Art on the block
Durban artist Kylie Wentzel’s bold and colourful art is evolving through ’intuition, observation and trial and error’
WWhere did it all start?
It began with craft paint and big sheets of paper in the garden of my childhood home in Redhill, Durban. We lived across the road from a cemetery and I would often hear people talking in my room and zebras outside my window at night. The zebras probably weren’t real, but the house definitely had interesting, buzzing energy — some of which came from my mom, who is an artist. She understood the importance of art and encouraged us to be creative.
Your work is so bold and colourful. How did you develop your style? Who or what were your main influences?
The work I made while studying was mostly created in the digital realm, in black and white, andwas quite finicky. I specialised in photography and new media so I did a lot of video, photo work and animation. In my third or fourth year I went to see an exhibition at the Iziko South African National Gallery called Impressions of Rorke’s Drift. The uncontrived forms and bold marks of artists like Azaria Mbatha and John Muafangejo blew my mind to the point that I started experimenting with lino printing. I think that influence is still strongly evident in my paintings. I didn’t have formal training in painting so I think my style, mark-making and use of colour have mostly evolved through intuition, arbitrary observations, trial and error.
How do you keep things fresh and original?
There’s an abundance of inspiration out there — especially in this city.
Do you have a go-to ritual for when you get stuck, or to get into the ‘zone’?
I think it’s okay to just not be in the zone sometimes. But if I’m really feeling stuck I remind myself to walk away, leave the studio, leave the house, go somewhere public and be conscious of that environment. There are so many things happening in one moment and if you really tune in, there’s so much to be inspired by. I’m also learning that messing up a painting over and over usually adds some of the most important elements to a finished work. Some days I’ll walk away in a mood, but if I don’t have time to sulk I’ll just keep going until something starts to feel right and then it’s easy to roll from there.
Whose work would you like to own, and why?
Danny Fox is probably my favourite painter of all time. I was lucky to see his work in real life and it blew me away. If I could eat my brekkie staring into one of his massive paintings at home one day that would be something else. One of my most prized possessions is a book of John Muafangejo’s lino prints and his life story. I wouldn’t know which one to choose, but I’d love one of his works. I’d also love to own one of Cameron Platter’s giant pencil on paper works or one of his dancing croc paintings, they’re hypnotisingly genius. Derrick Nxumalo is another artistic mastermind; his paintings are complex and magical and they make me feel like I’m discovering a new room in one of the first versions of Leisure Suit Larry.
What or who inspires you at the moment?
I’m inspired every time I go to the Durban beachfront. The promenade is full of energy and humans and animals and craft and innovation and culture and architecture and memory. It’s an incredibly healing place for so many and lately it’s been a great source of inspiration.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
I’d love to connect and collaborate with some of the weavers at the ELC Art and Craft Centre in Rorke’s Drift. If we could join forces and make a series of giant rugs together that would be super cool.
Describe yourself in five words?
K-itsch, Y-oung, L-abyrinth, I-n, E-Thekwini.
The best part of being an artist, and the worst?
The best thing for me is the excitement of creating something sensory out of the hidden realm of thought. The worst is probably the smell of paintbrush water when it hasn’t been changed for a while.