Exhibited

KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts Gallery, Durban, Panoply: A Joint Exhibition by Walter Oltmann and Hentie van der Merwe, 8 to 27 September 2009.

Provenance

Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.

Property of a Collector.

Notes

”Artists have been increasingly interested in trying to pin down the nature of identity, and often use 'clothing' as a metaphor in this area. Clothing and fashion are important components of identity, and embrace aspects of status, ritual, culture, psychology, body image, personal interests and histories. Fashion itself is an art form that increasingly draws on art for inspiration. An 'uninhabited' item of clothing suggests absence and becomes an abstract symbol: a substitute or surrogate for the body. Representations or images of clothing invite the viewer to mentally try them on - this implied invitation to participate with the works and make them 'complete' makes clothing a potent vehicle for artists.”¹

^1. Neil Dundas and Julia Charlton (2013) Walter Oltmann: In the Weave, exhibition catalogue, Johannesburg: Standard Bank, page 53.