LIBERTY BATTSON: Yada-Yada Club

Everard Read Cape Town is pleased to present: Yada-Yada Club, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Liberty Battson.

“Yada-Yada like Blah-Blah like Dada.”

A persistent theme in Liberty Battson’s work has been the language of visual art. This latest body of work uses the iconic styles of major figures to engage with – and celebrate – modern art history.

The flat, colourful faces that make up ‘Yada-Yada Club’ draw on the languages of 20th century Masters. In a tongue-in-cheek postmodern overview, Battson acknowledges the impenetrability and opaqueness of their abstract and conceptual work to many people. Referring to a range of movements – from the Dadaists and Cubists to the New York School and Young British Artists, Battson aims for her viewers to recognise some of the silhouettes she has selected, and wonder about others.

Battson reveals her fondness for these artists, as well as their influence on her own practice, through referring to them by first name or nickname in the paintings’ titles, when artists are typically referred to by surname. ‘Pabsie’, for example, is Pablo Picasso. Battson uses elements from his ‘Guernica’ to stylise eyes, a mouth and nose. ‘Hansie’ is Hans Arp, whose globular imagery appears alongside Lucio Fontana’s, Henri Matisse’s & Alexander Rodchenko’s.

By collaging these shapes into faces, Battson creates an entirely new personification for her viewers to relate to. We are also encouraged to generate our own imaginary subjects and impressions, and appreciate the perspective that living in this era, with access to all of art history, provides.

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*Face masks are required and must be worn at all times when visiting the gallery*