Source work:
1718/94
Mziwakhe Mbatha (b.1935)
Steamfosholo
c.1994
Wood, stone
Windpump (triptych) - Terence King
Terence King (b.1947)
Windpump (triptych)
Acrylic on board
R8 400
Mziwakhe Mbatha's sculpture, with its direct, rough-hewn character, struck a responsive chord in me in respect of my own work, in two ways.
First, the notion of working the land, through a combination of industrial and agrarian elements, is a broad theme which I have previously explored in painting. Secondly, the idea of the artwork being made up of interrelated segments interests me.
For these reasons Steamfosholo reminded me of an image which I have in the past found evocative of the local rural/industrial landscape, specifically the windpump. In this instance a collapsed and fragmented set of blades was the chief source.
Like the Steamfosholo, the windpump is a familiar, utilitarian tool with a simple elegance to it.