Thursday, June 16, 2016

Unlocking The Unconscious Mind With Vincentio: The 2nd Exhibition at MODZI Arts





ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Vincentio Phiri was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1956 and began painting
after moving to Zambia in 1973. Phiri is an abstract expressionist artist whose
particular style of action painting has been termed “VP Concepts”. Phiri works
with a palette knife and a diverse, mostly bright colour scheme, creating the
dynamic strokes that have become his signature style, on a prepared canvas.
His preferred method of painting is on the ground, on non-stretched canvas,
allowing him greater freedom of movement in the image. However, this method
isn’t fixed, as he also works on stretched canvases positioned on a painter’s
easel. The ‘sharp and focusing’ observant viewer can recognize these two
different techniques.
Viewing Vincentio Phiri’s paintings requires a certain way of observation
altogether. First of all, it is advisable to let go of your presumptions, on what
a painting “should look like” and that the paintings you are about to see are
hyper-realistic samples of life or village scenes. They are not. They are expressions
of emotions visualised by colour, movement, texture and composition.
Also, let go of the idea that you have to “like them all” or a painting should
resemble aspects of life. Art, in the guest curators mind, can be anything the
artists chooses. And there is always something to see and learn, if not today,
maybe tomorrow. Art should not be about sheer aesthetics any more, but also
about concept, progression and inventions in the context of modern society.
Some may think Phiri always applies the same painting technique. However, if
you take time to observe properly, it is easy to spot the differences between the
paintings in colour, structure, movement and layers. Another misconception
about Phiri’s work is that the technique is “easy to copy”, often expressed as:
“maybe my kid can do the same thing”.

ARTIST - CURATOR RELATIONSHIP:

Vincentio Phiri and the guest curator Camiel van Lenteren have build a close
relationship over the last two years and thus have brought you this exhibition
on smells, emotions, visual art and poetry in close cooperation with Modzi Arts.
In February and March last year, Phiri did a live painting session at East Park
Mall which was a joint project with “exhibition concept designer” Camiel van
Lenteren. The current solo exhibition at Modzi Arts is their third joint project.
Van Lenteren describes Phiri’s work as “visual expressions of deep human
feelings, philosophical thoughts and heavy emotions”. Phiri cites human nature,
and all that he sees, feels and experiences as his influences. His works
are meant to evoke emotion and he paints with the goal of creating images that
speak to both him and the viewer. In his words he uses “colour and form” in
order “to create a visually stimulating experience.”

CONCEPT:

This exhibition explores the emotional power of colour, shape, texture and
smell by combining Phiri’s works with scents. Scent is one of the most powerful
catalysts for memory, and as with art, our unconscious associations are very
personal. The combination of visual art and scent is meant to create a powerful
sensory experience that will be unique for each visitor. Phiri’s works are not
restricted to a single interpretation.
The exhibition consists of four rooms. Each room contains four paintings and a
scent. We invite you to walk through the exhibition and see what emotions and
feelings arise from your unconscious mind.
The four scents and the corresponding paintings were selected by Camiel van
Lenteren. The emotions he associates with the images and the scents are not
necessarily the same as Phiri’s. Likewise, the emotions will be different for
each viewer. The four chosen scents, ashes, coffee, sawdust and Zambian soil,
are not meant to offer a complete emotional landscape but rather to guide the
audience through an immersive experience of the collected paintings.

MODZI ART GALLERY:

Modzi Arts is a new art and culture space in Zambia, promoting access to arts,
with a particular focus on African / Zambian contemporary art. As the main
curator of the space we look to collaborate with other curators in order to share
a different view and artistic expression as of Van Lenteren. We have chosen to
work with Vincentio Phiri being an international recognized artist, having a
good and long understanding of the art business, as well as having a great eye
and technique within his professional borders. We are pleased to work with
him as an artist.

INTERACTIVE PIECE:
Critique and comments are fine, and sometimes hard to contradict because
taste is personal. But At this exhibition you have the opportunity to express
your own feelings with paint, pallet knives and a canvas, here supplied for
you in this exhibition space. These are the same tools and materials used by
Vincentio Phiri and we ask you to take a pallet knife and try on a small piece
of the canvas the technique you think he uses. Look at the colours, the painted
structures and the movements in his art before you start.
PLEASE NOTE: Don’t use the whole canvas, as we would like lots of people
to be able to try Phiri’s technique. On the closing day of the exhibition,
Vincentio Phiri will finalize this painting and use your trials as an inspiration.

COLOPHON:

Artist: Vincentio Phiri
Guest Curator: Camiel van Lenteren
Exhibition Text: Camiel van Lenteren / Jess Stewart /
Julia Taonga Kaseka / Elke Praagman
Text Advice & Editing: Jess Stewart / Marcel van Driel
Graphic Design & Advice: Ghazala Caratella
Exhibition Concept & Design: Camiel van Lenteren
Exhibition Builders: Richard Chombu / Marcel van Driel / Scotty Zepplin /
Andrew Lungu / Camiel van Lenteren / Glenn Banda
ENHLA KOMQONQO
            THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND         

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