https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27484 Wed, 13 May 2026 00:53:18 GMT 2026-05-13T00:53:18Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27885 We knew how to build a dam Miller, Gwenneth Dark tones of black and Indigo saturates the surface of these paintings to evoke the melanchholic mood. The phrases “We know how to build a dam” and “To stop a river from flowing”, used as titles of two small paintings, refered to Yuval Harari’s (2018) influence. In the text Harari writes that for all our knowledge, we do not have the insight of how actions will impact on the future, much like a riverbed downstream from a dam wall. The painting "The Gift" recalls a similar darkness. layered with both oil paint and encaustic (a mixture of pigment and beeswax). In "The Gift" two images once again form a dialogue: on the left, a cloth from the icon of St Stefanus and on the right, a detailed painting of a mourning pin. As with the dam walls, the narrative of an unfolding event was depicted: an incident and its repercussions are called into conversation. The works formed part of the body of research for the project "Enfolding" and revisited sites of memory. For more information see the link to the website of the artist, at the top of this page Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27885 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27493 Dullstroom Dam Miller, Gwenneth "Dullstroom Dam" depicts a drained dam, emptied by the owner to restore the structure. Part of his attempt to prevent reeds from taking over, he laid rubber mats at the basin. The repetitive linear patterns of the material in a landscape at dusk, created a sense of an embedded text. Seen this way, the work assumes layered significance - the transcript of labour, and our limited attempts at understanding. A small pool of water has seeped through the mats and reflects light in the otherwise somber landscape. More information on the context of the painting can be found at the link to the artist's webpage, at the top of the record. Oil painting on canvas. 60 x152 cm https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27493 https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27487 Folds. Anticipated abundance Miller, Gwenneth "Folds: Assumed Abundance" was inspired by fabrics in Renaissance and Baroque paintings and contemporary Vlisco wax prints. This work commenced with research into the origins of colour pigments and the historical context of its application. Struck by the fleshy tactility of the Baroque draperies, the artist digitally isolated painted textiles and observed how the meaning of each fragment was transformed and innovated in this process. Conceptually, the hollowed shapes inspired critical contemplation of capitalist politics and the assumption of abundance that it will lead to. The traces of the deleted bodies evoked discomfort in their faceless absence. Technically, manipulation of massed layers led to a digital artwork as sketch in preparation of the oil painting. When the artist created the final painting, she closely observed the original sources as reference. She was significantly influenced by the South African artist, Johannes Phokela’s satirical conceptual devices concerning a Baroque aesthetic, forcing the viewer to do a double-take. Acknowledging the cut-out in the final painting, her work positions the contradictions of borrowed material, loss and emptiness, against the assumption of plenitude. Since this work was exhibited at several exhibitions in Johannesburg and Pretoria (see links), each context facilitated shifts in understanding, reframing and additional layers of paint. The found its final home in the Unisa Art Collection. You can find a link to the artist's website for more information about the work at the top of the record.; Oil on canvas. 91.5 x 183 cm. UNISA Art Collection Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/27487 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z