BINNEKRING BLOG
Anthea Delmotte at AfrikaBurn (Part 2 of 5)
[What follows are extracts of a paper that was presented at the 10th National Conference of the South African Journal of Art history on the theme of “TEMPORALITY”. The conference was hosted at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, from 26th to 27th August 2016. The full Journal Article is available here: click to view.]
by John Steele
[Walter Sisulu University]
AntheA Delmotte artworks
AntheA Delmotte’s experiments in enhancing trance state flow painting experiences
Out of this situation has emerged another strand of interest, at least partly because of her incessant drive to explore and find new ways of being and creating art. In the interview, of 27th April 2016 at AfrikaBurn, she explained that for several years she has been progressively exploring ways of working more freely and expressively, in a less controlled and preconceived way than usual.
She got the idea of performance painting to live music in 2008 while working towards the A Story of a Time, a Place and People exhibition. Then in 2010 she met alternative keyboards player and singer Martinique Matinino du Toit and then, with the band CROAK, performed I Am as an experiment painted on the wall of her home studio.
Martinique Matinino du Toit and Croak, with I am, 2013, mural (photo: AntheA Delmotte)
The I Am experiment turned out to be sufficiently exciting and energizing to warrant further effort. Together they then staged some public outdoor performance painting to live music events, including at Steenbokfontein Art Gallery, on the Cape West Coast, in August 2013, where I Am The Creature was created.
I am the Creature , 2013, performed with Croak (photo: Byron Ramsey)
Then, in April 2014 they performed My Bruttar at AfrikaBurn. This was a relatively small event, with performance painting being done on an approximately 4.5 x 2.5 metre canvas erected for the occasion, which was burnt at the end.
My Bruttar, 2014 (photo: Hennie Niemand)
Later that year in August 2014, Delmotte created the 3.1 x 2.44 metre Wounded Freedom with musicians HA!Man and Joke at her Adullan farm, Picket-Bo-Berg.
Wounded Freedom, 2014 (photo: AntheA Delmotte)
Then two days later she performed Cross-pollinate featuring Croak and the Pythian painter, once again at Steenbokfontein Art Gallery
Poster for Cross-pollinate, 2014 (photo: AntheA Delmotte)
Cross-pollinate performance of, Good and Bad and Society, 2014, at Steenbokfontein
Left: Performance of Organism, 2015, at AfrikaBurn (photos: Byron Ramsey, above, and John Steele)
Part three of this five-part blog series coming soon…
