A new exhibition at TerraContemporary gallery in Pretoria will soon present artlovers with the autobiographical collection of works by famed fine artist Lorraine Marcus.
Marcus’ canvases are not new to the art scene. She had graced the creative world before.
This former pre-school teacher has offered up her chaotically expressive masterpieces for display in 2021.
Inspired by Covid-19, her last collection of art reflected theme of the intense isolation and loneliness that accompanied the lockdown period.
Now, in her latest exhibition, Marcus explores the themes of migration, family dynamics, and cultural transition.
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Adjusting to new cultures and landscapes
This is because Marcus herself is well travelled. And having experienced the pains and joys of adjusting to new cultures and landscapes, Marcus was inspired to once again express those emotions through her brushstrokes.
The exhibition, which is to open on February 1st, will showcase how she combines various artistic approaches to these heavy topic through oil paintings, pastels, and mixed media pieces.
These geographical movements seemed to have had a real impact on Marcus as a person. As such, the central focus of a number of these pieces seem to portray the movements across multiple continents during her lifetime.
The widowed mother of three also references a number of countries she journeyed through in her quest to finally settle on ‘home’ in her art.
Though the connection to specific locations often remains abstract rather than literal, countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Europe, Indonesia, and Australia seem to feature strongly.
Culutral symbols and patterns
In several pieces, there seems to be a mix of different cultural symbols and patterns. While this works well in some paintings, others look too busy and cluttered – but not particularly unpleasant.
Portraits make up a large part of the show. Some capture emotions in careful detail, while others are more experimental and loose. Not all of these experiments work – some portraits are powerful and moving, while others seem caught between being realistic and abstract.
The exhibition will obviously tell the story of Marcus’s life as a mother, wife, and widow. Many of the larger paintings seem based on family photos.
Some of these pieces feel truly personal and touching, while others don’t quite connect emotionally with viewers.
The exhibition runs until March 1st at TerraContemporary gallery in Waparand, Pretoria. While the collection offers many ways for viewers to connect with the art, it also shows how challenging it can be to turn personal stories into visual art.
Marcus isn’t afraid to try different artistic styles, though this means some pieces are more successful than others. The exhibition is ambitious in both its techniques and themes, showing both the possibilities and difficulties of turning life experiences into art.
