VALENCIA GOVINDASAMY
DEPICTING almost life-size nude representations of people, Heather Gourlay Conyngham’s solo exhibition of Unfoldings is currently on display until the end of this month at the KZNSA Gallery.
The beautiful paintings reflect Conyngham’s personal development as an artist. When tonight chatted to the artist, she explained: “This exhibition is about people. These are only the nude paintings. They are called unfoldings and I chose this word because it suggests something like an unfolding of time. It shows my view of life over 20 years, it’s also the unfolding of meaning within the paintings… It’s like an unfolding about me and the paintings also unfold stories about the people that they depict. There are two basic themes in the work, one is of specific people and the titles of those works are the names of the person- where I tried to express my idea of those people. Whereas in the nude paintings, I’ve used models to express an idea that I have, so those paintings don’t have names of the person. The person depicted is not what the painting is about, that person is used to say something about what I want to say. In many cases I’ve used multiple models so it’s become less and less of a depiction of that original person with these nudes which is why I don’t call it by the name of the person.”
From a very early age, Conyngham has been passionate about art: “As a very young child, I liked fiddling with colours. Also in my very early days in school, my art teacher knew that I liked art and she offered to teach me privately and she (Lyn Gilbert) was a huge impact on my life. She taught me very important things and she encouraged me to go to university and study art so it’s really through her, that I became more serious about it and it became a crucial part in my life. After I went to university, there was no turning back. I’m the sort of person in that when I start something, I see it through. I pursued a career in art after university and I persisted and went on with it.”
For the artist, those who have inspired her along the way include her mentor/teacher, Lyn Gilbert and the artist, Van Eyck who painted in the Northern Renaissance period: “Also, Jenny Saville, Lucian Freud and David Goldblatt have also impacted on my life as an artist.”
With a preferred medium in oil paint, Conyngham says a key goal of hers is to continue to produce serious honest work that will form a sound body of work that she hopes can be taken seriously. Asked about her creative process and where her ideas come from, the artist answered: “I can’t separate the paintings from me. They’re really a depiction of me so whereas those paintings in Unfoldings depict people, they’re actually depicting what I’m thinking.”
Conyngham’s exhibition runs until the end of September at the KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood. For info, call the gallery on 031 277 1705