[ 2005 ] FRAGMENTED | Chromogenic print on archival paper | Collection: Dr Willem Strydom | Exhibited at Oliewenhuis Art Museum amongst others
[ 2005 ] PALIMPSEST KOPPIE | Programmed digital animation (ActionScript) | Infinite time length | Excerpt | Screen-grab video | Received an ABSA l'Atelier Award in 2007
While - being inter-woven with his art practice - he is passionate about responsive art education.
[ 2022 ] COUNTER-TRANSFERENCE | Excerpt and detail | Animation and installation
[ 2020 ] TRANSFERENCE
[ 2009 ] A WOVEN LANDSCAPE WITH CLAY OX AND DOLOSSE | Detail | Charcoal on paper | Exhibited at the Goodman Gallery and Oliewenhuis Art Museum
[ 2008 ] DESTADESFONTEIN | Charcoal and oil on hand-cut, layered paper and board | 162,5 x 262,5 cm | Collection: Les Cohn
[ 2014 ] ALL FLESH IS GRASS | Film and Animation | Excerpt
Initially studying Graphic Design and Fine Arts at the TFS, he graduated from the University of the Free State (UFS), where he had also lectured from 2001 until 2023.
From 2001 he developed and led what was to become a digital media component in the Department of Fine Arts (UFS). Together with New Media, he had been involved in the teaching and learning of drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, photography, installation art and communication design as well as supervising senior students in all disciplines. Simultaneously he assisted post-graduate supervision. He had been a Programme Director, tasked with the management of the curriculum and supporting the direction of the academic programme in the same department while serving on numerous institutional committees.
He had also been a communication design lecturer at Planet Pixl School of Advertising and Photography, and while doing freelance work for its sister advertising company and privately, he helped with the development of brand identities such as those for the Learning and Knowledge project of the Department of Arts and Culture, Childline, Radio Rosestad, OFM radio station, Afriway Safaris, the Arts Programme of the UFS and others.
Spies gained work experience during his undergraduate studies as a student assistant for the Department of Fine Arts (UFS) and the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery as well as being a librarian.
He started his teaching career in 1999 as an art educator at the Kimberley Art Centre (grades 0, 1 and 8-12), after which he taught at the Motheo FET College in Bloemfontein (level N1-4).
After completing high school in 1992, he enlisted for military service and became a Gunner in the South African Defence Force and SANDF, attached to 1 Parachute Battalion and 4 Artillery Regiment ; and a unit member of the SA Army RDF, tasked with peace-keeping operations during the transition to democracy in South Africa. He had been assigned duty by both the South African Army Artillery and Infantry Formations and took orders from the Witwatersrand, Orange Free State and North Western Commands as well as the Lohatla Army Battle School. Administratively, he is assigned to the SA Army HQ. He received the Unitas Medal in 1994.
On Freedom Day of 1997 (Upington), he formed part of a Gun Crew and Battery (during a call-up by the General Dan Pienaar Artillery Regiment ), rendering a 21-gun salute in honour of President Nelson Mandela.
[ 2014 ] ALL FLESH IS GRASS | Still | Film and Animation
[ 1996 ] MONUMENT | Charcoal on cartridge paper | Collection: Jacques Niemann
Exhibitions include DISSEMINATION at Oliewenhuis Art Museum (2009), as well as numerous group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.
Some of these had been the NOSA POSTER COMPETITION FINALIST EXHIBITION (1994); the PPC YOUNG CONCRETE SCULPTOR AWARDS FINALIST EXHIBITION , Pretoria (1995); OUTSKIRTS I and II , Rembrandt van Rijn Art Gallery, Market Theatre Galleries, Johannesburg, curated by Steven Hobbs (1997, 1998); a traveling exhibition in Belgium entitled FREE STATE ART IN BELGIUM (1997), National Printmaking exchanges (1998 and 1999), group exhibitions at the KKNK (1996) and AARDKLOP NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL (1999, 2008, 2009).
Various ABSA l`ATELIER FINALIST EXHIBITIONS (1998, 1999, 2005, 2007), the BRETT KEBBLE ART AWARDS (2005), INTERNET ART IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH (a special project for the Joburg Art Fair) (2009) and THE MARKS WE MAKE at the Goodman Gallery Cape (2010).
