Floris van Zyl Art Exhibition: “Untwine.”
At La Galleria, McGregor: 8 – 23 July 2017.
Opening event: Saturday 8 July at 11h00.
We are all entwined by our desires. It’s part of being human, of being a physical being.
In this body of work Floris van Zyl focuses on untwining, on taking known shapes apart by painting outside of the lines we draw for ourselves and those drawn by society. To let go and detach from outcomes, to allow paint to happen rather than trying to control it.
Van Zyl explains: “I feel that when thoughts, feelings, and actions are untied and translated into art, it has the power to affect the spiritual climate of society and in this way, make a positive impact. My work ranges through stages of abstraction, letting the paint and material guide the process along with my heart and eye. I don’t think about the marks I’m making, I let the marks happen. The mind becomes a tool in the bigger process and has to stand back for heart and eye to flow. I let the eye look at it and the hand just does what the eye and heart wants, and I simply respond to it because I feel I want to do it.
Floris van Zyl is a South African Expressionist painter who has studied graphic design in the early 90`s, built his own design agency over 17 years and returned to painting full time in 2010. In just over 5 years he created more than 400 artworks, including around 200 oil paintings. They have sold locally and internationally and include landscapes, still life images, portraits and self-portraits. His work is characterised by bold, symbolic colours, and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork. One of the themes in Van Zyl`s work is to take things apart: to take realism and make it abstract by using a palette knife, to extend the paint beyond the boundaries of the form we know. An example of this is Van Zyl`s painting titled “Underdog.” (see attached.) He explains “A hyena is usually perceived as an underdog. I want to show the strength and beauty in what society might perceive as less or dark. I am interested in how we filter our experiences. How do we find a unique expression and not just automatically respond to what we think we know.” – The second artwork attached is titled “Freed.” It is a piece about being free and or to detach from, to let go of expectations and not to judge.
More works to view: http://www.florisvanzyl.com/portfolio.html
More info at: http://www.florisvanzyl.com/
La Galleria, McGregor opened in March 2017 as Dani’s Photos Studio and Ga
llery, but with the idea to share the space with other artists for exhibitions. The gallery was built in 2016 on the corner of Bree and Mill Street in McGregor. The feel is very natural: The art is displayed without invading the lime plastered walls and the old Oregon pine windows and doors bring natural light into the space. The peaceful space outside under the coral tree is the perfect spot to sit and discuss art and life. https://www.danisphotos.com/la-galleria
