Joachim Schönfeldt
Presented by Quentin du Plooy, at THE ROYAL HOTEL BAR
“The ‘humble’ linocut print has been part of my production for twenty years. At the end of each year, I hand-print a linocut which I give to patrons and other supporters as a gesture of thanks. I have now made over twenty end-of-year prints, a body of work big enough for an exhibition, except that this was never my intention and so they have never been shown publicly.”
“When the idea of a show in Riebeek-Kasteel arose, I saw an opportunity to bring this decades-long practice into the open. The linocut prints you see on Solo Studios were planned and printed with this ‘outing’ in mind. The series is provocatively titled A. FARM, with a tilt of the hat towards both Orwell and Schreiner. In addition to the series title, each print carries a stamp imprint bearing a Sesotho translation of my surname along with the name of the animal in question: thus, the image of the cow is inscribed Naga e’ntle le kgomo.”
Featured Work
“The association with Solo Studios and Riebeek-Kasteel is apt. The subjects are common Southern African fauna, hopefully of the free-range, hormone-free and well looked-after kind. Many of these animals can be found on farms in the Swartland.
The hosting of the show by the Royal Hotel is fitting for a more personal reason. My grandfather Smit’s family comes from this area. But whilst my grandfather Joppie became a headmaster, and his brother Thysie a dominee, it was left to his brother Molsie, the swartskaap of the family, to become the bartender at the Royal Hotel.”
Joachim Schönfeldt, July 2024
