Jenny Mendes

I heard this song on the radio driving home late last night, a song so familiar, but listening to it in the dark, I heard it in a way that felt as if I was hearing it for the first time.  I hope you will listen.

“On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty. Today is such a day.” ~ Rumi

Hylton Nel is a master of combining whimsy with satire and making pointed, albeit often humorous, references to his personal concerns as well as those of the world at large. In his work Nel seduces the eye with his sinuous line drawing and lush glazes, yet the mind is often taken aback when it comprehends the intensity of his imagery and inscriptions. Nel describes himself as an 'artist-potter' which aptly refers to his interest in painted imagery as well as form and function. Over the past four decades he has developed a style of work that is rich in references to the decorative arts and literary and art historical sources. His plates, bowls, vases, plaques and figurative pieces are idiosyncratically decorated with witty - and sometimes poignant - line drawings and script. His imagery ranges from penises to Madonnas, and from cats through to angels, and his quotes are drawn from poetry and the daily press as well as his observations of the world around him. He pres...