Meet Creation’s Creative Collaborators
Creation has supported the annual Hermanus FynArts Festival since 2011, and this year we are hosting an exhibition featuring the sculptural work of Nanette Ranger and the Gyotaku prints of Jero Revett, aka the Wildwanderer.
Forming a visual symphony in our tasting room, their artworks have provided us with plenty of inspiration for our Winter Pairing Menu, which we’ve named The FynArts of Agri-CULTURE, as it thoughtfully weaves together art, wine, and our unique setting in the Hemel-en-Aarde.
But what is it that inspires each of these two artists? We decided to ask them.
Jero Revett
As a young grommet, I kept myself entertained in rock and tidal pools around False Bay. I would dive all day, playing with fish and sandsharks, starfish and urchins, and sticking my fingers into anemones, but the creature that grabbed my full attention was the octopus. Initially this was out of fear, but once I learnt how to handle them, it was playtime.
Today I’m still fascinated with the octopus and will disappear for hours getting lost in my childhood. I take great pleasure in the hunt for octopus, a skill honed over many years. People give me gas for eating octopus, but they are a wholesome food source. My policy is that we eat from the sea what she offers us on the day. I don’t always win! I only take what I need and give back to the ocean what I don’t use. Nothing is wasted!
One day, during a dive, I heard God’s whisper: ‘What else can you do with the ink?’ instead of just adding it to Risotto or making Pasta Nero. I started thinking about the ink to make images…
I shared the idea of making prints using octopus ink with my mate, Prof Stephen Inggs from the Michaelis School of Fine Arts. He was stoked with the idea and invited me to come play at Michaelis, which was an absolute blessing. We made screenprints using octopus ink, but the technique I fell in love with was the ancient Japanese form of printing called Gyotaku (gyo = fish, taku = rubbing). Japanese fishermen would record their catch by making an ink print on rice paper. An idea sparked!
Today I make Gyotaku artworks from the fish I catch, using the ink from the octopus/chokka/cuttlefish that I catch. I pay homage to the octopus for bringing me immense satisfaction through the hunt, the culinary experience, and the creative twist!
Nanette Ranger
The very first time I was given a bag of clay – I must have been about 15 – I fell in love with the medium. That evening, I began modelling a pot and worked on it through the night. I was immediately captivated by the tactile nature of the process and the materiality of the medium.
I went on to study Fine Art at the University of the Free State, graduating in 1993, and have been a practicing artist ever since. Living in Paarl, Western Cape, with my husband, Sean who is an environmentalist, and the children now grown, I create sculptures with the support of a dedicated and highly skilled sculpture team.
Sculpting is, to me, an all-consuming passion. Rising as early as 3am, I am driven to begin working at my Art. My focus is the human figure – primarily women – rendered with empathy and compassion.
My current work explores the themes of anchoring and connection as a means of navigating and responding to my experience of being. I have a strong sense that the world is in constant flux, changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Grounding myself in the natural world – where processes unfold more slowly – helps me maintain a sense of equilibrium.
When spending time in nature, I collect textures, shapes and forms, which I later take back to my studio. There, I deconstruct and reassemble them to form a visual vocabulary that becomes part of my artistic narrative.
Combining these forms and textures with the human figure, my work seeks to convey a message of hope.
The experience of connecting, collaborating and innovating at Creation Wines has been remarkable. Here, Carolyn has created a visionary experience for the artists, staff, guests and greater community. By reimagining natural materials and forms, the exhibition fosters a dynamic synergy between artists, chefs, wine, and presentation. It celebrates the connection between art, nature, and gastronomy, offering guests an immersive and enriching experience.