Rocky Ridge by Pauline Gutter (2024) (photo: Alice Buckley)
Pauline Gutter’s recent Pastoral ornaments exhibition is on show at Glen Carlou from 9 February to 20 March.
Trying to encapsulate the depth of Pauline Gutter’s art and her intuitive creative process in a single visit to her exhibition Pastoral ornaments is as elusive as trying to contain a wildfire in an inaccessible part of mountainous terrain. Her work ignites a sense of the wondrous brutality of the world we live in, encouraging viewers of her work to engage with their own abyss of power and fragility. In doing so, she compels her audience to reflect on humanity’s role in an ecosystem teetering on the edge of irreversible ecological harm.
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Born and raised on a cattle farm in the Free State, Gutter’s artistic focus draws directly from the soil and the farming landscapes of her upbringing. Her connection to the natural world is reflected in the dedication she describes as necessary for both farming and art.
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Born and raised on a cattle farm in the Free State, Gutter’s artistic focus draws directly from the soil and the farming landscapes of her upbringing. Her connection to the natural world is reflected in the dedication she describes as necessary for both farming and art: “Each day presents a new opportunity to refine your skills; it demands hard work, discipline and a hands-on approach, yet we remain part of greater energy forces, with the outcome always uncertain.”
Her latest exhibition offers viewers a profound journey through her recent artistic explorations. Inspired by residencies and travels ranging from the United States and France to local South African World Heritage Sites such as the Blyde River Canyon and the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, the exhibition takes the form of a visual and emotional travel journal. It captures not only the beauty of nature and its creatures, but also the complex environmental and cultural narratives surrounding them.
Heyoka (Sacred clown) by Pauline Gutter (photo: provided)
Upon entering the gallery at Glen Carlou, visitors are introduced to Heyoka, a striking oil portrait of the artist’s husband that serves almost as a gateway to the exhibition. Drawing on the native American spiritual figure of the heyoka – a sacred clown and disruptor of social norms – this piece sets the tone for her sacred journey. It invites viewers to participate in Gutter’s ritualistic exploration, offering a profound emotional connection to the works that follow.
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Pieces like The lead steer, a two-colour stone lithograph, and oil portraits such as Highlander and Reminiscing Senegal, examine the cultural and ecological significance of cattle.
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The journey’s first chapter immerses visitors in the world of bovines, showing a diversity of cattle she studied through her extensive travels across the United States. It is a theme deeply connected to Gutter’s farming heritage. Pieces like The lead steer, a two-colour stone lithograph, and oil portraits such as Highlander and Reminiscing Senegal, examine the cultural and ecological significance of cattle. Her exploration into the origins and forced migration of these species discusses how early explorers introduced them to new environments and how that still impacts societies and ecosystems today. These works invite viewers to consider the passage of time, human impact and the resilience of nature.
Before the stampede (right panel) by Pauline Gutter (photo: provided)
Beyond cattle, Gutter’s fascination with trees as silent witnesses to history finds expression in portraits of significant species. Highlights in this section of her travel journey include Jackal berry and Shangaan, a stone lithograph inspired by a tree at Lion Sands Lodge, and an oil painting of a eucalyptus tree near her studio in the Free State.
The next chapter transports visitors into landscapes inspired during her travels to the Blyde River Canyon and Baviaanskloof. Captivating works like Dancing reflections and Moss use earthy pigments on flax linen to depict her experience in the Drakensberg National Park. An oil painting titled Baviaanskloof ii, layered with texture and depth, metaphorically suggests that life’s challenges, like mountains, can be overcome with resilience.
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These works evoke both admiration for nature’s creations and concern for its exploitation.
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A series of charcoal drawings depicts Gutter’s encounters with wildlife during her residency at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. These charcoal sketches capture the vitality and vulnerability of animals like orphaned rhino calves in contrast with lion cubs thriving in their natural habitat. One haunting piece, Watchful, features the intense gaze of a lemur, confronting viewers with the problem of exotic species being confined as “pastoral ornaments” for entertainment and profit. These works evoke both admiration for nature’s creations and concern for its exploitation.
The exhibition culminates in The soul of the ape, a monumental oil portrait of a chacma baboon. This soulful and contemplative piece acts as a mirror, reflecting humanity’s inseparable connection to nature and our potential for both destruction and redemption. It serves as a fitting conclusion to a sacred journey that began with the heyoka and unfolded through landscapes, wildlife and poignant symbols of environmental fragility.
Soul of the ape by Pauline Gutter (photo: provided)
What makes Pastoral ornaments particularly unique is Gutter’s ability to channel life’s essence into her works. Each piece is not merely a physical representation, but a convergence of energy and spirit. Her signature technique involves using natural pigments from the habitats she studies, layering textures and mark-making to evoke a profound sense of time and place. Like an alchemist, Gutter preserves the spirit of her subjects, creating timeless portraits that resonate deeply with her viewers.
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Her signature technique involves using natural pigments from the habitats she studies, layering textures and mark-making to evoke a profound sense of time and place. Like an alchemist, Gutter preserves the spirit of her subjects, creating timeless portraits that resonate deeply with her viewers.
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Pastoral ornaments is more than an exhibition – it is an immersive experience. It captures the raw power and delicate balance of nature while reflecting the artist’s role as a shamanic figure, channelling energy into works that speak directly to our souls. For those who step into this sacred journey, the impact of Pauline Gutter’s art is unforgettable. The “ornaments” of this sacred journey subtly weave themselves into the observer’s memory, resonating and lingering for days after the experience. It serves as a timely reminder of the beauty we must cherish and the responsibility we all share in protecting it.
View the works in the gallery here: https://storage.net-fs.com/hosting/6204981/32/.
Also read:
African library: Chasing the tails of my father’s cattle by Sindiwe Magona
South Africa – and the world at large – will feel the impact of Trump’s climate change denial
The book & the sword deur Jan K Coetzee: ’n dinamiese sinergie
Varenka Paschke oor die lewe van ’n kunstenaar en haar nuwe solo-uitstalling: ’n onderhoud
Persverklaring: Unveiled / [ont]BLOOT open 3 Mei by die Art.b Galery in Belville, Kaapstad
Persverklaring: The ephemeral nature of things, ’n uitstalling deur Laurette de Jager