22/01/2025
In the catalogue of his exhibition “Super Boring” in 2010 Wayne wrote: “My work is about identity – where do I come from because I am white? But I am an African. The Inspiration comes from a country that is very f*cked up, because the morality of the country is weird” Much of his earlier work reflects universal displacement – an engagement with the ‘weirdness’ and the ‘f*cked-up-ness’ of our society and history.
In this exhibition, the work has a new balance between lightness and weight. Earlier phases of his work explored human relationships within society, while his current focus shifts to the connections between people and the environment, possibly inspired by his move from Joburg’s harsh city life to Komatipoort’s tranquil natural landscape which features prominently in these works – evoking a more reflective pace.
Two examples: “Gold Fisherman” takes us to the depths of the blue ocean where a bottle contains a small wooden image of a man (fisherman?) and a red paint pot floats in the light.
“Migration Man” shows a family of small wooden figures caught between the present and future in a light floating space with a circle and a figure with maimed legs. A fierce dog leads us into an image long associated with white South African protection and emigration. Birds flying across the works suggest open, unfettered freedom, even rootlessness.
Perhaps the biographical explanation is too simple. Wayne remains an artist who responds to global and political changes, who “deals with universal issues”. What can be more universal than “the Anthropocene” – defining our geological era by humanity’s impact on the environment, suggesting our brief time on this world has irreversibly scarred the Earth.
Wayne’s work reflects on nature’s loss or its transformation into something new. These works are haunted by floating ghosts, birds, sea and sky. They present a world without a horizon – a treatment of space that calls on us to re-assess traditional forms of perspective. These works speak with a lightness of touch to the weightiest issues of our time, and like all of Wayne’s work they give us pleasure while forcing us to confront our “weird” world.
