From Canvas to Screen

Lot 12: South Atlantic | R 20 000 - 30 000

While Jake Aikman is primarily known for his oil paintings of expansive seascapes and mysterious forests, his venture into screen printing brings a new dimension to the artist’s work. In Aikman’s hands, screen printing becomes an immersive journey.

Where many might see screen printing as a rigid, flat medium, Aikman turns it into a dance of light and shadow.  With every carefully placed layer of ink, he builds seascapes that ripple with the depth of a distant storm, or forests that hum with the quiet intensity of hidden life. His technical mastery is not just about ink on paper but rather about transforming these landscapes into experiences. Each piece feels alive, as if the scene is unfolding before your eyes.

Lot 10: The Crossing | R 18 000 - 24 000

The inherent precision of screen printing allows Aikman to blend sharp detail with sweeping abstraction. Many of his screen prints explore the interplay of precision and suggestion as waves ripple and fade into abstraction and trees disappear into mist. This allows the artist to communicate the emotional impact of the scene while leaving room for the viewer’s imagination.

One of the most significant advantages of screen printing is its capacity for layering, allowing Aikman to build up areas of colour and texture. Each layer of ink is applied one at a time, with Aikman adjusting the transparency and opacity of each colour to create a sense of atmosphere and distance. By controlling the thickness and transparency of his inks, Aikman manipulates how light behaves in his prints. This layering mimics the way light and shadow interact in nature, a hallmark of his aesthetic.

Lot 11: ⁠⁠Benguela | R 18 000 - 24 000

Aikman often experiments with different types of mesh and the thickness of the ink to create variations in texture that mimic natural surfaces, such as the rippling of the ocean or the rough bark of a tree – essential in giving his work a tactile quality.  This textured approach adds a physicality to the prints, engaging the viewer not just visually but in a way that almost seems to invoke the sensation of being present in nature.

The precision of the screen printing process enhances Aikman’s ability to depict nature with a sharpness that still feels deeply emotive. The viewer is not just observing a scene but is drawn into the subtle complexities of nature – the interplay of light, the depth of shadow, and the profound stillness of the natural world. Through careful layering, tonal control, textural experimentation, and a masterful understanding of composition, Aikman has created screen prints that are both technically impressive and emotionally powerful. These works serve as a testament to his versatility and skill as an artist, further establishing his reputation within the contemporary art scene.

Auction

Contemporary Art

26 September to 3 October 2024

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Cape Town: +27 21 422 5100 | amy@aspireart.net

Johannesburg: +27 10 109 7989 | carina@aspireart.net