Fine art printmaker Helen Brent Cooper will present her first solo exhibition at the National Arts Festival this year (27 June - 7 July).
A collection of Intaglio Prints, her exhibition, The Red Shoe Diaries, will be on show at the Carinus Annex in Donkin Street, from 9am to 5pm daily.
In this collection of 25 works, Helen employs exciting experimental and traditional printmaking techniques and paper casting, to explore the concepts of identity, exclusion and ‘otherness’.
“The inspiration for this exhibition started as an emotional response to a period of my life when I was being ostracized by a small group of people,” says Helen. “My sister likened it to Vianne in Joanne Harris’ Chocolat, who was frowned upon, partly because she wore red shoes. Harris wrote ‘our clothing marks us as strangers’ and this was the launch pad for some of my pieces.
“I was working on a series from a previous plate and it naturally progressed,” says Helen. “I began to explore ways of etching movement directly onto copper and aluminium plates. A lot of this work was a way of releasing frustration about people’s attitude and treatment of others.”
Helen adds that she likes to explore different methods, so while she still etches on copper, she has also started etching using destructive ground techniques on aluminium and copper. “Oddly I have always resisted monoprint but suddenly, nearly two years after studying at Curwen Print Studio in England, I’m fascinated, so the exhibition will also include monoprint combined with drypoint and various etching techniques.
“Printmaking is like alchemy. I love the entire process, whether it is rocking a plate for mezzotint or preparing the plate for the first marks. I usually work my plates quite intensely and am known for using a number of techniques on one plate. Sometimes I’ll work the plate till it’s almost entirely eaten. Although my ideas often stem from serious issues, there is a tongue-in-cheek element to my work.”
Originally from East London, Helen is a Cape Town resident who is well-known in the theatre world for the small, independent theatre Kalk Bay Theatre, and production company, KBT Productions, which she runs with her husband, Simon. She started painting in 2002 and, after taking part in a course with printmaker Alma Vorster in 2008, she was hooked.
Helen has studied printmaking extensively in South Africa and England, including classes with Alma Vorster, Peter Wray and Niki Hampson. Her first exhibition, Imprints, was a joint exhibition with Alma, presented at last year’s National Arts Festival. She is delighted to be returning to Grahamstown with her first solo exhibition.
Future plans include collaborating with Niki Hampson to experiment with ways of combining paper and etching to capture rain. Helen will also be studying to further hone her lithography and photography skills.
The Red Shoe Diaries will take place at the Carinus Annex, Donkin Street, from 9am to 5pm daily.
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