PRECIOUS INDEED.....

PRECIOUS CIRCLE & THE MANDELA'S RETURN HOME

MIXING (FAMILY) BUSINESS & PLEASURE 

On the 5th November 2013, (exactly one month before Mandela passed away) I delivered 54 art pieces for my solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum. 

PRECIOUS CIRCLE: 50 Pieces
The trio of Mandela portraits:
REBIRTH 
GOD BLESS MADIBA &
MANDALA MANDELA 
& an oil titled:
UNITED AT LAST IN THE CAUSE OF PEACE 

 Now, 3 years later, on the 5th January 2016, my daughter Saskia, graciously offered to help me pack and transport them back home. We hardly have time to visit each other and this was one of her rare days off duty. Her two boys, William and Andrew were on vacation and it was an ideal time for the 4 of us to spend a chunk of time together, the boys to have a cultural boost and some urgent work to get done.  

5 November 2013 
The museum assistant, Jackson, wheels in the work.
Photographer:Aleta Michaletos  

  

5th January 2016

No playing around when you need to get things done. 
Slowly but surely getting there
Photographer: Saskia Botha

5th January 2016

Who needs to work out at a gym?
Getting stuck into meters and meters of packaging material....
Photographer: Saskia Botha

 

5th January 2016

Who ever said being an artist means glamour or being able to spend all your time in front of an easel? It's all lot's and lots of hard work....
Photographer: Saskia Botha

5th January 2016
At last, after 3 solid hours of hard labor, all is finally ready
to be gently moved to our vehicles and then carefully transported back home.
Photographer: Saskia Botha

5th January 2016
Always happy and smiling, Saskia 
Photographer:Aleta Michaletos

5th January 2016
William, eager to help with the precious delivery 
Photographer:Aleta Michaletos

5th January 2016
Andrew carefully carries his parcel, proudly sporting an improvised Superman Cape, made from packaging material.

Photographer:Aleta Michaletos

'GOD BLESS MADIBA' (NELSON MANDELA PORTRAIT 2nd)

This ‘Intellectual /Cerebral‘ portrait did not completely satisfy my need to portray the complexity of MAN (dela). Subsequently I was moved to conceive and portray, yet another aspect of him: ‘The Emotional’ portrait titled: ‘God Bless Madiba’.

Not only I, but whomever I spoke to, expressed and continue to air, concern regarding the safety and well being of our beloved Madiba. We cringe in empathy when we observe the increasing discomfort he experiences when climbing steps, walking and getting up from a seat. We are not blind to the fact that the world is filled with fanatics and we fear that he will be ‘removed’ from our presence as magically as he appeared! We are also concerned about his eyes and the problems surrounding it, and we have respect for his seniority. 27 Years took a great chunk out of his life!

All of these issues compact and crystallize into ONE deep emotion: CARE. We care enough to want to protect him at all times, against all foes. Who could do this better? We humbly ask God to protect this MAN from harm and to bless him………’God Bless Madiba’.

Because the name ‘Madiba’ is used in a very loving way and we use our hands to caress and protect the vulnerable, I conceived the imagery of ‘God Bless Madiba’ as follows: Madiba is surrounded and ‘protected’ by two giant cupped hands. The artwork is executed in colored pencil, a very gentle and translucent medium if applied sensitively. My subject usually dictates the medium in which it would like to make itself visible and this is a perfect example of my honest response. I virtually ‘caress’ the paper when I apply the pencil strokes, the delicate movements of my hand hardly visible as I take care not to ‘disturb’ my subject. When using this medium, the white paper left uncovered, becomes as important as the parts that are. This technique was used to great advantage to suggest some shimmering light or ‘halo’ surrounding him, by simply leaving the area directly around his head, untouched. ‘God Bless Madiba’ succeeds as a highly emotive portrait. 

Fine art prints are available, contact: Aleta aletam@icon.co.za 
www.aletamichaletos.com