This Summer the Gallery at Glen Carlou will be featuring a unique South African art event in Three Parts:
30 YEARS OF ARTING AROUND, A REDOSPECTIVE
Solo exhibition by Alex Hamilton
This exhibition is a celebration of Hamilton’s 30-year art career. He notes how his art has changed over the years, especially because of the influence of popular culture – which is one of his most enduring themes – similarly evolving visually and conceptually into something completely different from when he started.
Alex Hamilton in front of artwork: I Promised You A Rose Garden, 220cm x 250cm
One of his most notable successes includes the thousands by thousands of miniature stencil portraits of pop culture icons, inspired by street art and Andy Warhol. These miniature works now line the walls of art lovers around the globe. Hamilton notes how this “pop phase” was developing alongside the social media boom that conquered the visual world. Drawing connections between “old school” popular culture such as film, music, & religion, and the new era of public visibility.
Frida In Tehuacan , 39cm x 45cm
However, iconography of the ordinary, the extraordinary and the holy has become more complex, politicized, layered, contentious and even vulnerable. As such, simply referencing something or someone currently has a whole different set of “rules”. Hamilton sees this as an exciting opportunity to further explore and reflect on the realm of pop culture.
Hamilton chose to not do a traditional retrospective, but instead a newly coined “Redospective” with which he embarks to physically and metaphorically re-contextualize his older themes. The term “Redospective” was created to explain that it is more of a re-discovery and remake exhibition than a traditional retrospective thus re-contextualizing it for 2024.
Studying textile design in the late eighties had a massive influence on Hamilton. He has applied techniques like stencil cutting and the use of vibrant colour throughout his exhibitions in a variety of adaptations.
Most notably he appropriates textile art forms like embroidery, applique, cross-stitch and up-cycling fabric to generate ‘positive nostalgia’ and a ‘memory bank’ in stencil portrait series. Each portrait may remind a viewer of a specific time and place where they first encountered a song, icon, film, poem or story. Similarly, each piece of fabric and stitch style might conjure nostalgic memories.
Textile art and especially hand embroidery is one of those unique art forms that cannot be replicated by technology because of its tactile qualities – it should be enjoyed or seen in real time. Hamilton believes this physical interaction will trigger a different emotional response, contrary to that of the digital and cyber realm.
Most notably he appropriates textile art forms like embroidery, applique, cross-stitch and up-cycling fabric to generate ‘positive nostalgia’ and a ‘memory bank’ in stencil portrait series. Each portrait may remind a viewer of a specific time and place where they first encountered a song, icon, film, poem or story. Similarly, each piece of fabric and stitch style might conjure nostalgic memories.
The hand embroidered and machine stitched fabric collage quilt titled “I Promised you a rose garden” is a portrait of the artist’s mother. Re-imagining an actual quilt made by her in the 1970’s using household recycled fabrics including curtains, dishtowels and even Hamilton’s boyhood pyjamas.
This new artwork combines fabrics that include Hamilton’s own wedding suit and crochet pieces made by his wife Zelda, who was taught this skill by his late mother. Embroidered hand written recipe fragments, vintage 70’s fabric and other new and old keepsakes makes this a very personal yet universal celebration of women and the influence of mothers in particular.
ARTING AND THE SUBSEQUENT SHENANIGANS OF A SERIAL COLLECTOR – Launch of an illustrated autobiography by artist Alex Hamilton
This newly illustrated autobiography by Alex Hamilton is part memoir of an extraordinary and somewhat bizarre childhood in the Karoo, part global travel adventure and part reflection on his career in the fine art industry as a fiercely independent artist, gallerist and award-winning curator.
The book weaves a fascinating tapestry of exuberant experiences, encounters extraordinary characters on the rocky yet exceptionally joyful path of life as an artist, as well as an honest look at his own work. In spirit it is simply an exhilarating celebration of art and the joy of living with it.
