The writing returns to the wall with an historical art
exhibition by international award winning and avant garde Pretoria based
artist, ALETA MICHALETOS.
She feels comfortable when referred to as a contemporary
idealist, visionary and alchemist.
With her pioneering spirit and the forging of her own
unconventional route, she has managed to blaze her own path and which inter
alia led her to the United Nations in 1994, where she joined the ranks of Dali,
Chagall, Miro, Rauchenberg and others, by winning the UN Art; Philatelic Award!
Well-seasoned, ‘PRECIOUS CIRCLE’ has now come full circle
and together with the 3 equally iconic, symbolical portraits of Mandela and a
single oil painting: ‘United at last in the Cause of Peace’ (2002), this
valuable collection celebrates the 20 years of our democracy and pays homage to
Nelson Mandela in several thought provoking ways. It also celebrates the 20th
anniversary since it was first exhibited at the Pretoria Art Museum in
1994.
Witness the visible proof of this local artist’s
miraculous journey which lasted 6 years, as she documents the hopes, dreams and
aspirations of a society in transition during the bleakest time in South
African history.
Through the transforming processes of Alchemy, her daily
collection of and the gradual accumulation of positive headlines, which she
single-handedly sourced from the media over a period of 6 years (1989-1994),
unexpectedly ended on the day of Mandelas inauguration 10th May 1994. The
astonishing result was 50 positive collages, which when placed side by side,
span a monumental 22 meters.
It is with good reason that her life motto has become:
Baby steps, Giant strides, Quantum leaps!
Don’t miss this opportunity to pause and reflect in
front of these significant works (National Treasure created from trash!) which are as timely as
they were 20 years ago and which have been a silent testimony at the Pretoria
Art Museum since 7th November 2013 (exactly one month before Mandela passed
away). They are still on view until the middle of July 2014.
Hear about the catalysts, organic development and process
of transformation, which resulted in ‘PRECIOUS CIRCLE’ and flowing from that,
the first portrait of Nelson Mandela: ‘REBIRTH’ (which won the United Nations
Art & Philatelic Award in 1994) as well as the 2 additional portraits:
‘GOD BLESS MADIBA’ and ‘MANDALA
MANDELA’. (All 3 exhibited at the UN Headquarters in 1994)
For several decades Aleta’s gradual sense of a Society
that was ‘out of order’, culminated during the late 80’s when destructive
atmospheric conditions became
unbearable.
Identifying with the country’s agony and her own feelings
of despair and helplessness (caused by traumatic media coverage of political
events) MICHALETOS felt compelled to
reverse the trend.
Her way of taking it upon herself to transform the
situation through direct intervention and so becoming a protagonist, was the
conceptualization of her tour de force, ‘PRECIOUS CIRCLE’.
Remembering ‘in the beginning was the word’, she found
solace in words and for the next 6 years, a seemingly chaotic collection of
news clippings of positive headlines (collected entirely from ordinary
Newsprint) was methodically arranged to create 50 orderly collages and entirely
transformed the ‘war of words’, into a monumental ‘wall of words’.
Michaletos
sincerely believes that by paying attention to words, you activate, energize
and release the power of the ideas which are encapsulated in the words
themselves, thereby bringing them to life.
They then become catalysts for action and change. As in
themselves words are impartial, it is up to you, the spectator, to choose which
words you wish to energize.
It is your own responsibility to build character or a
spirit of endurance and by the consistent and frequent repetition of ‘Baby
steps’, which transform into ‘Giant Strides….. the process of accumulation
results in the achievement of ‘Quantum Leaps’ and the eventual Triumph of the
human spirit!
OUR DESTINY IS NOT A MATTER OF CHANCE BUT A MATTER OF
CHOICE & CHANGE
Finding better words for a better world, and undertaking
actions where words speak loudly, the walls of division became the catalyst for
a 22 meter long wall of unison.
Now, as we stand in front of PC we are called to order in
quiet Monastic Contemplation and come to realize that we can transform the
world word by word.
Copyright ©Aleta Michaletos
