MONO

131 A Gallery, is pleased to present MONO Michael Amery’s latest solo exhibition featuring works in charcoal in what will be his 7th solo exhibition in his career overall and 5th at 131

The online catalogue will be live from the 9th of September until the 5th of October and the works will be up on the walls in the main gallery from the 12th of September until the 5th of October

NB! Please join us at the gallery for the opening of the exhibition on Saturday the 12th of September from 11am to 1pm

If you see an artwork that you are interested in please click on the button below the work on the online show to purchase it and we’ll send through the invoice asap to secure the work for you. NB All works are sold on a first come first serve basis.

This year marks a decade since my first solo exhibition, Trees by Man, which opened at David Krut Projects in Cape Town in April 2016. That first solo was a milestone I had only dreamed of achieving when I first began drawing in my spare time in 2010.

After five years of working predominantly in ink and watercolour, I had my first break: a series of charcoal drawings inspired by a documentary on William Kentridge. These drawings caught the attention of a curator, a moment that changed my life completely. My career as an artist began when I first worked with charcoal, so it seems only fitting to return and pay homage to it ten years later.

The theme of my first solo show was monoculture plantations. Today, I present MONO, a tribute to that first solo. This body of work explores the effects of consumer culture and colonialism on the South African landscape.

In South Africa, Pine and Gum trees are not indigenous; their presence is largely a result of industry, and yet they are everywhere. This can feel confusing, as they seem integral to so many of our natural spaces. Our mountains, forests, commons and parks are often defined by these trees, where they provide us with shade, shelter and serenity in an otherwise barren landscape.

However, beneath the peaceful calm we can feel in the presence of these giant trees lies the danger that monocultures pose to the biodiversity essential to supporting food production and securing fresh water in the face of ever-shrinking natural resources.

The serenity of the natural scenes in my work belies the complexity of their interrogation of consumer culture and its impact on the landscape. We cling desperately to the remaining natural world, conflicted about what belongs and what little we have left.

Some of the techniques I have used to create these works mimic the techniques and systems of industry imposed on the natural world: symmetry, repetition, calculation — the carving up of the landscape. Some of these mechanisms of creation are exposed in my work. In some pieces, the grid used to determine the composition remains visible, created by folding the paper and allowing the charcoal to collect in the creases.

I have hope that, while we can respect and treasure our legacy of alien trees for their contribution to our heritage and South African identity, we can also move forward with a focus on planting indigenous trees and vegetation, restoring biodiversity and celebrating South Africa for what makes it unique.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me over the years. I am so grateful to each and every one of you. -Michael Amery

// How To Purchase

• Click on the button below the artwork you would like to buy

• We will send you an invoice to secure the painting for you, you will have 24 hours to send us proof of payment to make it yours

• Artworks will be ready for collection/ shipping when the exhibition is concluded

• If you based outside of Cape Town and require crating and shipping, we can get a quote for you from our preferred art logistics partners