ARTIST AS SHAMAN

Why is shamanic practice becoming relevant again in contemporary art?

In a time of crisis, people look for solutions to transcend their current state of being. They try to find alternatives to and transcendence from what they are experiencing at that particular point in time. To some extent, covid has brought this condition on and induced a search for vision, for a path forward and for ways and means to reimagine the world.

The roles of the shaman and the artist have always been tied to vision and a position of existing between the physical and the non-physical worlds. The artist makes the invisible visible, and the shaman aims to transcend the visible and enter into another realm.

Shamanism has roots outside of the West, in the cultures of indigenous peoples across the world, extending through Siberia, Australia and Africa, as well as the Americas and pre-modern Europe. But shamanism itself is not a formalised system of beliefs and can be applied as a concept or a state of consciousness.

The Workshop

21  - 25 June 2022

(Tuesday to Saturday)

In the modern world, the artist has taken over much of the role of the shaman. For our purposes during this workshop, we are interested in the artist as shaman in three roles: as endowed with special sight, insight and power; as transformer; and as healer. This is what we will look into during the workshop. We will consider the artist as shaman in three roles: as endowed with special sight, insight and power; as transformer; and as healer.

Keywords for this workshop: Transformation | Healing | Earth consciousness | Ritualistic and meaningful objects | Rapture, transcendence | Liminality | Transcendental experience | Movement | Cosmogram | Bodygram | Masks | Collectivity

Advanced experimental thinking and creativity will be cultivated and developed during the workshop. It aims to rekindle creativity in thinking and doing, and present you with alternative ideas for your artmaking. You will be encouraged to move out of your comfort zone – be prepared to become a shaman!

You can work in any medium – painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture or digital.

There will be focus on each participant’s individual art production, techniques and thought processes. Each participant will produce at least one new artwork during the workshop. There will be continuous assessment.

On the Saturday we will deal with professional practice and install work in the Gallery. The most successful of the artworks completed during the workshop will be exhibited as a fringe exhibition to the Shaman exhibition at the Gallery at Glen Carlou. Each participant will have at least one work on show. This exhibition will include prestigious artists such as Diane Victor, Palesa Motsomi, Wilma Cruise, Gordon Froud and Ad Reflex.  All work will be for sale. The fringe and main exhibition openings will take place on 26 June 2022.

The Exhibition

Opening on 26 June 2022, until end July.

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Cost

R3000 all inclusive. Bring your own food and drink.

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All artists all welcome. Places are limited to 20 on a first-come-first-served basis.

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Contact elfriede.dreyer@gmail.com to book your place.

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After registration you will receive the preparation document.