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About The Artist
Mission statement
My work is narrative and figurative, and can be found somewhere on the spectrum between Magic Realism and Surrealism. My work is inspired by common occurrences which seems insignificant in terms of global social or political issues, but when scrutinized, contains the essentials of human drama. I place these everyday ideas in new and unusual contexts, thus heightening its impact due to the 'strangeness' of the resulting images. A recurring theme in my work is the relation between spirituality, myth and reality. Humor and irony is important in my work because of its communicative power; humor requires the subversion of the usual meaning of something, and subversion is an essential ingredient of creative activity.
I have worked in many media and disciplines throughout the course of my career. Currently my main creative activity is pinscreen animation and painting in gouache and aquarelle.
Artist CV
Diek Grobler obtained his BA Fine Arts degree from the University of Pretoria in 1987, a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1996 and a Phd in Art from Unisa in 2021. He has exhibited professionally since 1988 and his work is included in several major public and corporate collections. In addition to his personal artistic production Grobler has been involved in avant garde theatre and public art projects (Artwall Metrorail Art Gallery, and ATKV Filmverse) throughout his career. He has worked in a variety of media and disciplines: Ceramic sculpture, oil and gouache paintings, scraperboard drawings amongst others.
Currently he works primarily in animation, specifically pinscreen animation. He is also active as an animation researcher and theorist focussing on animated poetry, and is affiliated with the Open Window University, Zambia as a MA supervisor. He lives and works in Pretoria.
Solo- and Two-person Shows
2023: Déjà vu, Association of Arts Pretoria
2021: Animated poetry, https://diekgrobler.co.za/# (online exhibition)
2019: Love Letters, Association of Arts Pretoria
2012: Festival Artist, Inniebos Nasionale Kunstefees, Nelspruit
2010: Breytenbach Centre, Wellington
2008: Story, Gordart, Johannesburg
2008: Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
2007: Pretoria Arts Association
2006: Pretoria Arts Association
2005: Gordart. Mellville, Johannesburg
2004: The Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
2003: The Art Space, Johannesburg.
2001: Chelsea gallery, Wynberg, Cape Town
1999: Gencor Gallery, Rand Afrikaans University and Millenium Gallery, Pretoria.
1998:
1998: Two-person show at the Johannes Stegman Gallery, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein.
1998: Two-person show at the Dorp Street Gallery, Stellenbosch.
1997:
1997: The Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg
1997: Two-person show at James Colman Fine Art, London.
1997: Arts Association Pretoria
1995: Two-person show at Dorpstraat Gallery, Stellenbosch
1994: Gallery on Tyrone, Parkview, Johannesburg.
1993: Gallery on Tyrone, Parkview, Johannesburg.
1992: Two-person show at Gallery 709, Cape Town.
1990: Two-person show at SAAA Gallery , Pretoria
1989: Two two-person shows in February and December, at The Gallery on the Market, Newtown, Johannesburg
1988: First professional Exhibition: Two-Person show at Aleta Michaletos Gallery, Pretoria
Selected Group exhibitions
2015: Jump into the unknown: with nomadic art collective 9Dragonheads. Venice Biennale, Italy.
2012: Fopspeen Moving Pictures
2011: Speel-speel at Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
2009: Pretoria Artists at the Oliewenhuys Museum, Bloemfontein
2008: Agenda, Bell-Roberts Gallery, Cape Town
2007: Snert, Tina Skukan Gallery, Petoria
2007: Agenda, Platform on 18th, Pretoria
2007: Absa Exhibition of Atelier merit winners, KKNK
2006: Little Bang, Platform on 18th, Pretoria
2005: Part of the South African Delegation to the Delphic Games, Kutching, Malaysia.
2004:
Nine Dragonheads environmental art symposium, Cheong Ju City, South Korea
Gallery 88, Sasolburg
International Olympic Comitee art exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland
2003:
Hope Box/ Weather Report international art project run by Dutch artist Rienke Enghart.
"In the Mind's i" Rand Africa University gallery, Johannesburg
"Om die Bosch gelei" Mind's i art space, Pretoria.
"Fine Line" drawing exhibition, Mind's i art space, Pretoria.
"Edition" printmaking exhibition, Mind's i art space, Pretoria.
2002:
Group Exhibitions with the Korean Society of Illustrators in Prague and Peking.
Solar Eclipse Exhibition at Mind’s I art space in collaboration with the Foundation for Education, Science and Technology.
1998: Exhibition of South African Contemporary Art in the SASOL Collection: Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn.
