Elizabeth Balcomb

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Elizabeth Balcomb
Artist Statement
Bosch was a member of the religiously orientated Brotherhood of our Blessed Lady, a monk of sorts, and many of his works were concerned with the issue of being born into “flesh” and the almost inevitable descent into “sin” as a result.
In Bosch’s triptych ‘The Haywain’ we see examples of his paintings that reference his conceptual interpretation of morality and values as represented in Biblical text. When the triptych is closed we see an image of a pedlar making his way through a landscape which can be interpreted as the journey of life: the path is narrow and difficult and there are many opportunities to succumb to “temptations of the flesh”. “Hell” is an ever present threat. This kind of imagery can be understood when one considers passages such as Genesis 6:5-6: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented (sic) the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart”.
Suffering seems to be a common human experience, perhaps brought on by “sin”, according to the Christian doctrine, or “attachment” according to the Buddhist. But this notion of “flesh” bringing corruption I find very fascinating. If we have fallen victim to anything at all, it is to merely being born. To be born into a material body means to suffer (alienation from God?). The Buddhist doctrine of suffering and attachment has similarities but doesn’t include the harsh element of judgement we find in Biblical verses such as Genesis 6:12: “God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”.
Rather than judgment and criticism I feel the predicament of material existence should surely elicit deep compassion, for all living beings on the earth. Instead many people have historically utilised the Old Testament as justification for domination, division and suppression, not only of women and minorities but of the natural world by man. In this sense The Bible can be confusing: it is a source of guidance for many but also a harsh code of judgement.
My works in this particular exhibition attempt to bring a spotlight onto some of these verses that provide justification for domination and discrimination. I explore the idea of what it means to be someone who truly believes they were created in the image of this God of the Old Testament, with all the inherent human characteristics this implies. I encourage the recognition and analysis, through compassionate self-reflection, of deep seated beliefs and prejudices that mirror those of this patriarchal creator. Do we still live as if men have an inherent right to dominate women, as if women should be “sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands”. Do we function in the world as if exploitation of the natural world is our divine birthright, as if we should “subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”? Do we view each other as unsavoury sinners unworthy of love or respect? Do we have a fundamental acceptance of racial and gender inequality? Do we negate our own responsibility for our agency in the world?
Sourced from: http://boschinafrica.co.za/catalogue.html

Elizabeth won the 2014 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition for 2 pieces from her Weighed & Measured series (see catalogue).

She was the solo artist at the 2015 event at the Pretoria Art Museum.

Survival (Weighed & Measures series)