He participated in IMAGO MUNDI, SOUTH AFRICA: 10X12@SA , Contemporary Artists from South Africa (2014-2016), international traveling group exhibition as part of the Imago Mundi Luciano Benetton Collection: Ca'dei Carraresi, Treviso, Italy (Together with the South African collection presenting the collections coming from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Cuba, Mongolia, Romania, China, India, Japan and Iceland), 9 July - 3 August 2014 Museo Bilotti, Rome, Italy (Only exhibitions from African countries), THE VENICE BIENNALE , Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venice, Italy (2015) and The Pratt Institute, New York (2016).
[ 2009 ] A WOVEN LANDSCAPE: ERRATA | Charcoal, oil and ink transfer on paper
Recent exhibitions include BIOART: w a/o ndering and transcendence , department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Technology, UFS, Bloemfontein; A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS (2019), Liebrecht Gallery, Somerset-West; LEERMEESTERS (2018), Bloemfontein; BETWIXT AND BETWEEN (2019), The Free State Art Collective, traveling exhibition, Scaena Gallery, The Vrystaat international Art Festival, Bloemfontein and Gallery II, Johannesburg; GROUNDED (2021) and A WOUND IN TIME (2022).
[ 2005 ] CONSTITUTION | Chromogenic (Lambda) print on archival paper | Collection: Oliewenhuis Art Museum
He works proficiently in both traditional media (drawing | painting | printmaking | sculpture) and digital-based/new media (animation | film | photography | interactive art | net-art | digital-print).
In relation to digital art, he was invited to participate in the French digital art publication, Magazine des Cultures Digitales MCD, in the form of an artist portrait in an issue dedicated to digital art in Africa (
DIGITALE AFRIQUE - CREATION NUMERIQUE ET INNOVATION EN AFRIQUE
).
He also participated in the French Dialogues project, an exhibition comprised of 38 selected South African Artists, exhibited at the Orangerie, Senate: Paris; curated by SANAVA;
an interdisciplinary research project
accompanied by exhibitions, investigating the Artist Book, hosted by the NWU
and a collaborative project between scientists and Artists, culminating in
an exhibition titled The Inquisitive Mind: Science and Imagination at Oliewenhuis Art Museum, among others.
[ 2020 ] TRANSFERENCE
[ 1999- ] INTERSECTION | Charcoal, oil, ash, soil and glue on paper, mounted on board
[ 2018 ] THE SCAPEGOAT | Oil on Board
[ 2008 ] DISSEMINATION | Interactive Net Art
[ 2004 ] CONVERGENCE | Chromogenic print on archival paper
Atist Profile
www.digitalmcd.com/jaco-spies
publié dans MCD #71
"Digitale Afrique"
juin / août 2013
Issue dedicated to Digital Art in Africa (DIGITALE AFRIQUE - CREATION NUMERIQUE ET INNOVATION EN AFRIQUE)
"L'allégorie versus le symbole; les idéologies sud-africaines sociales, politiques et privées; le paysage; la possession; spiritualité et technologie, sont les thèmes de prédilection de l'artiste Jaco Spies, sans négliger la critique de l'idéologie."
From our side: Emerging perspectives on development and ethics
Troubling Images: Visual Culture and the Politics of Afrikaner Nationalism
Further bibliographical information on the web
Please note some of the following links might not work from time to time, due to redundancy of the references on the internet. These are checked periodically and updated where necessary.
000 DIgital Creation Critical ANalysis (DICCAN)
001 Digital MCD
002 Imago Mundi Luciano Benetton Collection
003 Transgressions and Boundaries of the Page: creative research project
004 Artfacts
005 Goodman Gallery
006 Willem Boshoff
007 ABSA l'Atelier
008 From Our Side: Emerging perspectives on development and ethics
009 WITS Wired Space
011 Lotto Sculpture on Campus Project
012 Mapsouthafrica
013 Wikipedia
014 The Artists Book
015 Carly Whitaker
016 Straussart
017 Mail &Guardian: Networking within networks
018 OFM
020 Art Times
021 Association of Arts Pretoria ...
023 linkedin
024 pinterest
Television
A Country Imagined, documentary television series aired during April and May 2010 and also February and March 2011 on SABC 2. "A Country Imagined explores art, music, literature and dance that engages the South African landscape. This thirteen-part series, produced by Curious Pictures, is presented by Johnny Clegg, who goes on a journey through South Africa to explore the connections between landscape, art and identity."
