Artwork

Middagslapie (Afternoon nap)

2021 Competition entry

Detail
Tags

Daniëlle Pretorius-Van Wyk

Details:
Not Signed
Oil on canvas
76 x 101 cm
R8 750
Description:
The experiences of lockdowns, isolation and working from home has drawn specific attention to the private, interior spaces we inhabit as well as the ways in which we connect with each other.

Middagslapie (Afternoon nap) is a painting of my husband taking an afternoon nap. It is a domestic scene which reflects and comments on our relationship and which makes visible an intimate moment from my life. For me this painting is related to Intimism, a late 19th and early 20th century art movement, known for its depiction of domestic scenes of interiors in which the artists painted their family members or friends, portraying their own intimate life instead of engaging with more general themes and the outside world.

During the 20th and 21st centuries art is usually burdened with irony and philosophical theories. In contrast, my painting embraces themes related to intimacy and authenticity by exploring the dynamics of my relationship with my husband. The work reflects on our need for connecting with other humans. We live in a world of hyperconnectivity where it is supposed to be much easier to connect with each other (think of social media, dating apps etc.), yet the connections are superficial and people remain isolated. It seems to be increasingly difficult to authentically connect with each other and to experience true intimacy. Through a depiction of a seemingly banal scene, I attempt to explore what constitutes an authentic and intimate encounter and how we inhabit interior spaces.

Oil Canvas

Detail
Tags

Daniëlle Pretorius-Van Wyk

Details:
Not Signed
Oil on canvas
76 x 101 cm
R8 750

Description:
The experiences of lockdowns, isolation and working from home has drawn specific attention to the private, interior spaces we inhabit as well as the ways in which we connect with each other.

Middagslapie (Afternoon nap) is a painting of my husband taking an afternoon nap. It is a domestic scene which reflects and comments on our relationship and which makes visible an intimate moment from my life. For me this painting is related to Intimism, a late 19th and early 20th century art movement, known for its depiction of domestic scenes of interiors in which the artists painted their family members or friends, portraying their own intimate life instead of engaging with more general themes and the outside world.

During the 20th and 21st centuries art is usually burdened with irony and philosophical theories. In contrast, my painting embraces themes related to intimacy and authenticity by exploring the dynamics of my relationship with my husband. The work reflects on our need for connecting with other humans. We live in a world of hyperconnectivity where it is supposed to be much easier to connect with each other (think of social media, dating apps etc.), yet the connections are superficial and people remain isolated. It seems to be increasingly difficult to authentically connect with each other and to experience true intimacy. Through a depiction of a seemingly banal scene, I attempt to explore what constitutes an authentic and intimate encounter and how we inhabit interior spaces.

Oil Canvas