CAST (Cape Sculpture Technologies) in partnership with celebrated winery Durbanville Hills are opening their second major exhibition at the Durbanville Hills sculpture garden, inaugurated earlier this year. The exhibition, Mark Chapman’s More Or Less, opens this Friday, 12 May and runs till mid-July 2017.
Based just outside of the estate’s eaterie, the sculpture garden is situated in undulating lawns boasting panoramic views of mountain and sea. The open air aesthetics, combined with Durbanville Hills’ award-winning selection of wines, was what prompted CAST impresario Dirk Durnez to approach the estate with his idea for an outdoor exhibition space. Dirk, Belgian, but living in SA for over 20 years, an avid art and wine lover (with an extensive background in theme park building and enlargements, also a Disney Imagineer) wanted to create a space where wine and art met in beautiful environments.
Triggering powerful emotions
Dirk says that the aim of the project is to create a meaningful art experience that triggers powerful emotions, ignites stimulating debate and encourages social interaction with the various pieces on show.
Elaborates Dorette Kruger Labutte, head of CAST PR, “Outdoor exhibition spaces certainly create a highly interactive experience, rather than the more static one which is the norm in most galleries. The sculptures become an extension of the landscape in which visitors move. Dirk wants people to be able to interact with the sculptures, to create an emotional bond with them – to ‘feel’ them.”
MICK RAUBENHEIMER spoke to sculptor Mark Chapman
What inspires your work?
“Inspiration comes from browsing through tons of art on social media, etc. I will see a piece that I love, or an element of that piece, and that will inspire me to create something of my own. It could be anything from a painting to a sculpture or a photo. My journey has been pretty interesting and because I’m relatively new in the art world, it’s quite a learning curve. I’m passionate about what I do and getting a positive response to what I do is amazing.”
How would you describe your art?
“My style has always had a quirky and fun element to it. Even when I try to introduce a darker element to a piece, the result still has a fun/quirky side to it. I more often than not start with a pair of shoes/boots and work my way up. I have a general idea of what I’m aiming for, but that can change quickly. Male/female, body, limb positions, head (helmet,goggles,horns, etc), hairstyle and face. These elements can change as I go along. It’s what makes it fun.
Art for me is something that should stir the viewer’s emotions. I have been fascinated by how people react to a piece of art. Even some of my own work has been described first as cute and then creepy. It brings out the full range of emotions in people. As an artist I really love watching people’s reactions, whether they love or hate a piece. It often says a lot about the viewer as well.”
What can we expect at the exhibition?
“The ‘More Or Less’ title is about my journey so far. I have generally made work that has a lot of fine detail to it and am now exploring doing work that still has my stamp on it, but without all the detail. It’s that old conundrum of less is more (or is it?). It’s also interesting to note that simply adding less detail isn’t as simple as it sounds. Maybe it’s OCD, but I sometimes feel like I’m cheating or taking a shortcut when I keep it simple.. So the exhibition shows off the differences of the Less and the More approaches to my work.”
CAST are also partnered with Almenkerk Wine Estate, where their current MUTE W!SDOM exhibition, featuring a host of young SA talent, runs till mid-year. “Art @ Durbanville Hills has taken more of a classical approach in selecting artists and artwork, whereas Art @ Almenkerk is focused on pop art,” says Dorette.
In addition to sculpture and fine art exhibitions, CAST also facilitate or host book launches, cultural events, music concerts, and poetry evenings, and say that their upcoming Poetry In Motion (September ,2017) exhibition is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
What: Mark Chapman exhibition – More Or Less
Where: Durbanville Hills Winery
Web: https://www.durbanvillehills.co.za/
Links:
http://art-at-almenkerk.com/events/
https://web.facebook.com/artatdurbanvillehills/?_rdc=1&_rdr
WS
