Yolanda van der Mescht
SOTA Selective
Artist's Statement
Through my work I attempt to examine the phenomenon of life and living.What began as a personal journey of discovery has translated into images that resonate with people and make them question their own individuality and interconnectedness. My photography embodies a personal view of the world, yet the familiar imagery allows for a connection between different geographic locations, peoples and cultures
South African Artist: Yoland van der Mescht
Hong Kong-based Yolanda van der Mescht, grew up in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A rock singer and a bookseller in her former life, she now spends her time travelling and photographing. She is a self-taught photographer who finds inspiration in life as it is lived and experienced. Her dream is to travel the world and document the interconnectedness and individuality of humanity. She has a great love of street photography, especially in black and white format, and is inspired by Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson and William Klein.
Exhibitions:
2010
Beyond: An Exhibition by Yolanda van der Mescht, Positive Imaging Gallery, Woodstock
What is your favourite film of all time?!
Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch
What music are you currently listening to and why?
Patti Smith, Mazzy Star, Nouvelle Vague, The Kills, Fever Ray, Tom Waits, My Morning Jacket, Die See, Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes, Radio Kalahari Orkes, Piet Botha……because I love music, “it is the only sensual pleasure without vice” (Samuel Johnson)
Which living artists do you most admire and why?
Lucian Freud, his ability to capture emotional tension in his paintings. I love the intensity and the insensitivity. I admire Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons for their daring originality.
Which deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Andy Warhol, I admire him for turning everyday life into works of art.
Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
The Dali Universe at the Dali Museum in London, it is fun, fascinating and completely over-the-top.
What is the question you get asked most frequently about your work and how do you answer it?
I frequently get asked, “How did you get that shot?” and I say “..with a bit of luck”
What/ who inspired you to be an artist?
My grandmother, Ella van der Mescht, she was a popular Afrikaans writer who dedicated her life to her art.
Can you tell us about where you make your art and what if any, the significance of this location is
I make my art anywhere, wherever inspiration strikes me. I love travelling and each place has its own energy and I try to capture that.
What do you like most about being an artist?
Being an artist gives you a voice and the ability to freely express yourself, there are no rules. “There is no must in art because art is free.” (Wassily Kandinsky)
What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
My greatest achievement to date is being selected as a finalist for the One Small Seed Selected Creatives 4.