Side by Side

The veteran and the newer voice are presented in contrast and collaboration as painters Nicky Marais and Jakobina Gideon take on StArt Art Gallery’s ‘Side by Side’.

Currently on display at the Sweet Side of Thingz on Independence Avenue, the recurring series juxtaposes the work of two artists in a bid to fuel dialogue and encourage novel interpretations.

While Marais and Gideon are on opposing ends of their career and hail from dissimilar backgrounds, the duo, who first met at the Bakers Bay Artists’ Retreat in the Tsau //Khaeb National Park last year, find common ground in the conception and creation of visual art. The retreat’s spirit of living and working together trickled into the production of this collection as Marais and Gideon decided to share studio space and literally work side by side.

“Jacky works at night, I work during the day. This meant that we woke up to each other’s new work every day, and that we weren’t competing for artistic space,” says Marais.

“We could socialise in the evenings before I went to bed and before she started working. I think we also both understand the kind of quiet, supportive space that is needed for creative endeavour, and it worked.”

The product of this two-person immersion is a splash of colour and abstract images on show at a spacious gourmet doughnut shop in the central business district.

Marais, inspired by road trips between her new and old homes, repeats images of the telephone, radio or electricity towers she passes in crisscrossing and transmitting structures rendered in bold reds, yellows, oranges and greens.

In Gideon’s offering, it’s a circular shape that recurs in hues of blue, orange and green and which have the effect of breaking through the canvas like portals.

“Towers and pylons and aerials have always intrigued me. I think it’s because they are such graphic additions to the landscape, and because they effectively link the sky to the land compositionally. Speaking as an abstract artist, linking is essential in any work for compositional cohesiveness. They also do this incomprehensible thing of transmitting soundwaves, more intrigue!” says Marais.

“All the towers are about communication, about being seen and heard from a distance. Important for artists, the need to be seen and to communicate. ‘Red Tower’ is about an incendiary moment. The lid pops off exploding feelings and sparks fly. It’s basically about the creative urge and the incredible positivity of using feelings to make art.”

In Gideon’s work, the artist follows her fascination with humans’ presence in the universe, both as significant and insignificant.

“The circles represent a portal into life and anything that you can imagine seeing life through. The most common one is our eyes but there are various ways to look into life,” says Gideon. “I don’t necessarily ‘bring meaning’ to my work per say. The work itself is the message.”

In pieces titled ‘Welcome’ and ‘Greetings’, Gideon introduces a cluster of humanlike, monochrome figures that represent our ancestors, our bloodlines and which honour them for the gift of life.

Presented side by side before speaking on each other’s work, the artists are gracious.

“Jacky is a natural composer of her canvasses which is a great gift. She is also an extremely interesting intellectual thinker and challenges herself with her work. It’s lovely to see a young artist being so formally fearless!” says Marais of Gideon.

“I wish Nicky nothing but her best,” says Gideon of Marais. “Her work, for me, has always been captivating. She is a teacher at heart. I see her being a pillar of art for Oranjemund and still inspiring a new generation of artists.”

–martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com