Description
A bird in the hand is, without question, a magnum opus, a work of staggering ambition and profound intellectual depth. In this vast, three metre wide triptych, Rademeyer tackles one of humanity’s most foundational and fraught concepts: justice. As Rademeyer herself explains, the piece is a visual thesis on its three forms: the raw, chaotic power of mob justice; the structured, often rigid justice of the law; and the final, divine judgment of the hereafter.
The canvas is a swirling vortex of symbolism, flowing in an elliptical path as if to show how these forms of justice are forever intertwined. On the left, a formidable woman, reminiscent of a Victorian-era figure, holds an owl, the classical symbol of wisdom and foresight, its wings spread in a gesture of power. To the right, a stern, patriarchal figure sits enthroned, holding a chalice from which a tiny, pleading figure emerges, perhaps representing the individual subject to the cold, impersonal scales of the law. At the centre, two powerful bulls lock horns, a raw display of primal conflict, while fish swim through the very air, defying natural law and guiding our eyes through the narrative.
Rendered with breath taking skill in water soluble graphite, the scene has the gravitas of an old master’s work, yet its narrative is fiercely contemporary. Rademeyer masterfully weaves well known metaphors with her own personal symbolism, inviting us not just to look, but to decode. This is not a piece to be glanced at, but a world to be entered; a profound and technically brilliant meditation that demands and rewards sustained contemplation.
Artist: Irda-Adri Rademeyer (SA 1989)
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