Anna-Carien Goosen

TRANSPARENCY
This body of work deals with loss, the fragility of life and the transparency sometimes only experienced in the shadow of death.

It is incredibly frustrating to paint on net, but the process mirrors the emotional frustration I feel trying to make sense of loss. Like the texture of memory, there is no firm grip, no easy control. The surface that should hold things together disintegrates, slipping away from under your fingers.

These works were exhibited in 2016 at the Absa Gallery in Johannesburg, and both the KKNK and Aardklop National Arts festivals.

Images and Artist Statement sourced from:
http://www.annacarien.com/

My Thoughts:
All of us at some point or other in our lives endure the pain of the loss of a loved one. Putting that loss into words is an impossible yet important step to dealing with that loss. Dealing with it. Such a callous statement isn't it? Working through is perhaps a better way of saying it.
The most difficult emotion to truly capture is the fragility of loss. Anna-Carien in my eyes captures is perfectly. She uses a material that in it's nature is as fragile as we are, overlaying images of a person left behind with that of a lost one. One layer of netting depicting the here and now, the space between representing the separation of two souls, the next layer of netting depicting the person that is lost.
The layers create a haunting effect, ghost like. The fact is when we lose someone we move the reality like a ghost, feeling not complete, feeling invisible and lost.
When I viewed these works on exhibition, the part that really struck me most, is that as I looked at the work moving my line of sight, the moment the two layers overlapped they became more solid and it hit me... that's the thing about loss...we become stronger in keeping our memories close instead of trying to hide them or worse yet, trying to forget. We need to hang onto every moment of our lives and the people we hold dear.
When the netting began to move in a slight breeze that feeling was solidified, with the movement of the fabric the two layers would meet briefly, each time we remember a loved one, we are drawn closer to that person, even just for a brief moment we are whole again.

Loss is an undeniable part of our reality that escapes no-one and yet so few of us are able to really talk about it or share it. It takes a lot of inner strength show our fragility and emotions, Anna-Carien is a pillar of strength.
I just love these works.

Contact Information for Anna-Carien Goosen:
http://www.annacarien.com/contact/
https://www.facebook.com/annacarien.goosen