Alone in search of warmth by a spectral fire
This work was made in instinctive response to the poem 'Insription' by Donald Jeffrey Hayes. Myburgh let her feelings from the poem push her to make a three dimensional interpretation of the imagery and feeling evoked from the poem.
Passing Events
Artist Statement
My piece ‘Passing Events’ Is inspired by Wedgewood’s Portland Vase (c. 1790) and pastiche’s the physical characteristics of the surface design. The chosen medium of my goblet’s form is thrown Audrey Blackman Porcelain stained with 5-7% of Walkers Intense Black Stain (with cobalt). The surface decoration is plain Limoges Porcelain brushed on that has made the design using a combination of Sgraffito and Shellac resist to reveal the black underneath to create detail and depth in the imagery. The goblet was once fired to 1280c in oxidation. The landscape design is an artistic adaptation of the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Centre focusing on the characteristics of the exterior and interior architecture, the memorable fountain, the surrounding trees of the Carlton Gardens, the local ravens and subtle connotations of Covid. Covid changed the way we utilised buildings like the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the building was primarily used to host events that attract both locals and tourists for a day of adventure away from everyday life. The building was left barren for a large extent of the lockdowns, once covid testing and vaccines rolled out it was repurposed changing the meaning of the building, from something of joy to something clinical and dejected. This has been shown with the subtle imagery of a discarded surgical mask and a band of people waiting in a line spaced apart on the base of the stem communicates the separation we experienced during covid both physically but also with the socially. The title links the imagery to how the building has been around for a large part of Melbourne’s history and how the events happening within the society dictates the events the building is used for.
My piece ‘Passing Events’ Is inspired by Wedgewood’s Portland Vase (c. 1790) and pastiche’s the physical characteristics of the surface design. The chosen medium of my goblet’s form is thrown Audrey Blackman Porcelain stained with 5-7% of Walkers Intense Black Stain (with cobalt). The surface decoration is plain Limoges Porcelain brushed on that has made the design using a combination of Sgraffito and Shellac resist to reveal the black underneath to create detail and depth in the imagery. The goblet was once fired to 1280c in oxidation. The landscape design is an artistic adaptation of the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Centre focusing on the characteristics of the exterior and interior architecture, the memorable fountain, the surrounding trees of the Carlton Gardens, the local ravens and subtle connotations of Covid. Covid changed the way we utilised buildings like the Royal Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the building was primarily used to host events that attract both locals and tourists for a day of adventure away from everyday life. The building was left barren for a large extent of the lockdowns, once covid testing and vaccines rolled out it was repurposed changing the meaning of the building, from something of joy to something clinical and dejected. This has been shown with the subtle imagery of a discarded surgical mask and a band of people waiting in a line spaced apart on the base of the stem communicates the separation we experienced during covid both physically but also with the socially. The title links the imagery to how the building has been around for a large part of Melbourne’s history and how the events happening within the society dictates the events the building is used for.
Artists Mark
‘Artists Mark’ Uses a combination of traditional vase forms and physically glitched forms, they tell a story of the artists behind works of art like pottery. The artists leave a piece of themselves within their work and use their bodies to create unique markings onto the forms surface. As their work progresses you see a story being told of their journey of physical skill and what inspired them throughout their creative journey. The choice to use Cyanotypes was to create a visual shadow or a ghost of the forgotten movements of the artists once the form is at its completed stage. By having a group of vessels represents the repetition that is required in both, perfecting the techniques required to master a craft and how these steps are performed repeatedly to create the finished artwork with the hands as the artists’ tool.
Ouma
'Ouma' is a whimsical surrealism work made based of a memory of Lize Myburgh and her Ouma (grandmother) in South Africa. The pair would sit on the veranda of her grandmothers house and have afternoon tea, Lize would observe the mice scurrying about in the bushes around the house in fascination. The mice would be there because the wild cats wouldn't come close to the house when people sat outside, so the mice would use this as a chance to make a break out of hiding to steal some crumbs of the rusks they would be eating with their tea. Her grandmother regularly feeds the wild cats in the late afternoon, so it was rare to see the mice being so bold. Lize could even imagine, given a chance that they might climb onto the table and join in on their tea party.
What's Left
‘What’s Left’ when animals are poached to the point of extinction?
When animals are poached their pelt, tusks and horns are seen as great value, but the rest of the animal is left to waste. In South Africa poaching and game hunting brings an estimated (Rand)R1 billion plus yearly. The black earthy colour to the bones represents the death of the animal, mourning not only the death of the animal but the bones that are left behind. In pre-modern times bones were re-purposed to make tools, instruments and jewellery, but the craft is slowly being forgotten and doesn’t have a place in everyday modern life. Every part of the animal was valued, the death of the animal was seen as a great sacrifice to those who took the life, they would honour the passing of the animal by making use of every part, which isn’t done anymore. The poachers target one animal quickly killing and removing what they deem profitable and leaving the rest. The black bones lie in neat rows on top of sand to represent a grave site akin to graveyards to mourn the passing of these animals. The grief of the death within a community is not only a human trait but is shared within animal dynamics. Two bones suspended create a visual parallel of how these wasted ill-favoured parts of the animals are displayed the same elevated way the valued parts of the animal carcasses are displayed in the buyers’ homes like common trinkets, without a second thought to the animals’ value outside the monetary. The continual killing for select parts of animals leave us with only a pile of bones to remember the beautiful creatures they once were.
When animals are poached their pelt, tusks and horns are seen as great value, but the rest of the animal is left to waste. In South Africa poaching and game hunting brings an estimated (Rand)R1 billion plus yearly. The black earthy colour to the bones represents the death of the animal, mourning not only the death of the animal but the bones that are left behind. In pre-modern times bones were re-purposed to make tools, instruments and jewellery, but the craft is slowly being forgotten and doesn’t have a place in everyday modern life. Every part of the animal was valued, the death of the animal was seen as a great sacrifice to those who took the life, they would honour the passing of the animal by making use of every part, which isn’t done anymore. The poachers target one animal quickly killing and removing what they deem profitable and leaving the rest. The black bones lie in neat rows on top of sand to represent a grave site akin to graveyards to mourn the passing of these animals. The grief of the death within a community is not only a human trait but is shared within animal dynamics. Two bones suspended create a visual parallel of how these wasted ill-favoured parts of the animals are displayed the same elevated way the valued parts of the animal carcasses are displayed in the buyers’ homes like common trinkets, without a second thought to the animals’ value outside the monetary. The continual killing for select parts of animals leave us with only a pile of bones to remember the beautiful creatures they once were.
The Brands
‘The brands’ bucket hat is covered in brand and company logos of common companies in South Africa. The hat was made of PB103 Paper Clay and the print was made using Bright Blue Clayworks Underglaze . The blue colour for the print is to make a parallel connection to traditional Netherlands pottery, which was one of the first countries to colonise South Africa. The companies are a lasting effect of western colonial structures within a country, through western consumerism culture of fast food and highly processed cheap confectionary. The bucket hat is a common tourism trinket that is available for purchase at key tourist locations, these bucket hats are mostly made with Shweshwe fabric patterns, which is South African’s cultural significant patterns. When a person wears the hat they are parading the brands like luxury western brands like Guchi.
Perspective
'Perspective' was made to comment on the way we see difference's in people. Combining varied clay bodies with different shaped vases to create unique vessels. When the vases are taken out of their original context and put together in a specific arrangement, viewed from a certain angle creates a whole new image, with a whole new meaning. We never see the full picture unless you are able to see it from a distance, giving you a whole new perspective.