PRESS RELEASE:

EXHIBITION - JUANITA FRIER AND LIONEL MURCOTT: 

WORK:  Paintings, Drawings, Artist’s Books and Prints 

OPENING: Friday 18 March, from 18.30. 

Poetry and Cabaret performance: Marie Beytell 

VENUE:  121 9th St, Linden, Johannesburg

Coordinates

-26.134681, 28.002532

See map at: 

http://www.google.com/maps?source=uds&daddr=121+9th+St,+Randburg+2104,+Randburg,+Gauteng+(121+9th+St,+Randburg+2104)+@-26.134681,28.002532&iwstate1=dir:to

The EXHIBITION WILL BE OPEN Sat 19th and Sunday 20th March, 10.00 – 16.00 and by appointment: 9.00-12.00 on Mon 21, Wed 23, and Thurs 24 March

WALKABOUT of the works by the artists: Saturday 26 March, between 13.00 & 16.00

ENQUIRIES: 0793242256, 0117818820

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lionel Murcott and Juanita Frier met late in 2007 when they were invited to do an Art Performance at the Market Theatre, as part of a Botsotso Poetry Reading. 

They rolled a one-and-a-half metre wide strip of good quality paper down the side of the stage. Through the evening they shuffled and danced graphite powder and drew on it with charcoal, to the rhythms of the poets. Out of this came a seven and a half metre long drawing. That drawing is to be exhibited for the first time at the exhibition. There will be a slide show documenting the process of the drawing.

People – including the two artists – were amazed at how naturally and easily Murcott and Frier worked together. Artistically they are on the same page, so to speak. They don’t do pretty pictures – their work is urgent, intense, often beautiful, and disturbing.  You might label it Expressionist, or Symbolist.

In 2008 they did another large work at a poetry reading, at Wits University Theatre: a painting of one-and-a-half by five metres. 

ARTIST’S BOOKS ON THIS EXHIBITION:

The four collaborative books Juanita and Lionel have been involved in, Eliza’s Night, Obadiah’s Day, Currents, and B+ D = L, will form an important part of the book table. They are quite large books (about 45 x 31 cm). The first three were made by Juanita and Lionel; on the fourth they were joined by three other artists. The books are in mixed media, except for Currents, which is made up of prints, mainly monotypes.

In addition to these books, Lionel will be showing the following ‘solo’ works: 7 Artist’s Books, 2 Portfolio Boxes containing loose pages; and 5 Altered Books. They are dated since 2005.

The exhibition is to be housed in a private house, a remarkable open plan structure that will show off the works in a striking way. 

The Artist’s Books will be presented on a long built-in table down the centre of a space with a two-storey height above.