded over time” Images and details HERE
My works in general (waveWORKS) are built on one central motif – the sinusoidal wave pattern. These patterns are generally used to represent things like sound which is essentially a vibration. By they same token they can represent light – for example different colours are vibrations at different frequencies. What they found in Quantum mechanics and Quantum physics is that all matter vibrate (this is a very, very simplified statement – this is incredibly difficult science to properly explain without handing you 10 books to read)
These wave patterns are the motif through which I paint. It plays on the concept that all matter is vibrating, so in essence our entire physical world consists of vibrations. It’s an awareness that we have without even really understanding the implication… when they say “Good vibes only” or “We are vibing” – we are acknowledging that everything is just energy / vibration.
Here's how it relates to memory – memory is a function of the brain and guess what our brainwaves look like?
Memory is interesting in the sense that it’s not a playback event but a reconstruction of a past event or person and it’s believed that every time we access a memory it gets altered a little bit. The key element connecting my work to memory is that it is constructed and reconstructed by brainwaves.
Thinking about the world this way has been the most comforting experience ever. There’s a fundamental law in science that energy cannot be destroyed only transformed. In a way we are all and everything around us from thoughts, memories perhaps even consciousness, everything is just vibrating energy – never destroyed, never lost just often transformed.