Rubber Reimagined: The Artwork Of Hannalie Taute

Hannalie Taute is an astonishing artistic pressure. The South African artist depicts fairy tales in rubber and thread, stitching unnerving self-portraits.

Taute has labored with rubber, which she sources from discarded inside tubes from native companies, since 2011. The method is labour intensive. The tubes are sliced, washed, polished after which stitched into canvases. She then embroiders her imagery into the rubber by hand, with out thimble or any studio assistants. Discovered objects (doilies, images) discover their method into the items.

Her figures are uncooked, sturdy, and pitiless. To me, they completely embody Twenty first-century feminist energy. She poses her topic’s our bodies in excessive positions; as if they’re pushing in opposition to the rubber world round them. Her figures are the tormented and the tormentors on the identical time.

I caught up with Hannah through e-mail, as she ready for her most up-to-date solo present, The Grimm Needle, which can open on the Fried Modern Artwork Gallery in Pretoria on Sept. 22, 2016.

I’m significantly inquisitive about how the supplies an artist employs affect her paintings. The softness of the thread contrasts with the toughness of the rubber and generates an uncommon power, particularly in your faces. Has the usage of rubber influenced your selections about material and composition? If that’s the case, how has it?

Hannalie: I don’t consider that the usage of rubber had any affect on my material, or not consciously anyway. I believe the medium has an affect on my approach although. Initially I made objects out of rubber (inside tubes) with none embroidery on it. Finally once I began to embroider on the rubber, I needed to go and get a ebook about embroidery since I’ve by no means carried out it earlier than.

You may discover that my stitching is kind of crude and that I exploit a thicker cotton, besides within the Maggie Laubser piece you discuss with. I obtained all these great colors in beautiful DCM embroidery floss from a good friend as a present, on the identical time I used to be given the temporary for the one centesimal anniversary of a really well-known Afrikaans journal: Huisgenoot, and we needed to revisit masters of South African artwork. I might re-interpret any Maggie Laubser piece, however determined to do her well-known Self-portrait (1928), and attempt to do my face like she would do hers, by utilizing the colors and posture she did with oil paint.

I needed to problem myself and see if I can ‘paint’ with thread.

Initially I additionally needed to make my ‘canvas’ the identical measurement as hers, however because of time restrict, I used a tractor measurement inside tube and reduce the entire ‘canvas’ from the one facet in a single piece, as a substitute of chopping up the inside tube in smaller items and sew these collectively to type a quilt-like canvas like I typically do. I framed it with a classic body, however painted ‘blue’ as a result of Maggie was generally known as a ‘colourist’.

Talking of your material, a lot of your imagery has a fairy story, dream-like high quality. The identical feminine determine reappears incessantly, often alone, in fraught circumstances. Who is that this determine?

You might be right in your observations. I’m principally impressed by Fairy Tales, Myths, legends- I really like tales and phrases. Some artists have fashions they work from. I exploit myself as reference. Within the work “Within the days when Bertha spun” was made throughout a time when my two boys have been fascinated by spiders (we used to have two as ‘pets’). I additionally obtained a small ebook from a good friend and in it was this stunning picture of a spiders internet I noticed beautiful gold thread at a store.

So Whereas I used to be engaged on the piece I additionally stumbled upon the story of Bertha, who was a legendary determine generally known as particular patroness of feminine business. She is thought in many alternative names, however in France after they discuss with the golden age they are saying: Within the days when Bertha spun. So I believed that the gold spider’s internet slot in properly with the reference to the golden age and myself because the industrious feminine climbing up this internet that Bertha spun.

Your incredible clothes and costumes have the identical energetic, provocative aesthetic as your sculptures and two-dimensional items. What function does efficiency artwork play in your artistic life?

Thanks. I’m flattered that you simply discuss with it as ‘efficiency artwork’, when in impact I like dressing up, daydreaming about issues to put on and I additionally ,since child-hood, prefer to play-pretend.

One can most likely say that by pondering up ‘outfits’ made within the medium I make use of in my paintings, I give myself the freedom and artistic freedom to faux that life and artwork is a two method mirror. Once I was at artwork college, we acquired the recommendation to eat, sleep, every part artwork….and that’s what I attempt to do.

By way of your means of translating imagery into your artwork, how do you arrange your tasks/concepts? Do you retain a sketchbook, journal or clip file?

Sure, I’ve sketchbooks courting again to 1998 and revisit them on occasion. At the moment I’ve quite a lot of ‘sketchbooks/journals: raging from A3 measurement, sketchbook by which I do my planning for a piece, to smaller ones – from A5 the place I write down ideas, quotes and make lists.

Lastly, what are you presently engaged on or what new tasks are you enthusiastic about within the close to future?

My work can be included in a few group exhibitions till the top of the yr. I’ve a solo exhibition: “The Grimm Needle” opening on the twenty second of September at Fried Modern, Pretoria, South Africa. I’m additionally working in direction of a small solo present early subsequent year- it is going to be my first worldwide exhibition! Extra particulars to comply with nearer to the time.

Final however not least, I’ve entered for the Museum Rijswijk Textile Biennial 2017. Please maintain thumbs!

It was a pleasure to interview Taute. Regardless of the fierceness of her imagery, she was so heat and sort along with her responses. Afrikaans is her first language. I encourage you to look at this video interview to listen to the voice and language she hears when she creates.

Spend a superb very long time on her incredible web site. And comply with her on Instagram for ongoing perception into her wildly artistic life.

Hannalie Taute is an awe-inspiring soul.