The fifth instalment of Modern Masters at EBONY/CURATED has been featured in an article by Daily Maverick titled 'Modern Masters V — when so-called ‘weird’ art is simply too absorbing to be overlooked'. The article thoughtfully considers how modern works challenge perceptions of beauty by exploring subject matter through playful rendering, colour, text and structure; prioritising creative compositions over traditional aesthetic concerns to create thought-provoking works for viewers to engage with.
To quote the author, Nkgopoleng Moloi:
The works in 'Modern Masters V' challenge us to question strict notions of ‘beauty’ concerning the formal qualities of art, causing us to wrestle with the strange. Strangeness is usually unappreciated. Yet, the most fascinating works in this exhibition are those that evoke this quality, such as Hodgins’ smudged Sunset Figures (2007/8), Hillhouse’s vividly rendered African Carnival or skewed Sash’s Still Life with Seed Pods (1954). None of these works bear the generally accepted hallmarks of beauty as we know them — balance, symmetry and harmony but they are evocative… pleasurable even. They offer interesting ways for us to consider what makes an artwork successful.
Read the full article here.
