The Cannibals' Banquet - Isabelle Grobler

the cannibals’banquet

by Isabelle Grobler

There is infinite hope, but not for us........

Franz Kafka

the cannibals’banquet

by Isabelle Grobler

Art15, London, 21-23 May 2015

Process My creative process is informed by my empathy for discarded and found objects which I obsessively collect to ‘save’ them from oblivion.

Once acquired and categorized, the majority of these items are cannibalised for parts and then re-assembled into new sculptural forms. I also consider various configurations of objects and object fragments through drawing and printmaking prior to, and during, the construction of the sculptural installations.

The cannibals’ banquet resulted from an exploration of the notion of consumption as a psychological, physical, and social human function as manifested in the complex relationship that a consumer society establishes with its manufactured objects. In this context, objects deemed desirable serve a central role in the construction and definition of an individual and social identity. I use the detritus which results from a continuous process of renewal and disposal (i.e. the life cycle of objects) to reflect on the often violent intricacies of a consumer society.

Each component object, fragment, and part, is specifically selected, altered, and used to achieve a coherent whole. The utility that each of these items was initially designed to perform serve a predominantly symbolic and associative function within the context of the overall composition or installation. These assemblage monsters therefore represent the consumption of the various objects that went into their construction. In essence, they become what they eat.

Installation The cannibals’ banquet is an imaginary society of monsters where I explore the inner dynamics of a consumer society. Specifically, its hierarchies, power relations, and ideologies.

The monsters that populate my imaginary society were created from discarded (‘orphaned’) objects, and are informed by the idea of assemblage as a process of cannibalization. As cannibalism refers to the act of eating one’s own or turning on one’s own, my cannibals comprise a system premised on the destruction of its own creations. I use the dichotomy of victim/perpetrator to explore the concept of the monster as a composite of these opposites. To visualise this tension, each sculpture produces its own light to project complex shadows on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the installation space. The result is a shadow play where the viewer’s shadow becomes entangled with that of the sculptures: as the viewer navigates the space he/she can manipulate his/her shadow to either dominate the monstrous shadows or to be dominated by them.

Each of these sculpted ‘monsters’ exhibit specific attributes that I link to a consumer society: the chairman as patriarch,the hostess as bride, the glutton as force and power, the pervert as infection and a character called Pan as the observer.

Pan (Observer)

Pan (2012) Bicycle frame, wheelbarrow frame, four decorative cast iron spikes, dentist’s round mirror tool, brass fittings, ribbed copper pipe, small caster fork, inner tubing.

1.1 x 1.3 x 0.5m (H x L x W)

Pan consists of a pair of ‘hairy hooves’ and a small round ‘eye’ pivoting on a delicate ‘neck’. The ‘chest’ is an old bicycle frame that had been cut off just behind the seat. Both seat and handlebars were removed, leaving only the arched frame and front wheel. Extending from the bicycle frame, where the handlebars used to be, is a delicate ‘neck’ constructed from found brass fittings and ribbed copper pipe fitted together with an epoxy. This terminates in a small ‘eye’ that is constructed from a small caster fork and a dentist tool with a small round mirror. The handlebars of the wheelbarrow frame form the two rear ‘legs’ terminating in two decorative cast iron spikes with a Fleur d’ lis design. These spikes occur at the ‘foot’ of the wheelbarrow ‘legs’ and represent the split ‘hoof’ of an animal. To accentuate this reference to an animal, MIG welds were applied above the ‘hoofs’ to create an organic line, evocative of ‘hair’. With the exception of a small painted detail on the caster fork, the majority of the surface detail of the material used has been left as it was found.

Left: Drawing from sketchbook (2012) Ballpiont pen, pencil on paper.

Right: Detail Pan (2012)

the chairman (patriarch)

the chairman (2012) Brass trumpet painted red, two orange buoys, two pairs of super large bare beige ladies stockings, forged metal, found office chair base, found wooden chair, found metal objects, black inner tubing, spotlight, cable ties, black electrical cord.

