About The Bird's artist: George Holloway

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George John Holloway

I am an Afrikaans boy from Stellenbosch who found his creative rootstock in Durban.

Before my training in Fine Arts at Technikon Natal – now Durban University of Technology – I worked broadly in sculptural media for many years.

I grew up in my dad's workshop with wood and woodworking tools before graduating to my brother’s model building studio with silicone moulds, resins and metalwork.

During my stay in Johannesburg I worked on film and TV sets for two years before coming to Durban to do my Fine Art diploma. With Andries Botha and Jeremy Wafer as my major influences I majored in sculpture.

During my studies I developed an affinity for working in found objects. The appeal was twofold.

Firstly found objects have a history,  they were made for a purpose, fulfilled that purpose, were discarded and began another life in the streets. The second part of their lives is where they develop texture and a patina that is unique.

Secondly I was partaking in recycling, although it was on a small scale. I collected 'waste' from the streets and redeemed it, elevating it to the level of sculpture. Instead of purchasing new materials, using what I need and discarding the rest, I scouted for waste material, used it all and recycled the rest.

After completing my studies, I worked in various commercial sculptural environments. During this time I acquired knowledge of a broad range of commercial and industrial materials, processes and design skills. A primary art making skill I uncovered for the first time was sculpting in foam on a monumental scale. I also completed my first wildlife sculpture in the form of a Fish Eagle. This was a frontispiece for a housing complex in Zinkwazi and was reproduced in fibreglass.

These skills along with my conceptual training at art school have positioned me rather uniquely in the art world, both as sculptor and fine art contractor.

To the project at hand -The Bird will be constructed with a 25mm square tubing structural core covered with a network of 6mm roundbar. I include pictures of similar construction used in an elephant I did for Andries Botha recently.

Over this framework I will fix metal flight feathers of recycled tin, feathers made of slate roof tiles and plastic bottles and panels of chicken mesh that will be woven with plastic packets. The plastic bottles and packets will add bright and 'unnatural' colour to the bird that will add weight to the central message of birds under threat.

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Work in progress: Baby Elephants for Andries Botha's exhibition at the Everard Read GalleryCirca on Jellicoe, Rosebank, Johannesburg from 4 - 28 August 2011
(download)

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