“The most golden of opportunities can be those you create for yourself… I have been able to let go of many traditions; I have given myself the go-ahead to break my own brand, to get out of the proverbial box and do something completely new and exciting which, ironically, has also enabled me to create my own (new) traditions. In fact, I would highly recommend not just to think outside the box but burn it entirely.” – Alex Hamilton
Hamilton expresses his joy and sense of adventure for travel, with his “never a tourist always a traveller” attitude and applies a sponge-like approach towards culture, stories and history, which is evident in his own art making. Extruding elements from these trips that are personal yet completely universal. He also describes entertaining stories about his travels abroad.
As a lifelong compulsive collector his reference materials for the illustrations and subsequent artworks for the book’s accompanying exhibition, are dense and vast and reflects the pure joy of discovery, exploration and travel.
DREAM DREAM WORLD: THE MORPHEUS MASH-UP A group art exhibition curated by Alex Hamilton, featuring works by Katharine Meeding, Conrad Botes, Jaco Sieberhagen, Stephen Rosin, Collen Maswanganyi, Ella Cronje, Carol Gibbs and Michele Nigrini.
Illustration from the book, page 149
For this curated exhibition, Hamilton invited artists to explore their own dreams, their interpretation of Morpheus and present art that represent their own personal journeys.
The theme “Dream Dream World: The Morpheus Mash-Up” is taken from Greek mythology wherein Morpheus, one of the thousand sons on Somnus (Sleep), sent human shapes of all kinds to the dreamer, manifesting these dreams to bloom and bellow with joy.
Hamilton notes: “Artists are often called dreamers, and they should always stay that way, because dreams feed the creative soul and makes it move forward and explore the unknown.”
“By doing a solo exhibition in this extraordinary space at The Gallery at Glen Carlou, one of my dreams are coming true and, as a constant curator and collaborator, I wanted to share the joy of dreams with other artists.”
Hamilton’s trademark informal curating style, called “Mashups” refers to a song made up of two or more different songs to tell a singular new story. Combining artists work about individual dreams makes it possible for a new collective visual dream to emerge.
Hamilton is the first festival art curator to ever win the prestigious Fiesta award for compiling the visual art program at Woordfees Literary Festival in 2017/18. He notes:” visual storytelling with other artists work is at once rewarding, challenging and ultimately a huge honour”.
Not a Karoo Cowboy, 59 x 59cm
Scrapbook, 50 x 69cm
THE GALLERY AT GLEN CARLOU
Glen Carlou Vineyards has a long history of supporting the visual arts with an exceptional 400 square meter gallery space, initially built by the late Donald Hess – who was a prolific and well-respected collector of contemporary art, and the previous owner of the company.
When the Estate changed ownership late 2016, the Hess Art Museum was transformed and repurposed into the Gallery @ Glen Carlou, a commercial platform supporting South African artists and hosting exhibitions showcasing contemporary, pop and modern art.
The association with Alex Hamilton is a well-established one, says Managing Director, Johan Erasmus: “At the time of transition in ownership, we had no experience or knowledge of setting up a commercial gallery, and we certainly knew nothing about curating, but we knew we had to preserve and retain this wonderful artistic space. Having supported several of Alex’s exhibitions in the past, I immediately went knocking on his door and he agreed to assist in launching this important undertaking, curating multiple highly successful exhibitions and personally exhibiting over the years.”
The extension of the relationship between Hamilton and the Estate now continues with what Erasmus believes will be a historic solo exhibition at Glen Carlou celebrating Hamilton’s 30-year art journey. The two exhibitions and book launch will take place at the Glen Carlou Vineyards from 24 November 2024 until 2 February 2025. Contact gallery@glencarlou.co.za for more information on this three-part event, or future updates.
The Visitors Centre at Glen Carlou Vineyards
Dorothy In Oz, 39cm x 45cm
Carol Gibbs, Cloak Of Dreams