Judith Mason

Judith Mason is a painter and graphic artist of symbolic and mythological landscapes, figures and portraits. Mason works primarily in oils and pencil but has also incorporated various graphic media and found objects in her work as well as making a number of artists' books.

Judith Mason's work is drawn or painted in reaction to her world: political events, comments that she has read, snippets of history or poetry which have caught her eye, or the experience of particular people or animals which are usually used in a symbolic context.

Depending on the impulse which drives the artwork, her images may be expressionist (The Furies"), or classical ("A Dante Bestiary'), simply representational ("Citrus Shadows"), humorous ("Listening to Beethoven") or symbolic ("The Man who Sang and the Woman who Kept Silent"). Christian or Hindu mythology is an undercurrent in many of her works ("Gethsemane", "Shiva Slowing Down").

Judith Mason's early work tended to be more abstract than her current work. At present she uses trompe l'oeil and delicately detailed passages as a contrast to paint washes and splash marks. In recent years she has attempted to destroy the 2-dimentional nature of the canvas by using juxtaposed hexagons or layers of traced splash marks to create a matrix suggesting movement and depth, and in which objects are held in an ambiguous, flickering space. Judith Mason's characteristic of heightening the emotional impact in her work leads to images, which move the spectator, often in a strong way.

Artists Statement:
" I paint in order to make sense of my life, to manipulate various chaotic fragments of information and impulse into some sort of order, through which I can glimpse a hint of meaning. I am an agnostic humanist possessed of religious curiosity who regards making artworks as akin to alchemy. To use inert matter on an inert surface to convey real energy and presence seems to me a magical and privileged way of living out my days"
Judith Mason 2004

After completing her Fine Arts degree at The University of the Witwatersrand she went on to teach drawing, painting and history of art at Wits University from 1964 to 1978. Mason also taught temporarily at the Michaelis School of Art (University of Cape Town) and at Pretoria University. Lectured at Scoula Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, Italy from 1989-91 and has acted as external examiner for under-graduate and post-graduate degrees at Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Natal, Stellenbosch and Cape Town Universities.

Judith Mason has exhibited extensively throughout South Africa and has participated in exhibitions throughout europe and the USA since 1964.Represented South Africa at the Venice Biennale, 1966, Sao Paolo Biennale 1973,Brazil, Valparaiso Biennale 1979, Chile and Houston Arts Festival 1980, USA.

Retrospective Exhibition 'A Prospect of Icons", Standard Bank Gallery, Gauteng, 2008.
'A Prospect of Icons", Sasol Gallery, University of Stellenbosch 2009

For more information on Judith Mason take a look at her website.

Artists

Lithographs 2010

Mason recently completed a suite of prints using this technique. Bits of fabric and tissue are used to apply the ink, which allows for beautiful and subtle mark making. Combined with the translucency of the ink the images of pomegranates that she has used seem to glow from the paper surface. On can almost touch the “wet translucency” of the juice from the smashed fruit in the one print.

The artist worked onto a sheet of clear plastic with coloured inks with the image reading the same way it will be in the final print. She worked with the actual ink colour that was used the final print (as opposed to working in black pencil or tusche). Mark adds,” this allows the artist to see what they have and what the print will look like as they build it up”. When the artist is satisfied, the image is transferred onto the printing plate, the plate is processed, and the proofs are pulled. The results speak for themselves.

Lithographs, 2008

Artists Statement:

"As I am about to enter my eighth decade, I decided to create a portfolio of eight prints to celebrate(!) the occasion. A portfolio, which would explore some of the themes that have tantalised me all my life. Then followed a few happy weeks of collaboration with the printers who patiently proofed my work and its numerous corrections, and made me feel that I knew what I was doing".Judith Mason, September 2008

The Muse Series, lithographs 2006