Die Inweging

 “DIE INWEGING”  

During the formulation of the theme for this sculpture, “Die Inweging”, a distinct comparison was drawn between the plight of the artist and that of the Rhinoceros. The Rhino becomes a metaphor for the artist. They share a common struggle to survive in a landscape or environment wrought with hardship and find themselves vulnerable to exploitation. 

In an effort to prevent the demise of the Rhino and the artist, they have to find a currency to negotiate with an unsympathetic society. The philosophy that the intrinsic value of art is divorced from any didactic, moral, political and utilitarian function seems to be a myth. ‘Art for art’s sake’ means that art needs no justification, that it need serve no purpose, and that the beauty of the fine arts is reason enough for pursuing them. Unfortunately, this philosophy has difficulty finding a foothold in modern society.

It seems that the Rhinos shares in this predicament to prove that the inherent or intrinsic value of nature and its natural beasts has relevance in a modern world. The Rhino has lost its existence value (independence from any direct value they may provide to humans).

When society neglects to implement a moral code, thus neglecting the process by which they respect the distinction between right and wrong, an alternative has to be found.

My sculpture, “Die inweging” (The weighing in) portrays the Rhino/Artist weighing in his/her ‘contribution’ to society on a commercial scale to establish its value. This is an attempt to validate its existence and find some means of security.