Noku / Nauman

19 Jun-16 Aug 2024

PV 19 Jun 2024, 6-8pm

Overview

The show draws on the connection between the artists’ use of alternative methodologies, resulting in a shared language that uses absurdist text, puns and finding meaning in the banal. The exhibition showcases a new body of work by Langa, centred around her “Black Paintings”. These are presented alongside a survey of Nauman’s groundbreaking black and white films.

Nokukhanya Langa’s Post-Minimalist aesthetic is echoed in the repetitive, task-like exercises of Nauman’s conceptual works. “Intuition is a very important part of my practice and cross-pollination of experiences as a South-African American within my identity has made me appreciate the fluid nature of identity”. These sentiments are echoed through the biomorphic lines and words interwoven as we see in her painting “Black 2”. Unlearning the rigidity of her training in traditional oil painting, she plays with abstract motifs; lines, dots, scribbles and mark making techniques, paired with phrases, arrows and signs which lead the viewer nowhere. Langa’s sculptural canvases comment on contemporary post-internet culture, highlighting themes of futility, alienation, and online identity.

Both artists have a shared interest in the relationship between image and language. Whilst living in California, Nauman began working in film as early as 1965. Nauman's films often feature simple, repetitive actions that highlight the tension between the artist's physical endurance and the mundane nature of the tasks.

Nauman's practice, rooted in conceptual and post-minimalist approaches, prioritizes meaning over aesthetics. Through the use of irony and wordplay, he explores themes and ideas aimed at engaging the viewer and prompting their participation. His work frequently addresses issues surrounding estrangement and reality, inviting contemplation and reflection.

Language in Nauman's art serves as a conduit for communication, but also as a medium for questioning the nature of language itself, its ability to convey truth, and its limitations. Similarly, Langa employs dark humour in her text to challenge power structures that lie within us, seen in examples, ‘dreams go Thru 2 gates’ and ‘you wait for something you hold your breath’. Nokukhanya Langa says: “The idea of having freedom and being an artist is spiritually the most amazing dream and my work seeks to honour that”. The absurdity of her text coupled with the spiral symbol creates a dialogue with the ideas explored by Nauman and demonstrates how his creative output has had a profound impact on the younger generation of artists.

Artists