Newspapers and other print publications
De Kat magazine
Versindaba
Bloemfonteincourant
Die Volksblad newspaper
Beeld newspaper
The Herald newspaper
Mail &Guardian newspaper
eDumela newsletter
Die Bult publication
Myweek magazine
2009
VANSA
I presented a workshop on professional artistic development, to young and mid-career artists.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2007
Up Your Game
This was a workshop presented by VANSA - Free State (of which I had been a committee member at the time) on promoting professional artistic practice. Other guest speakers included Suzette Bell-Roberts from the Bell-Roberts Art Gallery and Publishing house. I also designed the promotional material for the workshop.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2003
Macromedia Flash
Animation and concurrent programming workshop presented at Planet Pixl School of Advertising and Photography, for professional graphic designers.
2001-2006
Advanced Certificate in Education
Visual Art workshops presented at Qwa-Qwa, Welkom and Bloemfontein, to teachers enrolled in the ACE course at the University of the Free State.
1999
Figure drawing
Presented at the UFS to members of the public as part of an initiative by the curator of the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2008
Interactive digital art
Practical interactivity for visual artists, using Max/
MSP/Jitter, presented by Tegan Bristow from the Digital Arts Department, Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2006
Arc welding
Professional development for students and lecturers from the Department of Fine Arts, UFS.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2004
Old Masters' Techniques
Making paint and manufacturing mediums presented by Lambert Kriedemann.
Studio of Lambert Kriedemann, Cape Town, South Africa.
2001
Unit Standards Writing
Presented by the UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa for professional educational development.
Motheo FET College, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
1998
Land Art
Presented by Strijdom v/d Merwe, renowned South African land artist, on location at Philipstown, South Africa.
1997
Woodblock printmaking
Presented by Phillippa Hobbs, renowned South African printmaking artist.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Paper sculpture
Presented by Peter Schutz, renowned South African Sculptor and lecturer from the Fine Arts Department, Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Department of Fine Arts, UFS, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
1996
Traditional grass weaving
Presented by traditional grass weavers at the Basotho Cultural Village, Qwa-Qwa.
2018-2022 Teaching and learning committee, Humanities, UFS.
2018-2022 Faculty Committee, Humanities, UFS.
2001-2023 Faculty Board, Humanities, UFS.
2018-2023 Quality Control Committee, Humanities, UFS.
2001-2023 Marketing Committee, Humanities, UFS.
2001-2023 Web Managers, UFS.
2010-2021 Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery management committee.
2006-2007 VANSA Free State.
2000-2002 SANAVA Free State.
1997-1998 Chairperson, Student Committee, Department of Fine Arts, UFS.
1995-1997 Student representative, HappenArt committee, sub-committee of the Programme for the Arts Committee, UFS.
2001-2023 (as a staff member)
Student exhibitions, Dept. Fine Arts, UFS, Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery.
2003-2004
Curator, exhibition of student work, Planet Pixl School of Advertising and Photography, Reservoir, Oliewenhuis Art Museum
2001
Curator, exhibition of student work, Bloemfontein (Motheo) College, Boet Troskie Centre, Technikon Free State
1998
Museum project. Curating exhibition as part of the final year (BA FA) History of Art course, Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery
1995-1998 (as a student)
Student exhibitions, Dept. Fine Arts, UFS, Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery
2019
Lyrene Kuhn-Botma. Sites, Games and Melancholy Objects , MAFA exhibition, Johannes Stegman Art Gallery, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2006
Louisa Mellet-Pretorius. MAFA exhibition, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2005
Fractal Young Artists Exhibition. Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2004-2005
Planet Pixl School of Advertising and Photography exhibitions. Oliewenhuis Art Museum and CUT Art Gallery, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2001
Motheo FET student exhibition. Motheo College, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
1999
Kimberley Art Centre exhibition. William Humphreys Art Museum, Kimberley, South Africa.
Various
BAFA student exhibitions. Johannes Stegman Art Gallery and UFS Centenary Gallery, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2001-2023
Lecturer (appointed as full lecturer in 2001, although not full-time initially)
Department of Fine Arts, UFS.