3.1 x 0.9 x 0.7m (H x L x W)

The chairman consists of two large ‘testicles’ from which a long braced ‘neck’ extends to support a red ‘mouth’. As the tallest structure in the installation it forms a pair with another sculpture the hostess. The lower part of the sculpture consists of a cylinder mounted on an office-chair’s wheeled base. The cylinder is connected to a thick threaded rod terminating in a caster fork that holds an elongated and slightly curved ‘spine’. The ‘spine’ is braced with metal that is forged into the wooden ‘spine’. As it curves upwards it terminates in a ‘head’, which consists of a dining-chair backrest and a brass trumpet painted red. The trumpet has been inserted through the inner tubing upholstery of the backrest and represents the ‘voice’ of the chairman. In the ‘mouth’ of the trumpet is a spotlight covered by a muffler.

The black electrical cord serving the spotlight runs through a small hole in the trumpet down the back of the ‘spine’ and forms ‘entrails’ on the ground leading to an electric socket. To balance the weight of the ‘head’ on top of the ‘spine’ two large ‘testicles’ are suspended at the bottom end of the ‘spine’. These testicles’, two orange buoys, are suspended in flesh coloured stockings and dangle above the office chair-base.

Left: Drawing from sketchbook (2012) Ballpiont pen and color fineliner on paper.

Right: Detail the chairman (2012)

the hostess (bride)

the hostess (2012) Bentwood chair frames, large round laboratory flask, decorative light fitting, stainless steel chain, forged metal, found metal objects, grommets, halogen spotlight, inner tubing, small round mirror, cable ties, black electrical cord.

1.9 x 0.7 x 0.7m (H x L x W)

The hostess consists of an empty ‘womb’ suspended above a large ‘corset’ structure bound to a grotesque ‘foot’. The forged-metal frame is an arabesque design painted a neutral grey and signal red. The apex of the frame terminates in a curving ‘spine’ from which the ‘womb’, a large round laboratory flask, is suspended. The‘womb’ is lit by a spotlight. Underneath the ‘womb’ brightly painted segments of bentwood chairs form a ‘corset’ structure, from which three ‘legs’ descend. Of these, two are similar and terminate in fine insect like ‘feet’; while the third is bound to the ‘corset’ with black inner tubing strips. The bound ‘leg’ ends in a large grotesque cast-iron ‘foot’ which has been painted red. The hostess and the chairman together form the power couple.

Left: Drawing from sketchbook (2012) Ballpiont pen, color fineliner and ink on paper.

Right: Detail the hostess (2012)

the pervert (infection)

the pervert (2012) Found bicycle rear view mirror, two blue light-bulbs, hand drill mechanism, electric drill motor, forged metal, found agricultural metal objects, hospital trolley frame, inner tubing, PVC T-joint, round make up mirror, halogen spotlight, cable ties, two toilet plungers, black electrical cord.

1.1 x 1.3 x 0.5m (H x L x W)

the pervert consists of a large black ‘stomach’ supported on short ‘legs’ hiding a mechanistic ‘penis’ and two small blue ‘testicles’. The ‘stomach’ is lodged in a round metal tube supported on two short ‘legs’ at its rear. The ‘stomach’ is constructed from three black inner tubes stitched on top of each other in an ascending order from large at the bottom to small at the top.

A contorted ‘spine’ made from found agricultural objects further supports the ‘stomach’. Long ‘arms’ terminate in two toilet-plungers extending upwards from the round metal tube supporting the sculpture against a wall.

Between the connection of the ‘arms’ and the round metal tube, a hand drill mechanism, electric drill motor and two blue light-bulbs protrude to suggest ‘genitals’. The blue light of the ‘testicles’ casts the sculpture in a strong silhouette while the light source underneath throws a strong shadow against the ceiling and wall against which the sculpture leans. Beneath the black ‘stomach’ cable ties suggests ‘pubic hair’ and a round mirror reflects the light of a small spotlight. This produces the shadow play for the rest of the installation.

