Tarien Engelbrecht was born in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. She completed her Fine Arts degree at the University of Pretoria in 2008 and her PGCE diploma in 2009. She is currently the art teacher at Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria and takes part in art exhibitions on a regular basis.
As an artist, I am always seeking to evoke emotion and connection through my work. My newest body of work centres around a nostalgic yearning for a cherished past, reconstructed from idealised events and memories. Alan R. Hirsch, a neurologist, and Sigmund Freud, explains the concept of a screen memory as a ‘distorted memory that is created by a combination of different memories, filtering out emotions of sadness and trauma’. These memories can be both deceptive and comforting.
The paintings embody distorted nostalgic memories or screen memories, as place and home. We reconstruct these memories to create a space of safety and predictability by allowing vulnerability not to take root. The permanence of these distorted and fundamentally impossible nostalgic memories, become a firm part of one’s identity. It is, in a sense, a kind reminder to the viewer that a moment is always enough in itself, albeit idealised.
Using a glitch painting technique, I am representing the recurring nature of memories and how they can often be distorted or fabricated. By incorporating playful imagery and colours from the 1950’s and 1960’s, I am creating a sense of familiarity and comfort for the viewer. The paintings in this series are titled according to specific songs from the 1960’s and 1970’s to enhance this concept. Through my art, I hope to inspire reflection and introspection. We all have memories that we hold onto, memories that can shape who we are. By exploring the concept of nostalgia and screen memories, I am asking the viewer to consider and question the role of memory in their own lives.
Tarien Engelbrecht was born in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. She completed her Fine Arts degree at the University of Pretoria in 2008 and her PGCE diploma in 2009. She is currently the art teacher at Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria and takes part in art exhibitions on a regular basis.
As an artist, I am always seeking to evoke emotion and connection through my work. My newest body of work centres around a nostalgic yearning for a cherished past, reconstructed from idealised events and memories. Alan R. Hirsch, a neurologist, and Sigmund Freud, explains the concept of a screen memory as a ‘distorted memory that is created by a combination of different memories, filtering out emotions of sadness and trauma’. These memories can be both deceptive and comforting.
The paintings embody distorted nostalgic memories or screen memories, as place and home. We reconstruct these memories to create a space of safety and predictability by allowing vulnerability not to take root. The permanence of these distorted and fundamentally impossible nostalgic memories, become a firm part of one’s identity. It is, in a sense, a kind reminder to the viewer that a moment is always enough in itself, albeit idealised.
Using a glitch painting technique, I am representing the recurring nature of memories and how they can often be distorted or fabricated. By incorporating playful imagery and colours from the 1950’s and 1960’s, I am creating a sense of familiarity and comfort for the viewer. The paintings in this series are titled according to specific songs from the 1960’s and 1970’s to enhance this concept. Through my art, I hope to inspire reflection and introspection. We all have memories that we hold onto, memories that can shape who we are. By exploring the concept of nostalgia and screen memories, I am asking the viewer to consider and question the role of memory in their own lives.
