Lionel Smit was commissioned to create a very specific artwork for Sasol’s new global headquarters in Sandton. We’ve included a transcript of his thoughts and those of the art curator:
Cate Terblanche – Art Curator
Sasol put out a call for artwork for the sculpture garden at Sasol place. And the brief was for artists to start thinking about the role of Sasol. Sasol as a company but also actually in terms of the social responsibility that Sasol has towards society in general. We had about five artists that we engaged with and the last one that we are installing today is the work by Lionel Smit, called reflections of self. Lionel was chosen because he is one of South Africa’s most significant artists at the moment but also the work spoke to so many aspects of life and work in Sasol.
Lionel Smit - Artist
My work mostly revolves around the universal idea of who we are and our identities. I grew up sculpting quite a bit and then I wanted to break away from that whole idea and kind of like rediscovering myself. Discovered painting and painted for about 10 years after school and created a career so I think when I started sculpting again I had something to say and just recreate what I’m doing already in two-dimensional form into three-dimensional form. I approached this from the point of view of the people that work for Sasol and the idea of this machine and the people as a workforce almost. I feel people always identify with the idea of looking at a face and the idea to create a whole bunch of faces that actually represent the people in Sasol but also in a way represent us universally as a wholistic idea. The sculpture is basically a cylinder of faces and when you see them there will always be something you can connect yourself to. As you walk into the piece it almost reflects the idea of the earth on different levels and the boulders you find underneath. This core of vibrancy and connection and the silver on the outside becomes almost like a clean slate, so the whole idea of the modern versus the earth that kind of like reflect each other is part of the whole piece.
Cate Terblanche – Art Curator
The inspiration comes from the physical act of mining but it also actually engages with the whole idea of the people involved, not only the people inside the company working for the company but people that we are responsible for in terms of a wider society.
Lionel Smit - Artist
I think the piece has various layers it is not supposed to be only one thing. The name also comes from the idea of reflecting yourself so I wanted people to go to the sculpture, walk inside, stand around and look at it and experience the sculpture rather just to view it and walk past. So that idea to conceptualize something that will work inside a space took me some time and then eventually I started making sketches and then eventually I came to making the scale model. Executing that actual piece was quite a challenge because the sculpture was so big and getting it into the building and all the technicalities surrounding that so I actually cut the piece into five pieces and then reassembled it at Sasol again so it became very site-specific. It’s going to take two days at least to install the sculpture, its basically a team of about 10 people that are helping me today. Four that came from Cape Town with me and then another six that came from my father who’s also a sculptor. We will put the whole sculpture together and then we’ll paint it the next day and do the patina on the work and then it will be finalized so it’s quite a big operation.
Cate Terblanche – Art Curator
I am so excited about this piece because I think it is going to take on a life of its own. To be able to go out into the gardens at Sasol to just enjoy the art piece for what it is. What the artist wants people to do is, think about not only their own role but also the way that they relate to other people and that will really be so wonderful.
