Fourie, Andries

 

The main work I made for this exhibition represent an exploration of form, mass and negative space.  As such it is a departure from the rest of my work, which is driven largely by narrative and conceptual content.

The most dangerous trap an artist can fall into is to make decisions purely by default.  Making art demands constant self-criticism and self-examination.  An artist must continuously challenge him/herself in order to grow.   In art, stasis often leads one to fall into the comfortable niche of familiarity and causes skills and one’s sense of adventure to atrophy.

My initial art training prepared me to be a formalist.  My work has since moved very far away from formalism and abstraction, but every now and then I feel compelled to revisit the way of working that was once such an integral part of my artistic identity.

Even the most dedicated conceptualist cannot ignore the formal aspects of artmaking (design, color, form), because form is the very basis of artistic expression.  Form and design are to art what grammar is to language: an indispensable foundation on which everything else (including meaning) is built.

With this in mind I set out to make five formal objects in the completely opposite manner from my current habitual process.  I didn’t just want to employ composition in a different way, but I also wanted to confirm or reject my current way of working.

I learnt a number of things from this self-imposed exercise.  The first is that materiality is extremely important, and that even in abstraction materiality has its own kind of meaning

The second lesson has to do with the nature of freedom and its inseparable opposite, constraint. While making this abstract work I enjoyed a greater degree of freedom than I normally do when I must balance form and meaning, but I also missed the demands and challenges of aligning design to concept or narrative. Freedom can be exhilarating, but sometimes we delight just as much in facing a creative problem that involves navigating obstacles or dealing with constraints, and forces us to push against self-imposed limitations.

I suppose my favorite part of this exercise is that it did what art does so well sometimes: it taught me something about myself.  It allowed me to compare the artist I am now with the artist and person that I used to be.   It confirmed some of the choices I made in the past, and caused me to question others.  I have no doubt that it will affect the aesthetic decisions that I make in the future.

Born

1968  Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa

Education

2002  MFA (Art Studio), University of California, Davis

1999-2000  Graduate study, Indiana University, Bloomington, Studio Art - Sculpture

1. M.A. California State University, Sacramento, Art Studio 

1. B. A. California State University, Sacramento, Art Studio (Summa Cum Laude)

1995  A.A.  Sacramento City College, Art

 

One Person Exhibitions

2010  (January) South Africa: Examining the Hybrid Self, Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Portland OR

2009  (November) From the Heart of Darkness to the Rainbow Nation, Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts. Eugene OR

2009  (July-August)  Andries Fourie, Project Space II, Salem Art Association, Salem OR

2008  (April-May) Andries Fourie: Recent Work, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem OR

2006  Andries Fourie, Carnegie Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Covington, KY

2003  Andries Fourie, Project Space, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA

• Andries Fourie, Sculptures and Paintings, Gregory Kondos Gallery, Sacramento City College, Sacramento CA

2001  Andries Fourie, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1999  Andries Fourie, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1. The Aesthetics of Order, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1998  Andries Fourie: Recent Works, R.W. Witt Gallery, CSU Sacramento CA

1998  Structure:  Sculpture by Andries Fourie, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1998  The Aesthetics of Function, Clarksburg Pottery Gallery, Clarksburg CA

 

Selected Group Exhibitions

2010 (May) Nicky Marais, Mikko Ijas, Andries Fourie, Gallery 77, Windhoek, Namibia

2009  (October) The 7^th Around Oregon Annual Exhibition, The Art Center, Corvallis OR

2009 (September) Tulipamwe 2009 Exhibit, Franco-Namibian Culture Center, Windhoek, Namibia

2009  (March) Palimpsest: Kim Fink & Andries Fourie, Dan & Gail Cannon Gallery, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR  

2009  (March) Juxtaposed, Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR

2009  (March) Apparatus, UTSA Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX

2008  (September) Andries Fourie: New Steel Sculptures, Pamela Skinner and Gwenna Howard Fine Art, Sacramento CA

2008  (September) Electoral Collage: Art and Politics in 2008, Hoffman Gallery, Oregon College of Art and Craft, Portland OR

2008  (September) Willamette University at George Fox, Minthorne Gallery, George Fox University, Newberg OR

2008  (July) Transplants: Jonathan Bucci, Andries Fourie, David Oudeis, Projects Space, Salem                         Art Association, Salem OR

2008  (June) Here and Now, Project Space, Salem Art Association, Salem OR

2008  (June) Off the Grid, Pamela Skinner and Gwenna Howard Fine Art, Sacramento CA

2008  (May) Different Spokes, Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, Salem OR

