James Webb

James Webb is an interdisciplinary artist who creates installations that poetically digest themes of faith, deep-time, nature and industry. Working in a minimalist tradition, Webb seeks out peculiar phrases, histories or objects, and puts these references under a microscope in a gallery space. Obscuration is frequently used by Webb to create a sense of revelation. For example, statues might be placed in vitrines made of fluted glass, giving them a fractured, ethereal quality. Neon and sound are also commonly deployed in Webb’s installations, shedding light or amplified sound onto particular subjects. Normative relationships and behaviours are also frequently disrupted by Webb. For example, speakers might interview inanimate objects such as crude oil, and pose questions to this earthly substance. Past projects have also engaged with literature, cinema, advertising and astronomy. What runs as a constant throughout Webb’s work is a palpable sense of curiosity. With an earnestness to greater understand narratives beyond a human perspective. Webb continues to make work which realigns our priorities and unravels cemented tales. ...

Based in a 360 sqm gallery in Woodstock, Cape Town, blank was founded by Jonathan Garnham as a project space in 2005 and transitioned into a commercial gallery during 2012. The gallery represents emerging and increasingly established artists from the region in a critically engaged programme that emphasises contemporaneity, with a focus on concept and abstraction in the African context. With an exhibition programme that has a reputation for shaping the discourse around contemporary art in South(ern) Africa, and participation in prominent local and international art fairs, we seek to place our artists' work in a wide range of private and institutional collections. In addition, blank continues to promote the visual arts in our community through ongoing projects that support the sector. ...