Original Story Published by: Art Africa Magazine
Photography courtesy of: Candice Berman Gallery
(Above) John-Michael Metelerkamp, from the series ‘The Immortal Nekkies’, 2017. Mixed Media.
Confronting the world’s agenda with acrylic, oil and cut oats
ART AFRICA spoke to Knysna-based artist John-Michael Metelerkamp on his latest series of paintings, ‘The Immortal Nekkies’, to be exhibited at The Turbine Art Fair in July with Candice Berman Gallery. His latest series presents an impressive shift into a more neo-expressionist realm exposing a layered and chaotic dialogue.
ART AFRICA: You have said before that your work is autobiographical in the context of your recovery and journey to being a more whole person. With the creation of your latest series of work to be exhibited at The Turbine Art Fair in July, which part of your journey does this series represent?
John-Michael Metelerkamp: These pieces have me looking in at some of the people who live on the outskirts of Knysna. It is a highway settlement called Nekkies and I feel I can identify with some of the characters I’ve seen there, not their circumstances, but the feeling of utter despair. There is a tavern along the highway running through Nekkies, there is always plenty of people, dogs, cattle and cars around. But you can feel a sense of uneasiness on that stretch of highway.
Your most recent paintings are similar to each other but quite different from your previous work. More layered, abstract and chaotic than what you’ve produced before, with a neo-expressionist edge that brings the work of late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat to mind. What sets this series of work apart from the rest?
John-Michael Metelerkamp, from the series ‘The Immortal Nekkies’, 2017. Mixed Media. Courtesy Candice Berman Gallery.
They are experimental paintings, like most of my work, I guess. But I can’t actually remember doing the first few. Once I realised where I was an entire series was being produced. There is a bit of Basquiat in them but I was also inspired by my favourite German artist, Jonathan Meese. What sets these paintings apart from my previous work is the process and materials. A variety of material was used, I painted with acrylic and oil and also included cut out paper works. The cut-out material was sourced from my old sketchpad drawings which included watercolours, crayon, oil pastel, charcoal and coloured pencil. I found the process of cutting out to be very pleasurable.
