Corne Eksteen
Encyclopedia
Corne Eksteen is a South African visual artist.
Eksteen was born at Zastron
, South Africa on 6 October 1973. He spent most of his childhood in Ladybrand
, a bordertown on the South Africa - Lesotho
border. After completing his schooling, Corne studied fine arts at the University of Pretoria
from 1993. He studied under such well-known South African artists as Andre Naude and Diane Victor
and some of his fellow students included now well-known artists such as Wim Botha and Fredirik Eksteen. Corne's whimsical nature however took over and he dropped his studies and spent several years working as a designer in several fields, including positions as menswear designer and interior designer.
Eksteen has been working as a full-time artist since 1998 and since then has established himself internationally. He has several works in both private and public collections across the globe.
and spiritual
world. Deeply rooted in both post-modernist consumer
notions and the esoteric, his themes often warrants the term shock art
.
The work sometimes labelled as homoerotic, has a dark edgy atmosphere with the male nude taking center stage, often cropped and distorted, they are overlaid with pop iconography
and presented as everyday consumer images, as if taken from a glossy magazine. On second glance most of the work however has a metaphysical
theme, beckoning the viewer to confront their own understanding of the relationship between their body, soul and sexuality
.
Eksteen has also worked under several other names, including Rasintle Moloi and Corgoire. Under these he created more traditional work such as landscapes.
Eksteen was born at Zastron
Zastron
Zastron is a small agricultural town in the Free State province of South Africa, some 30 km from the border of Lesotho. It is situated at the foot of Aasvoëlberg , named for the rare Cape Vultures attracted by a feeding project a short distance out of town...
, South Africa on 6 October 1973. He spent most of his childhood in Ladybrand
Ladybrand
Ladybrand is a small agricultural town in the Free State province of South Africa, situated 18 km from Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. Ladybrand is one of five towns that forms the Mantsopa Local Municipality...
, a bordertown on the South Africa - Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
border. After completing his schooling, Corne studied fine arts at the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
from 1993. He studied under such well-known South African artists as Andre Naude and Diane Victor
Diane Victor
Diane Victor, renowned artist and printmaker who has established herself as a major figure in South Africa and internationally, was born in Witbank, South Africa...
and some of his fellow students included now well-known artists such as Wim Botha and Fredirik Eksteen. Corne's whimsical nature however took over and he dropped his studies and spent several years working as a designer in several fields, including positions as menswear designer and interior designer.
Eksteen has been working as a full-time artist since 1998 and since then has established himself internationally. He has several works in both private and public collections across the globe.
Themes in Art
Eksteen's work is a continual exploration of the tensions between the physicalUniverse
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
and spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
world. Deeply rooted in both post-modernist consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
notions and the esoteric, his themes often warrants the term shock art
Shock art
Shock art is contemporary art that incorporates disturbing imagery, sound or scents to create a shocking experience. While the art form's proponents argue that it is "embedded with social commentary" and most critics dismiss it as "cultural pollution", it is an increasingly marketable art,...
.
The work sometimes labelled as homoerotic, has a dark edgy atmosphere with the male nude taking center stage, often cropped and distorted, they are overlaid with pop iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
and presented as everyday consumer images, as if taken from a glossy magazine. On second glance most of the work however has a metaphysical
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
theme, beckoning the viewer to confront their own understanding of the relationship between their body, soul and sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
.
Eksteen has also worked under several other names, including Rasintle Moloi and Corgoire. Under these he created more traditional work such as landscapes.
1998
- Johannes Stegman Gallery, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Regional Atelier Exhibition, Pietersburg Art Museum, Pieterburg, South Africa
- National Atelier Exhibition, Cove Gallery, Maseru, Lesotho, Spiritualised
1999
- Pretoria Arts Association, Pretoria, South Africa, Regional Atelier Exhibition
- African History Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, National Atelier Exhibition