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ASOUTHAFRICANARTSHOWCASE

6 September - 10 October 2004

Private Private view: Monday 6 September 2004: 5.30 - 8 PM

The Wine Gallery-49 Hollywood Rd, London SW10
contact Art 3 for more info on 020 7585 0645

PRESS RELEASE

ART 3 PROUDLY PRESENTS 'A SOUTH AFRICAN ART SHOWCASE'

The work of five South African artists that live and work in the London/home counties area are brought together in one exhibition at the Wine Gallery, Hollywood Road, SW10.

Four of the artists were selected from an open submission by a panel comprising of Pete Mountford (Art 3), Jane Stothert (Art 3), Greg Eden (Editor, South African), Mel Elliott (Artist/Blue Sky Events), Jennifer Powers (Director, Eye Candy).

All of the artists exhibiting, are very much influenced by their roots, with inter-linking themes of landscape, animals, nature and a strong love of colour and light, that evokes the unique emotions of their experiences, culture and the southern hemisphere in general.

Sanette Du Plessis's silkscreen prints: draw inspiration from rugged terrain of the High Veld region in the north. Utilising strong earthy colours, Sanette builds up an accretion of marks that signify prehistoric implements and symbols, and that are partially hidden. The build up of layers draws reference to the mid-career works of Dubuffet through their flat picture plane and contrast of surface. Her objective is to "try and excavate our past- the mindscape of our life"

Mel Elliott comes from a family of distinguished landscape artists including his father Dale Elliot and grandfather, Les Bruce Elliot. His subject matter is the dramatic vistas of the areas he grew up in and visited such as "the grassy ochre Sweetveld of the Eastern Cape during my Queenstown/Grahamstown schooling days, the lush rain forests and seascapes of the beautiful Garden Route for most of my youth and the clinical 'pattern-scapes' of the Western Cape and the electrifying colour-changing beauty of the Winelands during my university days". As well as South African influences, Mel's epic landscapes remind one of romantic European traditions and elements of the 19th Century American Hudson River School.

Utilising a variety of media Sue Lishman, is drawn to icons of nature, the sea and legends of her Southern African background. Strong graphic impressions of colour, form and line engage the viewer as she travels the boundaries (both real and perceived one's) of realism and abstraction

Natalie Anne Venter uses oil paint and collage to embellish her range of subjects such insects, fish and a variety of animals. Natalie has launched her own online gallery Songololo, on which she exhibits hers and other South African Artists from the East Cape region. Songololo are also one of the sponsors for this exhibition.

Tracing back to her upbringing on a farm in Zimbabwe Georgina Winch has developed a committed appreciation to wildlife in her work over the years. Combining paint with strong drawing and compositional skills Georgina's subtle play of colour and tone enhances her art.

By Pete Mountford

To view a selection of other Wine Gallery, Exhibition press releases

The South African is a FREE publication published in London and read by an estimated 80,000 South Africans throughout the UK and Europe on a weekly basis.

Click here for more information

The Songololo is an online art gallery that is run by one of our artists Natalie Anne Venter..It's aim is to introduce and expose the diverse and exciting artistic talents of South African artists, from the Eastern Cape region.

Click here for more information

GSN is a UK importer and distributor of quality sports nutrition supplements

click here for more information

SANETTE DU PLESSIS

" Through my work I try to excavate our past - the mindscape of our life.

I draw my inspiration mainly from the landscapes round on the High Veld in South Africa. My silkscreen prints are usually depicted in warm earthy colours and consists of layers in which pre-historic implements and personal symbols are hidden."

MEL ELLIOTT

"I have a love for the typical South African landscape. My upbringing was enriched by many beautiful and rewarding areas in South Africa. I was privileged to experience the grassy ochre Sweetveld of the Eastern Cape during my Queenstown/Grahamstown schooling daysÉ the lush rain forests and seascapes of the beautiful Garden Route for most of my youthÉthe clinical pattern-scapes of the Western Cape and the electrifying colour-changing beauty of the Winelands during my university days.

There is something about painting a landscape in Africa. We live on a dry and dusty continent and I like to portray that along with the free undulating savannahs in my work. Our landscapes, along with our wildlife, are some of the most impressive and precious heritages in the world. I enjoy capturing them on a canvas so that they can be preserved forever".