1996:
World Environment Day exhibition: Pretoria Art Museum
’A Little Show of Drawers’ University of Pretoria Art Gallery
13 Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Over-Seas League: Over-Seas House, London and Royal College of Art, Edinburgh.
El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel, Cairo: SAAA International Project.
1995:
World Environment Day exhibition: Pretoria Art Museum.
Annual Wits Masters in Fine Art exhibition, Gertrude Posel Gallery.
1991: Love, Landscape, and Lonely escape: Gallery on the Market, Newtown.
1991-1998: Volkskas Atelier Competition exhibition
1989: Vita Art Now: Johannesburg Art Gallery
1988-1989: Volkskas Atelier Competition exhibition
1988: CLAY + : Unisa Art Gallery
1985-1988: Annual New Signatures Competition exhibition: South African Association of Art, various locations.
Awards
1988: Merit award for Sculpture, New Signatures Competition.
1993: Merit Award in Volkskas Atelier Competition
1995: Merit Award in Volkskas Atelier Competition
1996: Work selected for 13th Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Over-Seas League, London
1999: De Kat Herrie- Award ,Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
2003: Chosen as the winner, Graphic arts section, of the South African leg of the International Olympic committee art Competition.
Performance Art
2004: "Small Song", at the Nine Dragonheads environmental art symposium, Cheong Ju City, South Korea
2002: "Stories of sunlight and shadow" - a programme of three performances by Fopspeen Live Art as part of the Solar Eclipse project by Mind's i art space, in collaboration with the Foundation for Education, Science and Technology.
2001: "Pachipodium Namakwanum" a Performance conceived in collaboration with Fopspeen Live Art, performed at the Moonbox, Pretoria
2000: "Ararat" as part of the main festival program at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival. The performance was created in co-operation with singers and dancers from the Oudtshoorn community.
1999:
Presents "Die Lang Pad na Ninevé" at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, as well as the "Jong Afrikaner Anargiste" project.
Receives the De Kat Herrie-award with the two productions.
"Die Lang Pad na Ninevé" enjoys two runs in Pretoria, and is presented at arts festivals in Durban and Potchefstroom.
Organizes and presents a Live Art Festival at the Capitol Theatre, Pretoria.
1998:
Establish 'Fopspeen' Live Art Company
Creates and presents "Sewe Dae in Babel" at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, and at the Pretoria City Hall.
Presents "Populier/Poplar" at various venues, including the Universities of Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Unisa.
1997: Compile a Performance Art Show, "Boe of Baa", with works by four artists for the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival.
1993-1997:
Presents various pieces at the FNB Vita Dance umbrella
Participate in the Baesement Theatre projects organised by Pinto Ferreira, TOM performance company.
Animation
2023 Laaste Woord (Last Word) Animated film, 10 minutes. Writer, director, designer, animator. Winner Best international animation - Festival Internacional de Cortos de la Cuenca del Salado (Argentina). Winner Best Sound design - Rani Durgavati International Film Festival (India). Winner Special jury award Tracce Cinematografiche Film Fest (Italy). Finalist Golden Goblet Award, Shanghai International film Festival.
2022 Transparant van die Tongvis (Transparancy of the Sole) Poetry film of a poem by Antjie Krog. Official selection, Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Berlin. Finalist for the Weimar Poesiefilmpreis, Germany.
2020 BREATHE. Animation, 4 min. Animation & Music collaboration with composer Mart-Marie Snyman. Selected for the 10th International Video Poetry Festival, Athens; ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival, Baku, Azerbajan; Kaboom Animation Festival, the Netherlands; ALC videoart festival Alicante, Spain; Accra Animation Film Festival, Accra, Ghana.
INHALE. Animation, 4 min. Poetry-Film collaboration with South African poet Carina van der Walt and composer Mart-Marie Snyman. Shortlisted for the 2020 Weimar Poetry Film Prize (Weimar, Germany).
2019 Ruby & Roach. Animation, 6 minutes. Narrative film for children; Creative Director.
2018 Parys Suite. Animation, 13 min. Poetry-film collaboration with poet Carina van der Walt. Official selections of ZEBRA Poetry-film festival, Berlin; International Video Poetry Festival, Athens; and the 2021 Film and Video Poetry Symposium, South Pasedena, California, USA.
2017 Mon Pays. Animation, 3 min 35 sec. Poetry-film of a poem by Ousmane Moussa Diagana (Mauritania). Shortlisted for the 2018 Weimar Poetry Film Prize (Weimar, Germany), the 2018 Ó Bhéal International Poetry-Film Competition award (Cork, Ireland) and Poetry Film Live’s Film Poetry Competition award (UK) in 2019.
