At Zeitz Mocca, Cape Town until 31 October 2018
Human Nature is a debut solo exhibition that presents an extensive body of ethereal paintings created by Ruby Swinney following her graduate show at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2015.
Human Nature takes the viewer on an existential journey, prompting self-reflection as one navigates through the various curated terrains such as ‘The Province,’ ‘The Cityscape,’ ‘Water,’ ‘Nature,’ and ‘The Garden.’ It becomes clear that humans actively seek to establish a place in nature, a space that is often vastly uncontrollable. Nature’s mastery over us is evident in how its looking presence influences emotional states. In this sense, the meanings of Swinney’s paintings transcend rational thought.
In each room, the viewer is confronted with the sociological and psychological processes innate to humankind: birth, contemplation, the afterlife and transcendence. But it is rumination, at the heart of humanity, that is central to this body of work, a concept encapsulated by ‘Human Nature.’
‘Water’ is a threshold. It cautions us to retreat. Its’ menacing manner is a sign of our biological boundaries. Nature rebukes us. In striving to illuminate its mysteries, our voyeurism is exposed. ‘The Garden,’ a space of curation and cultivation, reveals the affliction of humanity roused by routine and ritual.