Notes

The Cape Peninsula, an area smaller than that of London, is home to 2 285 plant species. The Leucadendron is but one of these remarkable plant families. Their beauty, colour and diversity were the inspiration for the present lot.

Fibre art is an art form that encompasses a very large range of techniques, materials and approaches that give the fibre artist the possibility of expressing themselves in almost unlimited ways. Work may be composed of numerous different types of fibre in combination with other materials such as paint, dyes, and embellishments such as beads and found objects. Fibre refers to materials that are made up of continuous filaments or elongated pieces similar to lengths of thread. These include natural fibres (including cotton, hemp, jute, flax, sisal, linen, paper, textile, leaf and seed fibre, spider silk, sinew, cat-gut, wool, hair, cashmere, mohair and angora), metallic fibres (drawn from ductile metals like copper, gold, silver and steel) or synthetic fibres (such as nylon, acrylic, Tyvek etc.). The endless, exciting fibre possibilities and combinations include basketry, beading, braiding, crochet, embroidery, felting and felt making, fibre knots, knitting, Kumihimo (a traditional Japanese artform of interlaced braids and cords), lace-making, needlework, paper making, papier maché, patchwork, quilting, spinning, weaving and knotting. These materials can be torn, dyed, burnt, frayed, glued, painted, embroidered, woven, ripped, cut, folded, crumpled, hammered, layered, looped or otherwise manipulated. Fibre artworks transcend the literal. Their foundation is the knowledge of materials through which the artist finds his or her own voice, giving the work originality and perhaps a quality of mystery. The work of internationally renowned South African fibre/textile artists and teachers has been exhibited locally and abroad and forms part of public and private collections both in South Africa and across the world.

Source: http://www.fibreworksart.com/Ethos.html

Provenance

FirstRand, including FNB and RMB, are long-term collaborators and partners with the creative arts across South Africa. Over the years, the different businesses have built significant collections, covering diverse art genres. The FirstRand Art Acquisition Policy has been streamlined and has resulted in the collection requiring deaccessioning of an extensive range of high-quality and desirable artworks – all by established artists.

All proceeds from FirstRand artworks on this auction will be re-invested in contemporary South African art.

Exhibited

Innovative Threads, Nova Constantia, Cape Town, 5 to 17 May 2003.

Literature

Innovative Threads (2003) Nova Constantia, Cape Town, exhibition catalogue, illustrated in colour on page 5.

Liza Gillespie (2006) Innovative Threads: A Decade of South African Fibre Art, Cape Town:  Innovative Threads, illustrated in colour on page 83.