2007  (December) Diaspora, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

2007  The Around Oregon Annual, ArtCentric, Corvallis OR

2007  Artists Who Teach, Bush Barn Art Center, Salem Art Association, Salem OR

2007  Negotiating Identities in Africa and in the African Diaspora, Schmucker Art Gallery. 

          Gettysburg College, Gettysburg PA

2007  Radius 25, Salem Art Association Gallery, Salem OR

2005 Ohio Art League Fall Juried Exhibition, Shot Tower Gallery, Columbus OH

2005  Regional Printmaking Exhibition, Elaine L. Jacob Gallery, Wayne State U., Detroit MI

2005  On the Pedestal, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland OH

2005  Faculty Exhibition, Coburn Gallery, Ashland University, Ashland OH

2004  Fabrications, WomanMade Gallery, Chicago IL

2004  Ashland University Juried Art Exhibition, Coburn Gallery, Ashland OH

2004  Mansfield Art Center Annual Fall Show, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield OH

2004  Ohio Art League Spring Juried Exhibition, Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield OH

2004  Annual All-Ohio Juried Art Exhibition, Pearl Conrad Art Gallery, OSU, Mansfield OH

2004 2003  Danger, L.H. Horton Jr. Gallery, Delta College, Stockton CA

2003  The Other Side, B. Sakata Garo, Sacramento CA

2003  Andries Fourie & Mike Sirl, Recent Work,  B. Sakata Garo, Sacramento CA

2002  Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, The Richard L. Nelson Gallery, UC Davis, Davis CA

• Mine, Memorial Union Gallery, UC Davis, Davis CA
• Sacramento City College Faculty Exhibition, Gregory Kondos Gallery, Sacramento City College, Sacramento CA

2001  Prepwork, Pence Gallery, Davis CA

2000  Mind’s Eye, Memorial Union Gallery, UC Davis, Davis CA

2000  6/6, SOFA Gallery, IUB, Bloomington IN

2000  Fortune Cookie, Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento CA

1999  Till Death Do Us Part, Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento CA

1999  Master of Arts Graduation Exhibition, Robert Else Gallery, CSU Sacramento CA

1. Dog Eat Dog World, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1. Andries Fourie, Lane Elliot, Shawn Sullivan, Diane Williams, Excentrique Gallery,                                                    

Sacramento CA

1. Graduate Award Exhibition, Robert Else Gallery, CSU, Sacramento CA

1. Alice in Wonderland, Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

1. Transitions, R.W. Witt Gallery, CSU Sacramento CA

1. Kendall Le Compte, Michaele Le Compte, Amy Graham, Andries Fourie, Jeffrey Ferrando, 

Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento CA

 

Public Art and Installation Commissions

1. The Music Building, California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento CA

2000 Trinity Episcopal Church, Bloomington IN

 

Selected Collections

College of the Arts, Windhoek, Namibia

The University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia

Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem OR

California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento CA

Sacramento City College, Sacramento CA

 

Lectures/ Workshops/ Presentations/Guest Critiques/Jurying

2009 (December) Workshop “How does Sculpture Work?”, DIVA, Eugene, OR

2009 (December) Artist lecture, Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts, Eugene, OR

2009 (August) Artist Lecture, Tulipamwe International Artist’s Workshop, Okakarara, Namibia

2009  (February) Sub-Saharan African Sculpture in Cultural Context, Institute for Continued Learning, Willamette University, Salem OR

2008 (October), Sculpture Workshop, Oregon Art Education Association Conference, Florence OR

2008 (September), Artist Lecture, George Fox University, Newberg, OR

2008  (August), Artist Lecture, Project Space, Salem Art Association, Salem OR

2008 (May) Juror, Annual Juried Student Exhibition, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR

2008  (April 15^th) Gallery Talk, in conjunction with “Andries Fourie: Recent Work” at the Hallie Ford Art Museum, Salem OR

2008  (April) Lecture, “Elements and Concepts of 3-D Design”, Institute for Continued Learning, Willamette University, Salem OR

2008  (Mar 13^th) Panel Discussion, “Properties of Paint Symposium” in conjunction with the James Lavadour exhibition at the Hallie Ford Art Museum in Salem OR  

2008  (Feb.19^th) Gallery Talk, ”How African Sculpture Liberated Western Art” in conjunction with the Yoruba Sculpture exhibit at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem OR

2007  (Dec) Lecture, in conjunction with “Diaspora”, Pence gallery, Davis CA

2007  Panel Discussion, Environmental Art, Salem Art Association, Salem OR

2007 (June) 7 Student and teacher workshops, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

2007 (June) Public Sculpture in the United States, Department of Art, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, public lecture

2007 (March) Conference Panel Member, Interrogating Issues of Citizenship, Identity, Ethnicity and Race, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg PA 

 

2006 (February) Andries Fourie, Recent Work, Willamette University, Salem OR, lecture

2006 (January) Reconciliation, Ashland Center for Non-Violence, Ashland University, Ashland OH, panel discussion

2006  (January) Andries Fourie, Recent Work, Brandon University, Manitoba, Canada, lecture

2005  (November) White Myths and Black Realities: White Upbringing in Apartheid Era South Africa, Ohio State University Mansfield, Mansfield OH, multi-media lecture

2005  (July) Wesleyan University, Middletown CT, artist lecture

2005  (March) State Juror, Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, Columbus Ohio

2003  (October) Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield OH, slide lecture

2003  (July) Ashland University Art Department, Ashland OH, slide lecture

1. (June) Andries Fourie, Recent Work, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito CA, slide lecture
2. (May) Andries Fourie, Recent Work, California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento CA, slide lecture 

• (January) The Roots of Apartheid and the Price of Afrikaner Nationalism, University of California, Davis, Dept. of Political Science, Davis CA