- assist with post-graduate supervision
- B.Ed. Hons modules (art)
- AAM609 arts administration and management
- XBDK4808 fine arts
- XBKE4808 fine arts research
- XBDK3708 fine arts
- XTKN3708 drawing
- XGD309 communication design strand of printmaking
- XBHK2505 sculpture
- XGFK2505 printmaking
- XSKN2505 painting and installation
- XTKN2505 drawing and new media
- XGK205 communication design strand of printmaking
- XBHK1505 sculpture
- XGFK1505 printmaking
- XSKN1505 painting and installation
- XTKN1505 drawing and new media
- XGK105 communication design strand of printmaking
- Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) modules
2018-2021
Programme Director (tasked with all matters related to the academic programme in the department)
Department of Fine Arts, UFS
2002-2004, 2007, 2009-2010
Lecturer
Planet Pixl School of Advertising &Photography, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
- First and second year communication design (graphic, multi-media and web design)
- First and second year computer applications (programs) instruction
- First and second year drawing and illustration for design
2001
Lecturer
Motheo FET College, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
- N4 drawing and printmaking
- N3 drawing and printmaking
- N2 drawing and printmaking
1999
Art educator
Kimberley Art Centre, Kimberley, South Africa.
- painting and history of art, grades 11 and 12
- printmaking, grade 10
- art as school subject, grades 8 and 9
- art classes, grades R and 1
2000-
Numerous Graphic Design/Communication Design projects on a freelance basis. These projects include Website Design for Afriway Safaris, Arts Programme of the UFS and the Learning &Knowledge project of the Department of Arts and Culture. All of these websites were created using HTML and PHP. Other projects include Corporate ID Design for Childline Free State, Radio Rosestad etc., Brochure and Catalogue Design for numerous art exhibitions, Multi-media presentations for OFM radio station etc. and various other Communication Design projects such as advertisements, flyers and banners.
1997
Librarian. Music Library, UFS.
1996
Gallery assistant. Johannes Stegman Art Gallery.
1995
Student assistant. Department of Fine Arts, UFS.
Art forms, Concepts, Art Theory, Visual Culture, Landscape, Trauma
Digital Art, Animation, Video Art, Net Art, Film, interactive Art, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Bookbinding, Sculptural Installation
I generally create artworks categorized as 'landscape' art. Since my undergraduate studies, these landscapes have taken on myriad forms and subsequently cover a vast range of media, from traditional drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture to advanced computer-manipulated compositions. These include works on paper and canvas, graphic art prints, artist books and book-objects, photographs, computer-manipulated drawings, animations, video, digital-interactive, and internet artworks.
Through a visual language developed in relation to various aspects of landscape—particularly human land processes such as land acquisition, reclamation, dissemination, and assimilation juxtaposed with natural processes—I critically explore themes relating to national, social, and personal ideologies, alongside trauma.
My affinity for landscape art began as an art student and has continued ever since, although my passion for the natural environment has likely always been present. The subject matter of my artworks predominantly features the Free State landscape.
South African history is marked by traces left on the physical and cultural landscapes through the processes of land division and reclamation. Families, groups, and cultures have been unnaturally divided and segregated due to various political, religious, and nationalist ideologies. Superficially, my work might be read as an attempt to highlight these processes. However, I am more concerned with unearthing cultural history—peeling back layers of ideology to uncover the "truth" and addressing the related trauma.
In recent years, my focus has shifted towards a more personal investigation of my own history, particularly a history of trauma. I am exploring the intersection of trauma and art, investigating to what extent artworks can mediate trauma. As part of this research, I have undergone extensive psychoanalysis and therapy, and have also walked solo through the Negev and Judaean deserts in Israel as a means of connecting my interests in landscape with the concept of trauma.
While the interpretation of the term "drawing" in visual art is often open-ended and generalized, I will—for clarification—refer to my work as drawings. Drawing as an art form offers myriad creative possibilities: various mediums can be explored, and modes of expression are not limited. It can simultaneously manifest as both 'traditional' and 'contemporary.'
My drawings cover a wide spectrum of media. These include, among others, charcoal, ink, paint, and sand, as well as computer-generated drawings that take the form of large-format prints (either pigment or photographic), animations, interactive art, and net-art. Many of the computer-generated drawings contain traces—wholly or partially—of scanned physical drawings and/or monotypes. I often incorporate photographic material as part of these computer-generated drawings, either as a starting point or as a principal visual element.
