Miranda Crooks

South Africa

• Artist Statement
  • Living in rural Kwazulu Natal I am surrounded by an abundance of forests, grasslands and cultivated garden. I document daily what comes to my attention, and capturing it photographically allows me to explore it fully. This series of double exposures is the result of merging chosen images from this photographic collection. They have evolved into something more from having been combined.
    
    Much like a cat gets excited by a flutter of wings, I am thrilled by an intrinsic primal hunter-gatherer desire to visually immerse myself in plant forms. The lines and shapes of plants are both exciting and captivating and I can only think that like the smell of soil, this visual engagement produces endorphins that make us happy.
• Biography
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    Diploma in Graphic Design (Durban University of Technology)
    Visual Art  NDP majoring in printmaking (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
    
    Selected Exhibitions:
    
    2012
    "Godiva Awakes"  print exchange at Inky Cuttlefish Studios in London, UK
    Final year exhibition at Jack Heath Gallery UKZN Pietermaritzburg
    
    2013
    "Sounds From Africa"  group exhibition by artists of the Centre for Visual Art, UKZN  at the Guanian Original Printmaking base, Shenzhan, China
    
    2015
    iPhoneography Exhibition at The Cullinan, Cape Town
    
    2016
    "Sounds from Africa"  group exhibition at the Durban Art Gallery, KZN
    il Postine Art Lounge launch,  group exhibition at il Posting Gallery, Dargle, KZN
    
    2017
    "Together Apart"  group exhibition at artSPACE Durban
     "Forward"  group exhibition at The Breathing Space, Durban
    "Notion and Nature"  joint exhibition artSPACE Durban
    
    Online Publications
    2017   Featured Artist on The Jealous Curator
    

• Interview
  • Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
    I’m impressed by the work of Jeanne Gaigher, a young artist from Cape Town.  I love her flat colour and the mood she creates. Conrad Botes’s continues to get it right. His iconic imagery, symbols and graphic mark making are a huge inspiration.
    
    Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
    Walter Battiss for his versatility. Not confining himself to one medium or style but being able to explore many, going through various phases re-inventing himself throughout his life. I love his quirky humor, simple abstract shapes and use of colour, particularly in his silk-screen prints.
    
    Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
    Pierneef’s Johannesburg Railway Station panels at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch. For the symmetry and elegant style. Hennie Stroebel’s Recollect exhibition of embroidered work at KZNSA Gallery. The use of his medium and the luminosity and painterly effect of the thread. Deborah Poynton at KZNSA, her realism and mastery of painting skin tones.
    
    Where do you get your inspiration for your work?
    Living in rural Kwazulu Natal I am surrounded by an abundance of forests and grasslands, as well as a large succulent collection in my garden. I physically and visually immerse myself in plant forms. This visual engagement inspires and excites me.
    
    Do you have any rituals or habits involving your art-making that you can tell us about?
    Being in the right state of mind is important. Just the thought of having time to myself gets me in a good open state.
    
    What do you like most about being an artist?
    I enjoy the making of the work, the feeling it gives me mentally and the physical involvement.
    
    How do you handle bad days when you experience artist's block?
    I don’t force anything. I give myself time. Starting with something small and simple gets the ball rolling and leads on to something else. To just begin is a good step.
    
    What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
    Making work after many years of procrastination.
     
    Do you feel that you want to make a difference to the world or in people's lives? If yes, how?
    I do what I do without any thought of how others will respond, the making is primarily for myself and for that reason it is a selfish endeavor. However I do hope to inspire an emotional response, and it is an added bonus if people do feel inspired and better for having seen it.
    
    What are your plans for the coming year?
    To keep making and see where the journey goes