Projects
Straight Lines
Kunstondernemlng Oosterkade, Gronlngen
Ton Kraayeveld – Installation / Frans van Lent videoaudio work
Two journeys from point A to point B at Oosterkade
Ton Kraayeveld and Frans van Lent both made a journey and work based on a straight line.
One Straight Line to Jo’burg
In the ‘Straight Llnes’ show Ton Kraayeveld presents a compact work as Installation on the back wall of the gallery space.
A significant part of the wall is covered with self-made packing paper. On It a series of paintings, drawings and texts referring to a fictional journey or hike between the cities Bulawayo In Zlmbabwe and Johannesburg, South-Africa.
The installation associates with an imaginary livingroom or office In an imaginary ‘Stralght Llnes’ travel agency or removal company. Central Image In the Installation Is a small text work on paper ‘One Straight Line to Jo’burg’ quoting a text from the last book (‘The Stone Vlrglns’, 2002) of Zimbabwean author Yvonne Vera who died last year, In which she describes Selborne Avenue, the main street In her city Bulawayo. Next to that Vera was the managing director of the National Gallery In Bulawayo during Kraayeveld’s stay there In 2000 as artlst In residence. The Installation could In this sense also be looked at as an homage to her.
Selborne is the most splendid street in Bulawayo, and you can look down it for miles and miles, with your eyes encountering everything plus blooms; all the way from the laced balcony of Sir Willoughby’s Douslin House, or from the Selborne Hotel (built 1897] adjacent to it, or even from Thomas Meikle’s Department Store.
Selborne Avenue is straight and unbending; it offers s single solid view, undisturbed. Selborne carries you straight out of the city limits and heads all to way to Johannesburg like an umbilical cord; therefore, part of that city is here. Its joy and notorious radiance are measured in the sleek gesture of city labourers, black, who voyage back and forth between Bulawayo and Johannesburg and hold up that city like a beacon; when they return home, they are quick of step and quick of voice. They have learned something more of surprise, of to unexpected: of chance.
(words YVonne Vera, The Stone Virgins’, 2002).
Nederlands
Ton Kraayeveld – installatie / Frans van Lent – videogeluidswerk
Twee reizen van A naar B in Oosterkade.
Ton Kraayeveld en Frans van Lent maken allebei een reis en werk gebaseerd op de rechte lijn.
One Straight Line to Jo’burg
In de tentoonstelling ‘Straight Lines’ presenteert Ton Kraayeveld een compact werk als installatie op de achterwand van de galerieruimte. Een aanzienlijk deel van de wand is bedekt met een zelf vervaardigd soort pakpapierbehang. Daarop een aantal schilderijen en tekeningen die veelal in de vorm van teksten of slogans refereren aan een gefingeerde reis of voettocht tussen de steden Bulawayo in Zimbabwe en Johannesburg in Zuid Afrika.
De installation roept associaties op met een wand in een denkbeeldige huiskamer of in kantoor in een Relief ‘Straight Lines’ reisbureau of verhuisbedrijf.
Centraal in de installation staat een klein werk op papier ‘One Straight Line to Jo’burg’ met een korte tekst ontleend aan het laatste boek (‘The Stone Virgins’, 2002) van de in 2005 overleden Zimbabwaanse schrijfster Yvonne Vera, waarin zij Selborne Avenue beschrijft, de belangrijkste straat in haar stad, Bulawayo. Daarnaast was Vera directeur
van de National Gallery of Zimbabwe tijdens Kraayeveld’s verblijf als ‘artist in residence’ aldaar in 2000. De installatie kan derhalve tevens worden gezien als een hommage aan haar.
Selborne is the most splendid street in Bulawayo, and you can look down it for miles and miles, with your eyes encountering everything plus blooms; all the way from the laced balcony of Sir Willoughby’s Douslin House, or from the Selborne Hotel (built 1897] adjacent to it, or even from Thomas Meikle’s Department Store.
Selborne Avenue is straight and unbending; it offers s single solid view, undisturbed. Selborne carries you straight out of the city limits and heads all to way to Johannesburg like an umbilical cord; therefore, part of that city is here. Its joy and notorious radiance are measured in the sleek gesture of city labourers, black, who voyage back and forth between Bulawayo and Johannesburg and hold up that city like a beacon; when they return home, they are quick of step and quick of voice. They have learned something more of surprise, of to unexpected: of chance.
(words YVonne Vera, The Stone Virgins’, 2002).