Hannalie Taute

evolution and my process is methodical and laborious. I want to depict a moment in time by introducing you to my paracosmic family and friends inspired by vintage photographs which undergoes a violent process of change. I aim to juxtapose delicate cotton thread with industrial discarded inner tubes by embroidering a variety of cultural masks and replacing the faces in found photographs, in order to create a violent disruption of the familiar in an unfamiliar setting.

The coarseness of the rubber is counteracted by the delicacy of the thread, but this is subverted, as often the stitching and composition of the rubber inner tubes are delicate, and the thread seems almost rough in its arrangement. The resulting organized chaos resembles our daily lives and external influences. Especially during this mask-wearing era during the pandemic. In my work one central theme, or unifying characteristic, is the repeated exploration of identity and/or relationships within my paracosmic fantasy. I explore this.

Estelle’s interest lies in landscapes, portraiture and imaginary compositions based on mythological and literary themes. In landscapes she enjoys the rhythm, colours, tones and forms which express the atmosphere and character of the land.

In portraiture she places the sitters in the context of a personal, social, historical and cultural background to tell their stories. These works are done in watercolours, acrylics and oils. She also explores her themes in a variety of graphic media, including charcoal, pastels, lino printing and etching. paracosmic fantasy by means in which people often have many and sometimes conflicting identities to which they answer. “Art is some sort of interesting area where dysfunction is allowed.” *Quote by Mike Kelly. In my more recent work which started late 2020, I enjoy working on an ongoing series ranging from ceremonial masks and wedding photographs to, groups or individual mask wearing personae. Fairy-tale fantasy-like creatures and monsters find their way to a variety of photographed portraits as well as larger prints made from small vintage photos with faces replaced by a variety of cultural masks embroidered on rubber.

I hope that the viewer will deeply engage with and question the artworks, and I hope to create a moment of respite from the chaos while simultaneously illustrating it.