Southern Guild recently presented “Enfold,” a captivating solo exhibition showcasing the remarkable felt sculpture and charcoal drawings created by the versatile mixed-media artist, Christine Jacobs.
This collection represents Jacobs‘ most extensive and intricate series of sculptures to date, inspired by her profound connection with the picturesque landscape surrounding her family’s farm in the Free State province of Southern Africa.
A Rich Heritage of Art and Agriculture
Nestled in Trompsburg within the Xhariep District, the Jacobs‘ farm holds a special place in the artist’s heart, being in her family for six generations. This farm is renowned for producing high-quality Merino fine wool, meticulously sheared from the resident sheep and subsequently processed. The breathtaking landscapes surrounding the farm have played a pivotal role in shaping Jacobs‘ artistic vision.
At the heart of “Enfold” lies a deep connection between the abundant landscape, its inhabitants, and the Jacobs family. This profound interplay between the land and the artist’s family forms the conceptual foundation of these captivating works.
Jacobs‘ practice is a response to the symbolic significance of her environment, reflecting the enduring marks left by generations of her family’s interaction with the farmland.
Crafting the Sculptural Forms
The artist’s sculptural creations are crafted using Merino wool sourced directly from the farm. Jacobs employs the traditional felting process, manually matting individual sheep’s wool fibres to create a pliable, moisture-resistant fabric.
The sculptures’ low-slung, twisting forms mirror the undulating beauty of the Xhariep landscape.
Each sculpture is elegantly draped in a pale outer shell of felted wool, while their naturally dyed undersides echo the mineral-rich earth of the farmland.
Delicate black wool has been needle-felted into fine linear patterns on the sculptures’ undersides, symbolizing territorial borders, trails of local herds, and the man-made roads etched into the land.
A Somatic Engagement
Creating these sculptures demanded a deep physical and emotional connection from Jacobs. She wrestled with, manipulated, and even inhabited their forms during their construction. These Scapes, as they are aptly named, have been moulded to mimic the contours of the artist’s own body.
Their hollows, soft crevices, and coves offer intimate spaces for viewers to engage with. While each sculpture is an individual entity, they can be intuitively configured and assembled into evocative constellations.
Incorporating charcoal into her large-scale drawings is a deliberate and allegorical choice. In 2021, a devastating fire ravaged the Jacobs‘ farm, reducing once lush grassland to barren ash. Charcoal, created through prolonged exposure to intense heat, symbolizes the potential for regeneration. The exhibition’s two-dimensional works, with the largest spanning an impressive 3 meters in width, delve into the realm of line and gesture.
These abstracted drawings can be read as complex topographies, where some markings evoke the flow of a river or the texture of trodden earth, while others mirror the contours of a wall or a winding road.
A New Frontier in Photography
“Enfold” also marks Jacobs‘ foray into the realm of photography. The artist dug a circular hollow into the land, a concave impression perfectly fitting her own bare body.
Captured by a drone, the resulting image depicts Jacobs coiled within the earth’s embrace, surrounded by an expanse of encompassing earth.
“Enfold” encapsulates the multifaceted evolution of Christine Jacobs‘ artistic practice. It builds on her unwavering commitment to refined materiality and her insatiable curiosity regarding the interplay between our interior and exterior worlds.
In summary, “Enfold” is a testament to the harmonious blend of art and nature, a poetic journey that encapsulates the deep-rooted connection between an artist, her family, and the land that has been their sanctuary for generations. Christine Jacobs’ remarkable creations invite us to explore the profound tapestry of the human experience and the ever-changing landscapes that shape it.