• (November)Guest Critique, Southern Oregon University at Ashland, Dept of Art, Ashland OR

• (February) Andries Fourie, Recent Work, Southern Oregon University, Dept of Art, Ashland OR, Slide Lecture

• Andries Fourie,  Sculptures and Paintings, Sacramento City College, Sacramento CA, gallery talk and slide lecture
• Reality, Non-Reality and Symbol in Southern San Rock Art, Napa College, Napa CA, slide lecture 

 

Curating

2009 The Sordid Life of Toys: Photographs by Dennis Raines, Roger W. Rogers Gallery, Willamette Universisty, Salem OR

2008  Tropic: New Drawings by Richard Martinez, Roger W. Rogers Gallery, Willamette         University, Salem OR

Reviews & Articles

2009 Steffen, Suzi, Question, Memory: Andries Fourie Deals with South African identity at the DIVA, Eugene Weekly, 12/16/09

2008 Shoka, Sacramento News and Review, “Quadrupartal”, 06/26/08

2008  Evans, Sarah, The Scene, “Reconciling Self”, Spring 2008

2008  Cowan, Ron, Statesman Journal, “Seeking Answers”, Saturday April 19

2007  Munich, Suzanne, The Davis Enterprise, “Far from home: richly varied show celebrates international origins”, Friday December 21

2007  Cowan, Ron, Statesman Journal, “Radius 25 showcases strength of area art scene” March 11

2004  Rall, Renee, The Collegian, “Annual Faculty Art Show Opens to the Public”, January 22

2003 Lachtman, Howard The Stockton Record (The Record Today), “Dangerous Concepts”, September 6

2003  Cebulski, Frank, Artweek, “ Danger at San Joaquin Delta College”, October 

2003  Rall, Renee, The Collegian, “AU Sculptor Wins Art Show”, October 16

2003  Kowalewski, Jennifer, Mansfield News Journal, October 2

2003  White, Tim, Sacramento News & Review, February 20

2003  Dalkey, Victoria, The Sacramento Bee, February 16

2003  Dalkey, Victoria, The Sacramento Bee, January 5

2002  Moyle, Marilyn, The Davis Enterprise, June

2002 Dixon, Katey, The California Aggie, March

2002  Moyle, Marilyn, The Davis Enterprise, March

2001  Warren, Spring, The Davis Enterprise, January

2000  Warren, Spring, The Davis Enterprise, November

1999  Rose, Mckenna, The Davis Enterprise, January

1. Blunk, Dawn, Sacramento Magazine, December

1998  Shear, Irving, River News Herald, February

 

Residencies and Workshops

2009  Tulipamwe Artist’s Workshop, Okakarara, Namibia

2002-2003  MFA Studio Award, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito CA

Awards, Grants and Scholarships

2010  Graves Award

2009  Lilly Foundation Summer Faculty Research Grant

2009  Travel Funding, Willamette University

2009  Atkinson Faculty Development Grant, Willamette University

2009  Junior Faculty Research Leave, Willamette University

2007  Atkinson Summer Research Grant, Willamette University

2004  Jury Award, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield OH

2003  Edward Frey Award, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield OH

2001  Summer Research Fellowship, University of California, Davis.

2001  Block Grant, University of California, Davis

2001  University Grant, University of California, Davis

2000  Nelson Artreach Grant, Nelson Artfriends, University of California, Davis

2000  Artsbridge Scholarship, University of California, Davis

2000  Block Grant, University of California, Davis

2000  University Grant, University of California, Davis

1999  Fee Scholarship, Indiana University, Bloomington

1999  Chancellor’s Fellowship, Indiana University, Bloomington

1998  Increase Robinson Memorial Fellowship, California State University, Sacramento

1997  R.W. Witt Scholarship Award, California State University, Sacramento

 

Employment

2006-present Assistant Professor of Art (Sculpture), Willamette University, Salem OR

2003-2006 Assistant Professor of Art (Sculpture), Ashland University, Ashland OH

2002-2003 Education Program Manager, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento CA

2001-2003 Adjunct Instructor, Sacramento City College, Sacramento CA

2001-2003 Part-Time Instructor, California State University Sacramento, Sacramento CA  

2002  (Summer & Spring) Associate Instructor, University of  California, Davis, Davis CA

• (Fall Quarter) Associate Instructor, Art Dept., University of California, Davis, Davis CA

2000  Assistant Preparator, Richard L. Nelson Gallery, UC Davis, Davis CA

1. (Fall Quarter) Associate Instructor, Art Dept. University of California, Davis, Davis CA

2000  Assistant Preparator, Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis

1999-2000  Exhibit Preparator, William H. Mathers Museum, Bloomington IN

1999-2000 Associate Instructor, School of Fine Arts, Indiana University, Bloomington IN

1998-1999 Sculpture Technician, Art Department, University of California, Davis, Davis CA

1997-1998  Assistant to Kathleen Noonan (sculptor), Carmichael CA

1995-1998  Assistant, Kendall Le Compte Design, Orangevale CA

First True Love Homage to-Noguchi Koeksisters In Patagonia