(1972 – )

Jo O’Connor
Contemporary
Overview

Born in 1972 in Johannesburg, O’Connor is currently working in Cape Town.  She graduated in 1994, cum laude, with honours in Fine Art from the University of Nataal. O’Connor engages in various mediums, from drawing, sculpting, video, installations and a recent return, in the last several years, to painting.

 In The Origin of The Work of Art, Martin Heidegger asks, “What is the source of a work of art?”. In response to the question, O’Connor argues that the artwork and the artist exist in a dynamic where each appears to be a provider of the other. O’Connor’s work explores this dynamic. Although elements from her past works, as well as aspects of the environment, form part of her collective experience, in the studio the ‘real’ world regresses, and the limitless possibilities of shape, colour, tone and line present an opportunity to explore the intimacy of the personal.

 O’Conor’s compositions usually start with a shape she finds pleasing and a colour she is drawn to. From there, the process unfolds and evolves spontaneously. The formal aspects of visual language – the alchemy of colour and tone and the nature of shape and pattern – are various elements that she attempts to bring together to form a precarious equilibrium: the sum of the parts equals the whole, in other words. 

 O’Connor writes about her work,

“My process of painting is one of discovery as if I was to build and solve a puzzle at the same time. At times, the correlation of repetition and  ‘considered randomness’ brings to mind the abstract aspect of rhythm, composition and pattern. Other times the composition will move elsewhere – choices in the work arise from the work itself and I strive to be attuned and responsive to them.”

Education

1994 
BA Honours Fine Art (Cum Laude), University of Natal

1998     
Post Graduate Diploma of Museum Management, University of Cape Town

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2022
Sanctuary, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town
An Urban Chronicle, 131A Gallery, Cape Town

2018
An Interlude, Circa / Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2013
Visage, Association of Visual Arts (AVA), Cape Town

2004
There, Galerie Expo 3036, Berlin

2002
Thread, Prince Albert Gallery, Prince Albert, Great Karoo
Muscle, Mark Coetzee Fine Art Cabinet, Cape Town

1998
Before Swallowing, Mark Coetzee Fine Art Cabinet, Cape Town

1996
Neuroglia, Rembrandt Van Rijn Gallery, Market Theatre, Johannesburg

 

Group Exhibitions

2023

Optimal Vibration, Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg

Sunny Side Up, Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg

2022
New Day Spring Group Exhibition, Graham Contemporary, Johannesburg

Painter Painter, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

Abstract_ed, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

Cape Town Art Fair, Barnard Gallery Booth

2021
Elixir, 131A Gallery, Cape Town

2020
Assimilate, 131A Gallery, Cape Town

IMAGO, Everard Read Gallery, Franschoek

On Being, Everard Read Gallery, Franschoek

Untitled, 131 A Gallery, Cape Town

Still, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

Summer, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2019
Nano 3.1, Barnard Gallery, Cape Town

Winter, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2018
Summer, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2017
Winter Collection, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

Spectrum, Circa / Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg

Hardline, Circa / Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town 

2016
Summer in the City, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

Winter Collection, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

Homage, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2015
Winter Collection, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

Empire, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2009
Own Goal, AVA, Cape Town

2007
Stilte, Klein Karoo Kunsfees, Oudshoorn

Home/Room 516, Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch

2006
Out of Context, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town
Home/Room 516, Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch

2005
Routes Around the World Portfolio, curated by Harm Lux, Wirth & Hauser, Switzerand

Pulse, Videoart Centre Tokyo, Tokyo

2004
Somerfest, Karl Hofer Gesellschaft, Berlin

Very Real Time, curated by Gregg Smith, Cape Town

2003
Spare Change, Bell-Roberts Gallery, Karoo Nasionale Kunsfees, Oudshoorn

2002
Gardenism, Spier Outdoor Sculpture Bienniel, Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch

Filling, YDETAG, South African National Gallery, Cape Town

2001
Fridge Project, One City Many Culture Festival, Cape Town

2000
Johannesburg as at March 2000, Urban Futures, Rembrandt van Rijn Gallery, JHB

Fridge Project, Cape Town Art Night, Cape Town

Fridge Project, SOFTSERVE, South African National Gallery, Cape Town

1999
Like it (But Can’t Afford it), collaboration with James Webb, Cape Town Art Night

1998
Snack Corridor, Shopping Trolley Project, River Club, Cape Town

1997
Expecting, The District Six Sculpture Festival, Cape Town

Awards

2004 
Karl Hofer Gesellschaft, Berlin

2003 
Very Real Time, Cape Town

2000         
Thupelo, Cape Town

Publications
  • Coulson, M. ‘Welcome to a new find’, Financial Mail. May 24 1996, p 106.
  • Edmunds, P. “A Total Scoop’ , Artthrob. http//www.artthrob.co.za/99nov/reviews.html
  • Edmunds, P. ‘KKNK’, Artthrob. http//www.artthrob.co.za/02apr/reviews.html
  • Edmunds, P. ‘Jo O’Connor at the Mark Coetzee Fine art Cabinet’, Artthrob, http//www.artthrob.co.za/00may/reviews.html
  • *Edmunds, P. (ed). Spier Outdoor Sculpture Biennial. Bell-Roberts: Cape Town, 2002.
  • Pollak, L. ‘Eloquent Silence of the Tongues’, Cape Times. 25 April 2000, p7.
  • Murinik, T. ‘Spier Outdoor Sculpture Festival’, Artthrob. http//www.artthrob.co.za/02jan/reviews.html
  • Murinik, T. ‘Feeding Frenzy’, Mail & Guardian. July 3 – 9 1998, p11. http//www.mg.co.za/art/fineart/9807/980702-oconnor.html
  • Murinik, T. ‘More about Art Night’, Artthrob. http//www.artthrob.co.za/99apr/news.html#artnight
  • Roper, C. ‘Object d’art’, SL. September 1998; Vol 5 no 8, p22.
  • Shantall, L. ‘Experiments in time and place’,  Art South Africa. Vol 2 Issue 2 Summer 2003   pp16-17.
  • *Smith, G & De Bondt, S (eds). Very Real Time . Die Keure,: Belgium, 2004.
  • Website: www.veryrealtime.co.za
  • *Soudein, C & Meyer, R. (ed.s) The District Six Public Sculpture Project. Cape Town, 1997.
  • Stephen, J. ‘Fresh Face: Jo O’Connor (27) Artist’, SL. June 2000, p32.
  • *Van den Berg, C; Smith, K; Burger, L (ed.s) KKNK 2002. Bell-Roberts: Cape Town, 2002.
  • Wallace, L. http://www.houseandgarden.co.za/home/hardline/
Collections

COLLECTIONS

  • Spier
  • Hollard
  • Nando’s
  • Private collections in:
    • South Africa
    • United States
    • England
    • Germany
Featured Artwork
Load More