Bubblegum Club

Tag: Daisie Jo Grobler

  • Ouma, Africa and Embroidering the City – In Conversation with Daisie Jo Grobler

    A palette of prints. Donned in military style and elegance. An army jacket paired with a sheer shade of scarlet. A cascading overlay. Feminine wisps of blonde hair, gathered in gentle twists at the top of her head. Upon first meeting Daisie, I was struck with wonderment by such an eclectic congregation of cloth and whimsy. The spirit of her playful articulation seemed to be embedded in every garment.

    One can trace some of these eccentricities back to the cultural context of the rural Free State in which she grew up. The juxtaposition of ‘traditional’ Basotho garb and the tailored Chanel suits worn by expatriates had always intrigued Daisie. She fondly refers to her grandmother as Ouma – the matriarchal catalyst who sparked her love for fashion. The thread seems to run thick in her blood. Ouma was a master embroiderer and exposure to the collection of jewel-coloured cottons inspired Daisie onto the path of embellished design – utilizing sewing and knitting in her work.

    dj

    “I like to bring in a part of my heritage”says Daisie. “My Ouma was a very big part of my life. Her flower gardens & embroidery still inspire me today.” She is also a fervent believer in the relationship between hard work and opportunity and quotes Laduma Ngxokolo, “Hard work opens any doors. Also, people should not focus on the success of external subjects but focus on themselves and their own work, as everyone is unique.’”

    It is clear the Daisie centers her professional practice around an inter-disciplinary diligence and dedication. After completing her studies at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design she joined the team of Marianne Fassler last year. “I love being part of the creative process at Leopard Frock.” Although she feels it unnecessary to limit herself to one specific engagement and mode of working within the industry. In her work, she strives to combine beauty and sophistication with a playful edge. “I believe in putting passion and love into everything.”

    COLLAGE7

    Daisie also uses the process of art and collage divisively to filter information, “It is a means to sort through and file and put into order….throwing out the junk mail and summarizing ideas and influences.” Her immersive practice is conscious of, “concepts changing and growing as the world around me changes. We live in an ever-changing environment and each new challenge is inspired by the time slot it is happening in.”

    The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts is a group exhibition with a focus on collage featuring work by Daisie and other artists. The exhibition runs from the 2nd -28th  of February at the Kalashnikovv Gallery.

    “I am the combined effort of everything and everyone around me.”

    forgetME

    NAARTJIE

    NOFLOWERS

    DONTWANNABEYOURGIRL

  • #ARTANDBLING – Existential Articulations in the Digital Domain

    A rainbow visor: refracting, reflecting the gaze of the camera. Hues of animated pink fade into a deep navy. All interrupted by an unheard click of the shutter. Memorialized in time. Textiles of filmy lace are juxtaposed with geometric angles that clothe and cover a figure at rest. Reclining into an abyss of deep waters and rose thorns. Receding into reality.

    Abuzz with fluorescent wonder, a blue neon shop sign nestled in the Johannesburg suburb of Linden sparked the notion of #ARTANDBLING. A conceptual trigger ignited by the soft curvature of words radiant in bright light. Art Director, Lezanne Viviers, describes #ARTANDBLING as, “a glitter shaker at Art fair” a sentiment that articulates their approach to visual communication.

    CONCEPT IMAGEB

    A recent visit to René Magritte’s exhibition at the Pompidou center in Paris, called The Treason of Images, prompted a response, the some of the philosophical questions raised by the surrealist artist in his work. “Les Mémoires d’un Saint, 1960 illustrates the foundation of Magritte’s questions to the realness of any image; a philosophical problem that is explored in Plato’s ‘The Allegory of the cave,’ which Magritte strives to find an answer to.”

    The Belgian artist was particularly known for placing objects in unusual contexts as a visual strategy to undermine constructed philosophical assumptions about the nature of reality. The juxtaposition of normalcy and meticulous painting technique in relation to absurdity created a dynamic tension that leads one to constantly question representations of the real.

    IMAGE4

    “To us, the digital sphere draws a similar curtain to that of Magritte’s, Les Mémoires d’un Saint…we are never sure that what we are seeing is real. That in itself has become our current reality. Uncertainty. Self-doubt.” Lezanne argues that this flux has created a context in which users of digital space and curated media are compelled to construct their own reality.

    In the seemingly surreal and explorative editorial, #ARTANDBLING utilized the technique of Trompe-l’œil – a practice that uses realistic imagery to create an optical illusion. “By staging a surreal image of unexpected objects, the absurdity or chance of their encounter, challenges the viewer as to how these images were created.” The dynamic between edgy criticality and whimsy creates a delightful composition of fictioned reality. “Like Magritte, we like to challenge classical ideas of beauty.”

    “To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance”

    – Jean Genet.

    IMAGE7

    IMAGE1

    IMAGE12

    IMAGE3

    IMAGE6

    Credits:

    Johannesburg based creative team,

    Concept and Art Direction: Lezanne Viviers 

    Photographer: Hanro Havenga, Model: Megs Woolley

    Styling: Daisie Jo Grobler and Lezanne Viviers

    Make-up: Annice Make-up and Sibella Weber 

    Post-Production: Lezanne Viviers

    Clothing: MARIANNEFASSLER, DaisieJo, stylist’s own

    Inspired Artist: Marlene Hettie Steyn, Georgina Gratrix