Left: Drawing from sketchbook (2012) Ballpiont pen, color fineliner and ink on paper.

Right: Detail the pervert (2012)

the glutton (force and power)

the glutton (2012) Vacuum cleaner, found shopping trolley, found metal objects, gas bottle, green spotlight, hospital trolley caster, inner tubing, rusted rake head, plastic mesh, ribbed plastic duct, scrubbing brushes, cable ties, small orange enema, black electrical cord.

1.1 x 1.3 x 0.5m (H x L x W)

The glutton consists of a large black ‘stomach’ from which a long flexible ‘throat’ extends and terminates in a grotesque ‘mouth’. The ‘stomach’ is produced by stitching black inner tubes onto a large plastic and metal ‘skeleton’ of which the frontal section is supported by the contorted frame of a shopping trolley. Assembled from a vacuum cleaner head and supported by a green hospital trolley wheel, the ‘mouth’ houses a green spotlight, representing a large green ‘eye’. Attached to the base of the vacuum cleaner are three small broom heads with pale yellow bristles.

A rusted rake head protrudes from the ‘mouth’ to represent a ‘skeletal jaw and sharp teeth’. From the ‘mouth’ above the green wheel, extends a vertical arch constructed from a found exhaust pipe and water duct joints. Painted green, the assembly creates a unified tube that holds up a ‘gizzard’ represented by a red vacuum-cleaner dust bag. The connection between the ‘neck’ and ‘gizzard’ is covered with coarse ‘black hair’ made from plastic mesh cut into strips. A flexible light grey air-conditioning duct represents the elongated ‘throat’ which slots over a metal cylinder, that is joined with a bracket to the frame of the shopping trolley. The metal cylinder terminates in a metal assemblage representational of a ‘diaphragm’. The ‘diaphragm’ is assembled from an exhaust cylinder and dented top of a gas bottle and is painted black. A strip of metal mesh is welded over a tear in the ‘diaphragm’ to suggest a laced up corset.

Further details on the surface, made by MIG welds, suggest nipples on either side of the tear.

Left: Drawing from sketchbook (2012) Ballpiont pen, color fineliner and ink on paper.

Right: Detail the glutton (2012)

Group A, Conceptual Study 1: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group A, Conceptual Study 2: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group A, Conceptual Study 3: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group A, Conceptual Study 4: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group B, Conceptual Study 1: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group B, Conceptual Study 2: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Group B, Conceptual Study 3: cannibals’ banquet (2012) Dry point, hard ground and aquatint, sugar lift on bronze and recycled copper plates.

50 x 40cm (unframed)

Left: the mistress of ceremonies (2012) Charcoal, pastel, contĂŠ, china marker and oil paint 1.55 x 1.55m (framed)

Right: Detail the mistress of ceremonies (2012)

Left: spine (2012) Charcoal, pastel, contĂŠ, china marker and oil paint 1.55 x 1.55m (framed)

Right: Detail spine (2012)

Isabelle Grobler is a South African artist specialising in sculptural installation, printmaking, and drawing.

Her work explores absurdities inherent to the manifestation of power and authority in social and economic relations. Using a variety of discarded and obsolete objects she creates surreal environments populated by hybrid machines/organisms constructed from urban debris. These suffocating spaces are dreamlike: based on reality, but reconfigured by the unconscious, where recognisable things and ideas have been shuffled and reinterpreted to produce a Kafkaesque ambiguity. The residents of this space vacillate, like Frankenstein’s monster, between the threatening and the pathetic, representing a transformation of dead things into unclassifiable beings.

Isabelle received her under-graduate degree at the University of the Free State and graduated with her MFA at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town in 2012. She currently lives in Cape Town where she works as an artist and is a lecturer in the Graphic Design department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

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