Together the pieces illustrate Brand's continued interest in the appropriation and homogenisation of global, indigenous cultural artefacts, costume and sculpture.
He has attempted formally to mimic this issue by utilising and transforming everyday household items, sourced from discarded plastic objects and packaging materials, into conceptual works. The making of the various pieces, as objects of desire, was an intentional focus of the exhibition.
"Brand's work has long been distinguished by his use of non-traditional sculptural materials to make strong but increasingly nuanced comments on aspects of South African social history and life. Transit is no different and, essentially, breathes new life into otherwise useless materials. It really reflects his love for working with different materials and mediums," said Paul Bayliss, Absa Gallery's curator.
Brand holds a Fine Art (Sculpture) degree from the Michaelis School of Fine Art. He made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s with large sculptures and installations that questioned political issues of the time and that made bold political statements of their own.
He went on to win a number of art awards, including jointly winning the FNB Vita Art Award in 1996; being named festival artist at Aardklop in 2002 and at the Cultavaria Festival in 2007; and, most recently, winning the Mercedes-Benz South Africa 2008 Award for Art in Public Spaces.
Transit runs from 8 to 25 October, 2012, at the Absa Art Gallery, 161 Main Street, Joburg. Members of the public are requested to bring their ID books along for parking and entry purposes.
