Absa Art Hot Spot
Empowering African fine arts
Battleground
210 x 300 mm
2021
Kirsten Eksteen
Photograph
Limited Edition of 3 plus 1 a/p
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Artist Statement
Bemused
Battleground is a lens based body of work, the colour photograph provides a counter narrative against perceived notions of reality. This artwork centres on evoking the emotion bemusement. The puzzling nature of the ambiguity represented within. Rendered in absurdist visual grammar, Battleground captures a blanket which visually translates to the likes of a ghillie that blurs into a carpet of grass.
The blur creates complexity to content, but opens a field of possibility. This allows perception to fluctuate and a state of rebirth to occur. Within this work I reflect on notions of erased narrative and the missing pieces, as well as, how image can be used to weaponise certain perceptions and wield certain reaction. Battleground intends to shift and challenge perceived reality with playful reinvention, to transcend beyond that which it seems.
Artist Bio
Kirsten Eksteen
1995 . South Africa
Kirsten Eksteen was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She was the first student to pursue art as a subject at Grassdale Secondary School. Kirsten attended the Peter Clark Art Centre between the years 2011and 2014. She achieved BA Honours in Fine Art at Michaelis School of Fine Art and was placed on the UCT Deans List.
Eksteen became the first artist to make history in the Absa L’Atelier 2018 competition by having two bodies of work recognised within the top 10. She was the award recipient of the New York Ampersand residency and designed the Absa L’Atelier trophy for the 2019 winners.
Kirsten has a passion for creating and working within the fashion industry and is currently producing work for an upcoming exhibition.