2016 For the birds 2 min 30. Poetry-film of a poem by Ronelda S.Kamfer
2015 Please Frog, just one sip. Drawn and cut-out animation. 10 min Narrative film for children ; Producer, Director and animator. Special award at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
2015 So much depends upon a stick in the mud. Installation of animated film, Venice Biennale, Italy. Dimensions variable. ‘Jump into the unknown’ with nomadic art collective 9Dragonheads.
2013 to 2016 Conceptualises and produces Filmverse 1 & 2 – a series of 24 animated films inspired by Afrikaans poetry. Films from both projects travelled the festival circuit, and won some awards, amongst others the Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for Best First Film by Naomi van Niekerk for an ordinary blue Monday, Annecy 2016.
2011 Saturday Night Live. Animated poetry-film of a poem by Danie Marais, various techniques. 3 min 55 sec.
In Duitsland waar die wolke in gelid marsjeer, Animated poetry-film of a poem by Danie Marais. various techniques. 3 min 20 sec.
2010 Writes and directs Uit die Bloute, a 3 min x 26 episode animated branding series for kykNET, a South African TV channel.
2009 Asturias. animated film, various techniques. 6 minutes
‘B’. Animted film, various techniques; 6 minutes
2008 Het Vogeltjes ABC . Drawn & cut-out animation. 6 min. Narrative film for children; Producer and Director. The film wins Best Animated Film for Children at the Teheran International animation festival, Iran, KROK International animation festival, Ukraine, and Tindirindis International animation festival, Lithuania.
2007 Agenda. Puppet animation. 7 min. Narrative short film; Producer and director. Awards: South African Film and Television Awards: Best animation in a Short Film. Africala online short film award, Mexico.
2006 Little Bang. Puppet animation. 12 min. Narrative short film; Producer and director. The film was selected into competition at 30+ festivals worldwide.
2005 Sanna’s Garden. Puppet film: animated television series for children
2003 Creates Animated title and inserts for comedy program Blikskottel on Kyknet (South African broadcaster)
Art Collections
Diek Grobler’s work is represented in the following public and corporate collections:
Pretoria Art Museum
Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg.
Durban Art Gallery
University of South Africa Art Collection.
University of the Orange Free State
RAU Collection
SASOL Art Collection
ABSA collection
GENCOR-collection
TELCOM-collection
SANLAM art collection
Gauteng Legislature
Rand Merchant Bank
His work is also included in various private collections in South Africa and Europe.
Articles Published
- 2023: Translation as Metamorphosis in the Animated Poetry-film. Critical Arts. Taylor & Francis Group. DOI: 10.1080/02560046.2023.2262555.
- November 2021: Animation in the art gallery. Catalogue essay for Another Time, Another Place exhibition catalogue Volume 2, an exhibition of University of Pretoria alumni from the decade before South African democracy (1984 – 1994). ISBN 978-0-620-97304-5
- February 2021: Narrative strategies in the creation of animated poetry-films. PhD thesis, University of South Africa. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/27666
- Langerman, J 2011, 'Diek Grobler: An Artist's Monograph with Intereactive Catalogue' Part I, M.A. thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria.
CONFERENCES PRESENTATION
October 2023: Animated poetry in Afrikaans: genre defining the animation production of a culture. 2023 ASIFA-CHINA International Animation Academic Conference, Changchun, China.
June 2023: Animation making language visible: Creating animated poetry. Presentation paper, Scanner animation symposium, Zagreb International Animation Festival.
December 2022: Translation as metamorphosis in the animated poetry-film. Presentation paper, Interdisciplinary Translation Studies Conference, Bloemfontein University. Bloemfontein, South Africa.
November 2022: Animation and Poetry: Animated poetry -film reflecting on the Language of Apartheid. Small Nations Animation Symposium, Edinburgh, UK.
September 2022: The construction of the kineikonic in animated poetry film. Presentation paper, 15th World Congress of Semiotics (IASS/AIS), Thessaloniki, Greece.
June 2022: Animation from the stream of consciousness: Improvisation as a production approach. Presentation paper, Annual Conference of the International society of Animation Studies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough UK.
October 2021: Poetry-film as a confluence of three rhythmic art forms. Presentation paper, VII FAIA - International Academic Forum on Animation, Cordoba, Argentina.
September 2020: Expanding on borrowed words: the animator as author in animated poetry-film. Presentation paper, Scanner animation symposium, Zagreb International Animation Festival.
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