Having been away for 3 months, Sue Greeff returned to her studio at the start of the lockdown. We’re happy to announce that she sent a video for us to share with you. Watch below as she unpacks some of her art supplies – sharing the delights she’s collected throughout her travels thus far.
As we’re all experiencing – this lockdown brings up the unexpected and many surprises! She begins with the disclaimer that watching her unpack might be like watching paint dry, however there is an unexpected delight at being allowed into this behind the scenes view of the artist’s space. The excitement Sue exudes about her collection of inks allow us to reminisce with her about her art residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, where she found many wonderful treasures. In the video, Sue gives us a peek the beginnings of her work, showing us an empty canvas that “needs something”…
We have since caught up with Sue again, after the first day of lockdown and we’re so thrilled to share the progress of some of her work thus far! We are immensely privileged to work with such wonderful artists, who invite us into their creative processes, and we are glad of the opportunity to share some of this with you now.
Sue explains: I’ve been working on a bigger canvas in my studio. I started with an image from the BBC News from when countries were all going into lockdown. I made a blind drawing of it with a twist and then took it into a painting work.
With a previous career in midwifery, a common theme in Sue’s work is to look at the reproductive body and its connotations. In this work the artist has taken an image about the current global pandemic, examining the idea of leaving for ‘home’. The figures are exposed and vulnerable and all comfort of ‘home’ seems far off. The pregnant woman on the left hints to the prospect of new life, while the cradled baby appears cocooned. Cocooning is a term that has emerged recently to describe working from home as a new facet of the commercial industry which is set to mushroom after this crisis subsides. Sue’s colour palette is bright and clear as if the landscape (the earth) has been purged of its toxins and portrayed here as restored. Thus, the work eloquently plays with the binary of hope and despair.
To see more of Sue’s works click here:
https://eclecticacontemporary.co.za/portfolio-items/sue-greeff/ and spot some of her pieces in situ via our virtual tour: https://eclecticacontemporary.co.za/virtual-tours/