'Karoovlaktes' by Wehrner Lemmer
by Rosalind Cleaver
Wehrner Lemmer's artworks provoke contemplation of an amazing territory in South Africa, often overlooked, - the Karoo. His works offer neither social nor political commentary; their sole purpose is to celebrate nature. A self-professed devotee of nature, Africa and in particular, the Karoo, Lemmer has produced a body of copper, steel and wood sculptures that were shown at the Absa Gallery in downtown Johannesburg.
The gallery is located within the headquarters of Absa Bank, one of the country's largest financial institutions. At the centre of the proverbial concrete jungle, Absa's slick, open plan office space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling office windows, extending the full height of the building. The gallery is cast to the side of this corporate magnificence; the unassuming work of Wehrner Lemmer reflects off its highly polished black marble floor.
'Karoovlaktes' comprises several of Lemmer's distinctive, free-standing metal and wood sculptures and a series of low relief work. Lemmer is undoubtedly a proficient metalworker. All of his metal surfaces embody a fullness of texture and tone while maintaining a sensitivity and truth to the nature of the material and his inspiration.
According to Lemmer, the 'omnipresent circle', a symbol present in much of his work, 'represents the cyclical character of nature and growth'. Lemmer also describes his work as a 'reflection of the perfect balance found in nature'.
Lemmer's geometric, symmetrical sculptures are clearly variations on a theme. Made chiefly from riveted stainless steel and copper sheeting, these free-standing works are occasionally complemented with wood. Through their earthy, rust-like surfaces, a sense of weathering and a feeling of harmony with nature is conveyed.
The sculptures are not all consistent in their competence or sense of appropriateness, however. Amongst his calculated metal sculptures on display are a series of rather uninspiring sculptures: an attenuated head, a full female figure and a somewhat arbitrary stainless steel winged person entitled Engel.
Forged into low relief, the wall plaques are relatively small in size. Here mundane items, such as a rusted metal component of an unknown object and a bird's skull, have been used as found objects around which Lemmer has processed his metal mounts, giving the viewer a sense of discovery.
The leafless trees of Winterveld and Bosbrand are part of a series of stark landscapes in which the addition of detail across the bottom edge of the work creates another dimension to otherwise static images. Gemsbokvlaktes presents a profusion of holes drilled through a plate to reveals the metal beneath, eliciting thoughts of the stone-scattered, arid earth of the Karoo.
Perhaps the most engaging of the works is a series of untitled wall plaques in which Lemmer appropriates abstract forms which defy definition. Conceivably they could be topographical interpretations of the land, but the (interrupted) circle is a probability. The fluidity of these shapes belies their constituent material. Enhanced with meticulous stapling, engraving and embossing, these ambiguous works invite the viewer to close examination, revealing a multiplicity of compelling detail.
Although one could argue that there is a certain inappropriateness in the venue for Lemmer's 'Karoovlaktes' exhibition, it is precisely this work within this venue which highlights the abyss separating our domains. This exhibition offers the city dweller a chance to ponder the unique qualities of the Karoo.
May 16 - May 27
Absa Gallery
Absa Towers North, Upper Ground Level, 161 Main Street, Johannesburg
Tel: 011 350 5139
Email: juliemc@absa.co.za
Hours: Mon - Fri 9.30am - 3.30pm
