Tidal Pools, an exhibition by Marie-Louise Koen, is, according to the artist, a fun collection of paintings of 13 tidal pools created as she experimented with landscape artistry and human movement.
The exhibit is on display at The Yard located in the V&A Waterfront until Saturday January 15.
“I thought it’s a beautiful way to capture the tidal pools, the people and their action. Viewers are drawn to the people and the movement of people and that’s been a consistent comment I’ve had about my work,” she said of the acrylic paint on canvas paintings that measure 1.8m by 1.3m, with the smallest being 780mm x 600mm.
“I use acrylic paint to get the effects of depth, the colours of the seascape are easier to achieve and I was looking to get the texture of the water, so you can see the watery consistency if you look close enough,” the Sea Point resident said of her methods.
Ms Koen went as far as Hermanus to capture the Ficks tidal pool and admits that although there was no deep meaning behind her art, the launch of this collection was coincidental with the protests regarding Shell’s seismic activity.
“These are places I’ve been to, places I enjoy and while I didn’t do this with Shell in mind, I will donate a portion of my profit to the Beach Co-Op. They do beach clean-ups and they keep the tidal pools clean. My work does not speak to Shell’s activity but I am outraged by their action, I hope people stop supporting them.”
While Ms Koen does not have formal training in art, she studied construction management at UCT and says her work is a reflection of her passion.
“I do this because I love it and I don’t follow any directions. I taught myself how to paint and art is subjective so I’ve learnt to not allow criticism or pressure to direct what I do,” she added.
