Wesley van Eeden

'Secret Country'

Secret Country explores the idea of a place that has not yet been found or disclosed because of a lack of education and the opportunities that a government should be providing for its young people. (van Eeden - catalogue)

Wesley van Eeden

Secret Country

Ltd Edition archival print

29.7 x 42cm

From van Eeden's proposal ........
This artwork was originally created for the inaugural Cape Town Art Fair in October 2013. A film is in the process of being edited showing the process of the artwork being produced at the art fair as it was a live painting / installation. If the video is ready it would be great to show the video as well.

The artwork represents an African school girl, her school badge is representative of South Africa as a “school”. The school in this case has taught us very little and our vision is limited with the knowledge we have attained. This knowledge could be the new government, our parents, society etc. The title “Secret Country” is alluding to a place that has not been discovered yet and or been kept under cover for the fear of individuality and self reliance. The artwork is about celebrating our own individuality and self worth and the flowers, fauna and birds are metaphors for this.

Also if there is sufficient funding a live painting could be cool for the opening night. The artwork is digitally produced and wheat pasted onto a canvas at any size with abstract painted imagery under and on top of the design as the photo below. 

This artwork depends on the 'New Media' advent of graphic design. Graphic images have been used in the past in the world of advertising and also of graphic novels and comics. van Eeden's technique moves them into the gallery space as 'painting'. He emphasizes this shift by actually painting onto the digital canvas as seen above.

- what is digital and what is painted? TAKE A GUESS!

Link to an article on graphic novels

All the images surrounding the schoolgirl are metaphors for what is available in the world. van Eeden says that 'the artwork is about celebrating our own individuality and self worth and the flowers, fauna and birds are metaphors for this". 
Do you think schools help or hinder learners in discovering their new identity in the global world? Do they protect learners from too much happening in the world out there or do they keep us insular and unaware? 
The global world 'out there' exposes young people to many attractive possibilities.
Can you define a 'global identity'? Debate this briefly ........

Activity link: This could be used in your school's studio OR at the gallery workshop.

Link to interview with van Eeden (under construction pending artist's response)

Possible NCS Curriculum Theme links:
5. Multi-media and New Media - alternative and contemporary art forms in South  Africa

6. Post-democratic Identity in south Africa (including issues of language, ethnicity, globalization, urbanization in the new South Africa)