Current - a solo exhibition by Rachelle Bomberg New
Event dates
Events
Rachelle Bomberg’s dramatic, monumental paintings are powerfully imagined in the classical aesthetic of artists such as Turner and Rembrandt.
Her current viewpoint has shifted in focus from the large, symbolic figurative compositions of the early years to massive primordial landscapes, epic tempestuous pieces of an earth transfigured by fire, ice or the restless sea. 'Scent of summer' is gentle with the scent of flowers, but like the other works ephemeral, phenomenal as opposed to concrete – the inner response of a restless spirit, a transfiguration.
At the opening of 'Overview', a retrospective exhibition at the Sasol Art Museum, Melvyn Minnaar spoke of the “unyielding introspection about her way with art”. To view one of Rachelle’s artworks is to witness a dance, but not just any dance. It is a manifestation of the artist’s inner being and spiritual thoughts; to witness energy in a ceaseless state of ebb and flow, surrounding and immersing the viewer in ever-changing visions so alluring one feels compelled to reach out and touch them before they are dissolved and reimagined.
Having trained and danced with Jazzart, Rachelle’s passion for movement has not wavered. She works on large scale canvasses, relishing the opportunity for free, poetic movement while she paints.
Rachelle’s works form an amalgamation of knowledge and elements drawn from past art movements, while remaining current and contemporary. Rembrandt, Dali, Turner, Judith Mason and renowned British artist and uncle to Rachelle, David Bomberg, have been some of her most profound influences.
Born in London, Rachelle received her BA in Fine Art from Johannesburg College of Art before moving to Cape Town in l976. Her international success consists of around 80 exhibitions, ranging from an inclusion in the SA Biennale at the SA National Gallery, Cape Town in 1979, to solo exhibitions at The Ben Uri Art Gallery, London; The Gagliardi Gallery, London; The Cape Gallery, Cape Town; Obernier Gallery, San Diego – USA; Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg; Barnard Gallery, Cape Town, and the retrospective exhibition at the Sasol Art Museum in Stellenbosch in 2012. Her work has been collected in London, USA, Japan, South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia.
