Sortilegium’s sculptures, paintings and prints hark back to ancient divination-by-chance rituals, or sortilege, which are still practised in some places. Romans and early Christians used a version of the ritual to obtain guidance from their holy books – after concentrating their minds, the believer would randomly open pages in the hope that their page-turning would be led by divine will. The motive behind the sortilege wassaid to distinguish the good from the bad. Maritz, who has lectured in art and design at the universities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch, describes the exhibited pieces as “all exercises in gestural chance, divination through colour and texture, and a painterly sortilege of sorts”.
spirit mark-making divination sorcery
Artists: Nicolaas Maritz
Gallery: UCT Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town
Dates: 8 July 2017 – 19 August 2017
Website: (review) http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/arts-portal/maritz-exhibition-primitive-impulse-faces-off-with-spirit-energy-10570268
Pages: 93
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