AT: Were you somewhat surprised by winning the Absa Atelier Awards, I mean not only you won the award on an installation, you also are from Bloemfontein, does this give you a sense that the Judges are on the ball. EJ: It has almost been a week now, and I can still not believe that I have actually won the Absa L’Atleier! It feels almost to huge to grasp! But I also feel very proud - especially being the first artist from Bloemfontein to win! From the 77 artists that were selected for the final exhibition, at the Absa Gallery, ten of us were from Bloemfontein, so I definitely think Bloemfontein is on the rise… J

I was also very surprised that an installation work won, but it goes to show that you should never view a work with preconceived ideas! I think what also makes my work different is that it is an interactive work and that the viewer becomes part of the process.

AT: Given the few art prizes in SA what do you feel the winning of the award does for you and your art career, as well as the chance to travel and work in Paris?

EJ: It’s really amazing that corporate companies like Absa work with SANAVA to invest in young artist! By winning this competition I have gained so much exposure and I can’t even start to think how much I will be able to learn and grow from this experience! - Paris for 6 months, with free access to galleries and museums, a chance to work full time on my art, and a solo exhibition in the Absa Gallery on my return. This is an amazing opportunity and I truly hope to make the most of it.



AT: Given the status and publicity that the award brings, could you tell us more about what your work involves, especially the relationship between you and your choice of medium and message, especially in light of your winning work?

EJ: In my work, Selective Unveiling, I played with the idea of myself, the artist, being a collector, scientist, archaeologist and biologist. I decided to reveal a tad of my obsessive nature when it comes to collecting objects as my ‘scientific side’ needs to document and categorize everything and my ‘artist side’ playing with the fictional possibilities and aesthetic side of a collection and collecting system. As an obsessive collector I’m constantly on the lookout, especially on our family farm near Brandfort, for small natural objects laying around. I see it as my duty to preserve and ‘save’ these objects. This is all part of my private self and when I decided to open up this side by means of my art, I also opened myself up for possible critique and judgment . For this reason I brought in the microscope and projector in my work. A microscope is usually seen as a very private and intimate viewing device, reserved for one person, but by connecting it to a real time projector, the viewer is also robbed of their privacy.

AT:What are you currently doing and how do you what to go from here, do you have exhibitions planned, were can we see more of your ideas and work?

EJ: I am currently a lecturer in Drawing and History of Graphic design at MGI’s Bloemfontein campus and plan to take sabbatical leave for my 6 months stay in Paris. I am in a fortunate position to be in a working environment where I can have the opportunity to teach and still have time to do research and work on my art. On my return from Paris, as part of my L’Atelier prize, I will have the opportunity for a solo exhibition in the Absa Gallery during 2014. Apart from going to Paris next year, I am also working on a collaborated exhibition with USA artist Brian Collier, that will take place in New York, next year February (sponsored by the Friends Academy (NY) and The Arts and Culture Trust (RSA)).

If you would like to see more of my work in the meantime, you are welcome to “like” my Facebook page “Elrie Joubert – Artist / Collector” where you will be able to join me in my exciting journey in the future.