AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed
Timed Online Auction, 4 - 23 July 2025
AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed
About the SessionIn 2024, the Rupert Museum presented AbstRacT – The Hidden Synchrony, an exhibition inspired by Oscar Forel’s Synchromies series - close-up photographs of tree bark that transformed the familiar into bold abstraction. These works were paired with South African modernist paintings from the museum’s collection, creating surprising visual harmonies and fresh interpretations.
Building on this concept, AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed is the result of the museum’s third Open Call, which received over 300 submissions. From these, 41 artists were selected to showcase their work in a group exhibition - now part of an exclusive online auction in collaboration with Strauss & Co.
The auction offers collectors a chance to discover new voices engaging with themes of ecology, memory, materiality, and abstraction. Each work reveals a dynamic interplay between natural form and artistic expression - where chance, structure, and symbolism collide.
During the period of the online auction the exhibition is accessible to be viewed at the Jan Rupert Art Centre, 41 Middle street, Graaff-Reinet.
Collection of the artworks will be available once the exhibition closes on 16 November 2025.
Please contact Eliz-Marie Schoonbee to arrange collection/delivery
tel: 021 888 3261
email: eliz-marie@rupertmuseum.org
About this Item
signed
Notes
As a response to Oscar Forel's work, this piece was inspired by a eucalyptus tree that growing outside of the artist's home.
A species known for its unpredictability and often referred to as a 'widowmaker', its presence and patterns have been a constant source of fascination for the artist.. In this piece, Coetzee explores the materiality of the fallen bark by translating it into clay. The bark serves as a mould for the malleable clay, allowing the artist to capture its intricate textures and shapes. Much like Forel's approach, Coetzee layered glazes onto the clay, with the final colouring only revealed after firing in the kiln. This process, though somewhat unpredictable, much like the tree, is the 'gift of fire'. Unexpected results and unpredictable in its essence.
The result is a collection of textured, abstract ceramic forms that echo the natural patterns found in the eucalyptus bark. Through this, the artist hopes to convey the natura pinxit – the artwork painted by nature itself.
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