An Untold Tale I

“We are part human, part stories. Homo Fabula: we are storytelling beings.” – Ben Okri in A Way Of Being Free, p.92, 2014. 

“It is possible that stories have been around for as long as we have, they help us understand the world, ourselves and those around us. The stories we tell ourselves along with the stories we read and write influences who we are and who we become. It was during the making process of these works that the artist started thinking more about the importance of stories. Each diptych, individual work or series prods at this idea. Stories, as are the images, are multi-layered and as such, each will have a different reading depending on the viewers perspective. And with time, our perspectives shift and change, again allowing for another reading all together. 

Most of the titles refer to expressions that we might use while in conversation. Works like I Almost Forgot or What Was It Called Again? hint toward a story that we are telling or one that is being told to us. The slight amnesia of these titles suggest an oral telling and retelling of stories. While, An Untold Tale and The Stories We Tell Ourselves are more closely linked to an inner dialogue; a narrative where we are the author. Lastly, the two works: I Can’t Quite Understand You and Not Quite have a faint reference to a misunderstanding where some details become fuzzy or unclear through the act of retelling or even translating.” – Olivia Botha